By RUSSELL BENNETT
A NEW app known as ‘Tinder for tradies’ is changing the way job seekers and employers are connecting across Melbourne’s south-east – one of the country’s biggest growth corridors.
Tradie Start is becoming the fastest growing network for tradespeople, builders and apprentices throughout the country.
The online business was formed less than a year ago by builder Jarrod Plymin and Sam Langford-Jones – from Langford Jones Homes – who has a degree in property (construction).
It essentially helps young people looking to get their start as an apprentice find qualified tradespeople to work for.
The Tradie Start service – which includes both a website and an app – is quick and user-friendly.
And since it started, users from the Casey, Cardinia and City of Greater Dandenong areas have already made up a huge portion of its total user base.
Daniel Hughes, who has a background in sales, has also since come on-board the business and in the past six months alone has visited more than 30 secondary colleges and TAFEs in areas including Pakenham, Dandenong, Keysborough, and right across Gippsland – speaking to VCAL students about to enter the workforce.
His son is currently a Year 12 VCAL student, which gives him an even greater perspective on the business.
“The idea came about because they (Jarrod and Sam), in their capacity as builders, were always being approached by local footy clubs or people they knew asking if they could find a job for a young player at their club,” Daniel explained.
“That was the idea 10 months or so ago.
“They approached me in November of last year – by opportunistic chance. I’m the senior coach for the footy club at Old Haileybury.
“One of the attractions for me – apart from the opportunity for a new business – is that my son is doing Year 12 VCAL at St Bede’s.
“He’s in this hit-zone right now and at the conclusion of this year when he finishes his VCAL he’s going to be looking for a job in the trade game. He wants to be a builder, so what better way to test the water.”
Daniel, Jarrod and Sam have complete confidence in Tradie Start. The trick now is to make it financial.
“We’ve identified that, from a money-making or a business sense, this is very much a long-term thing – it won’t be a matter of putting in $10,000 today and getting $100,000 back tomorrow. That won’t happen,” Daniel said.
“The conversations about how to make money have been more about advertising through our site, and the way to do that is to get more people on it. The profile awareness has been our major focus.”
Daniel has done a number of presentations in schools where he walks students through the Tradie Start app and gets them started on their application process.
“The profile creation process takes about five minutes, and it costs nothing so there’s no reason why you shouldn’t do it,” he said.
“It’s easy – it’s like creating a Facebook profile. That’s exactly what it is.
“It’s actually been referred to as Tinder for tradies – that’s how it works. Tinder works on the basis of creating a profile about yourself with photographs and details about yourself, and the second person does the same thing.
“This is the same principle. We have people who want to join the trade game create their profile based on who they actually are, where they live, their contact details, a brief history about themselves and then conversely we have the businesses – qualified tradespeople and the like – do the same thing.
“If you’re a builder who’s been in the game for 25 years, currently employs 20 people, builds houses in the south-east and is looking for a first-year carpentry apprentice that’ll be on your profile.”
Daniel said the capacity for young people to walk on to a building site and actually ask for a job was “pretty damn low”.
“My son wouldn’t do it, and I wouldn’t do it either,” he said.
“This gives them the capacity to create their own profile, in the comfort of their own home on their smartphone, laptop or iPad.
“They can edit it and take their time on it and on a Monday after school they can get home, log in and check it. It’s the same principle as Tinder or some other social media – yes or no. You just swipe.
“If you say yes and they do too, you get a match and off you go. It’s a very simple process – it’s not hard at all.
“It’s not scientific – it’s simple and it’s practical.”
Daniel said Tradie Start was currently concentrating on the electrical, carpentry and plumbing trades but could fast expand to sectors including upholstery, automotive, gardening and landscaping, bricklaying and cabinet making.
Berwick shooter Laetisha Scanlan, who is set to compete in the Rio Olympics, is an ambassador for the company.
For more information, visit www.tradiestart.com.au or search for ‘TradieStart’ in the Apple and Android app stores.
