An Indian man living in Australia has sparked a discussion online after sharing his thoughts on how trade workers such as plumbers, electricians and carpenters are valued in the country. In a video shared on Instagram, he said these jobs are not only well paid in Australia, but also carry a level of dignity and respect that he feels is often missing in India.
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‘These jobs pay really well here’
Taking to Instagram, the man identified as Addy Khaneja shared a video saying, "I want to talk about plumbers, electricians and other trade workers here. Back in India, when we were growing up, if someone did not study well, people would often say, “You will end up becoming a plumber, carpenter or something like that.” But here, many children actually dream of becoming plumbers, electricians or carpenters. And honestly, it makes sense because these jobs pay really well here."
He further explained, "A construction manager can earn up to $200,000. In India, we would probably call a construction manager a thekedar. If you are an electrician or a plumber here, you can easily make more than $120,000. Once, we had a small issue at home, so we called a carpenter because our lock was stuck. He fixed it in just 15 minutes and charged us $150 for that work."
{{/usCountry}}He further explained, "A construction manager can earn up to $200,000. In India, we would probably call a construction manager a thekedar. If you are an electrician or a plumber here, you can easily make more than $120,000. Once, we had a small issue at home, so we called a carpenter because our lock was stuck. He fixed it in just 15 minutes and charged us $150 for that work."
{{/usCountry}}Comparing this with India, he added, "Back in India, there is a carpenter in our society named Bhupinder. Poor guy probably earns around $150 a month, maybe slightly more. Now I sometimes think, as probably the first Indian parent who feels this way, I do not want my child to become an engineer or a doctor. I would rather say, “Go and learn carpentry first, so I can stop paying $150 for a 15 minute job.”"
‘There is a lot of respect for trades’
Khaneja also spoke about the social respect attached to such work in Australia. He said, "And the best thing here is the respect. There is a lot of respect for trades and for people who work with their hands. In India, you usually do not see electricians, plumbers or carpenters getting that kind of respect."
He added that having a trade skill could offer greater flexibility in Australia. "Today, if I think about leaving my job and moving to Brisbane, I would first have to check ten different things. Is there a job for me there? I would have to apply, wait for someone to hire me and then move. But if I knew a trade, I could live in any city in Australia with my eyes closed and still earn the same money, if not more. So that was my random Australia thought for this week."
The text overlaid in the clip read, "Reality of blue-collar jobs in Australia." The clip was shared with the caption, "This is just my opinion on trade jobs like plumbing, carpentry, electrician jobs in Australia! I wish there was same respect in India as well."
Watch the clip here:
Internet reacts to the video
The clip has received several reactions from social media users. One user wrote, "Exactly. It’s all about mindset and the value people place on skills." Another said, "Bro, the only reason behind this is population." A third added, "I agree with you."
Several others shared their own views on trade jobs and career choices. One user commented, "You’re absolutely right. I wish I had done a course like this too. Maybe things would have been different for me." Another offered a different perspective and wrote, "You can’t really compare an average engineer with a tradie. If we start comparing tradies with CEOs, specialist doctors or top engineers, the picture changes completely because they earn far more. And when it comes to respect, let’s be honest, if a tradie and a doctor are standing together, most people will naturally give more respect to the doctor. Also, tradies may earn well, but their career growth is usually limited compared to doctors and engineers."
(Disclaimer: This report is based on user-generated content from social media. HT.com has not independently verified the claims and does not endorse them.)