More apprentices seeking help on mental health

Australia’s leading industry-funded mental health counselling service for tradies, truckies, rural and blue-collar workers, TIACS (This Is A Conversation Starter), has reported a sharp rise in the number of calls coming into the service from apprentices.

According to Jason Banks, head of partnerships with TIACS, the rise in the number of apprentices calling into TIACS for help is pleasing as it showed more apprentices are being vulnerable in opening up on their daily challenges.

“Based on our June statistics, apprentices now make up 11 percent of the calls we are receiving. This means that apprentices are really feeling the challenges and pressure of the current market and the issues facing blue collar industries across the country,” Banks said.

“12 months ago, apprentices made up less than four percent of our callers. Today the number is a lot higher.

“While awareness of our service is growing, it means that apprentices are feeling the need to reach out. This is a good thing that they are getting help as we pride ourselves on our ability to provide good quality counselling support however it demonstrates the level of strain those working in blue collar industries are feeling.”

He said the key issue facing the blue-collar sector overwhelmingly involved relationships.

“When people are under pressure, the first thing that usually starts to fracture is relationships with loved ones at home such as partners.

“People are pretty good at holding it together at work and then fall apart as soon as they leave. Unfortunately loved ones usually have to deal with the stress at home.”

TIACS is the country’s fastest growing support service for the tradie, truckie, rural and blue-collar sectors.

The mental health counselling service is free for workers and the people that care about them.

“Our counselling services are provided via phone and text five days a week from 8am to 10pm. They are completely confidential and every time someone contacts us for help, they continue to speak to the same qualified counsellor so there is continuity and confidence in the help provided,” Banks said.

“Tradies are doing it tough. Building sites and manufacturing environments are busy loud places where people don’t do a lot of one-on-one talking. They can also be very lonely and isolating places. Yet, these work environments can be places where people are struggling and may not have anyone to talk with.”

Ed Ross and Daniel Allen founded TIACS three years ago. The 2023 Australian of the Year finalists are also the founders of TradeMutt, a social impact workwear brand that consists of a range of bright cheerful clothing designed to get tradies to start a conversation with each other.