WHILE Shenzhen’s market is expanding amid increasing sales, the auto maintenance industry is struggling to find enough workers with high-end mechanical skills.

    “Skilled mechanics, whether high-end or low-end, are what we are looking for, especially in the fields of metal plate work and car detailing,” a recruitment manager surnamed Cai told Shenzhen Special Zone Daily at this week’s 9th Job Fair for Technical Talents in the Auto Industry.

    Shenzhen is home to nearly 3,000 automobile-maintenance companies which employ about 80,000 workers. But it’s estimated that the industry’s talent gap could create a shortage of 15,000 to 20,000 skilled workers, local Chinese-language media reported.

    Most companies in the industry also are suffering from high turnover rates.

    “Generally speaking, an ordinary worker can become a skilled technician after seven or eight years in a workshop. However, most young men will lose their patience in less than six months and change to easier office jobs or go to other mainland cities,” Cai said.

    Local media outlets suggested the industry’s low salaries are a leading cause of the brain drain. Senior mechanics can earn 8,000 yuan (US$1,297) or more per month, while junior mechanics can earn 4,000 yuan or more and laborers can earn about 2,000 yuan.

    “Working overtime is a common phenomenon in the industry, and most of that is manual labor. I hope my child can take up other decent jobs,” said a worker who said he’s been in the auto industry for more than 20 years.

    Teachers from a Guangxi vocational school came to the job fair to look for internship opportunities for their students.

    “We hope the government can help establish partnerships between schools and enterprises to send qualified talents to companies in need,” said a Xingyufeng Co. recruiter surnamed Lu.(Luo Songsong)