Starting a conversation in the workshop or freight yard can make all the difference to anyone struggling with their mental health. At least, that’s what TradeMutt and the Motor Trades Association of Queensland (MTAQ) figure.
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The two organisations have come together in a bid to highlight the importance of looking after your mental health for workers in automative industries. This is being done through the release of an unmissable new work shirt.
Covered top to bottom with bright patterns, colours and symbols, the two organisations are encouraging all automotive and transport workers to speak up and ‘Don’t Shut the Bonnet On It’, one of the campaign’s slogans.
The shirts also include ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone’ on the front pocket, and ‘This is a Conversation Starter’ adorned on the back.
“At TradeMutt, we believe that workwear can do more than just provide protection; it can also spark meaningful conversations about mental health,” says Ed Ross, co-founder of TradeMutt.
“This partnership with MTA Queensland allows us to extend our reach and ensure that every shirt sold contributes to crucial mental health services for workers who often feel they have no one to turn to.
“TradeMutt was created to start conversations about mental health. By wearing a TradeMutt shirt to work, the invisible issue of mental health becomes impossible to ignore. So, get involved, grab a shirt, and share the message.”
Founded by Ross and Dan Allen, TradeMutt has a variety of shirts available for several trade industries with the same goal — promote conversations amongst people that might not always be willing to speak up when they’re struggling.
Other organisations that you may be familiar with like Healthy Heads in Trucks and Sheds are all too familiar with the mental health struggles that transport industry workers experience.
Long hours, in often isolated environments with constant high-pressure and quick turnarounds, can result in heightened stress and mental health concerns.
The ‘2023 Indicators of a Thriving Workplace’ report, published by mental health group SuperFriend, ranked the transport and logistics sector 19th out of 19 industries for workplace mental health and wellbeing. This is something that the MTAQ is hoping to change for its members.
“Our members at times have expressed interest and concern about mental health across the industry,” says MTAQ CEO Rod Camm.
“We’re seeing now that everyone has to be attuned to it. We had a member, Ben Chesterfield of Car Craft QLD, saying he had been looking at getting involved with a mental health organisation for his group.
“He felt like this was a bit bigger than just one employer, and something that the MTAQ could research. That was the initial prompt for us to start doing something about it.”
From there, Rod and the MTAQ set about identifying organisations that aligned with their member industries and suited the message they were trying to promote.
As they work primarily with workshops across automotive and heavy vehicle-based industries, the priority was to find someone who could engage workers with toolbox talks and similar events.
“We wanted a strategy where we could promote mental health awareness for our members and let them there’s a well-staffed helpline,” Camm says.
“Anyone in the industry can make a call if they want some advice. We ultimately concluded that TradeMutt was the best organisation for our industry.
“The TradeMutt guys are really great. They speak very direct language, and they’re great at it. When you see them do what they do, young and older people all sort of understand that their mental health is nothing to be embarrassed about it. If you need help, it’s there for you.”
The MTAQ is currently encouraging all of its automotive stakeholders to get involved and participate in what it is calling ‘Funky Shirt Fridays’.
Created by TradeMutt to change the culture surrounding mental health, Funky Shirt Fridays have become a growing trend in workplaces across Australia.
This initiative not only aims to foster a sense of community but also reinforces the important message of mental health awareness that the MTAQ is trying to spread to its members.
Camm says that he is particularly hoping to reach the younger members of the automotive and transport industries.
“If we look at the young people in our pipeline, in our industry, our tech apprentices for instance, it’s a complex world for them,” he says.
“They’ve got to deal with a lot not just at work, but things like living pressures and the cost of housing. There’s a lot of real stresses on our people.
“If you look at our tagline, ‘Don’t Shut the Bonnet on It’, the key thing is that if you’re not talking about it then no one can help. Internalising it doesn’t help.
“Our goal is to encourage open and frank conversation. A lot of our members might say, ‘I’m not comfortable talking about it’, or it’s not something they were brought up doing. We’ll talk to you about it, or even better, TradeMutt will.
“If we can get them to call their number, then the world starts to change. Years ago there was a real stigma surrounding mental health, but I think that’s starting to change. People understand that everyone has issues.”
Despite how it may seem from the familiarity with which Camm speaks about these issues, this is a new endeavour for the MTAQ.
It will be the first time that they have partnered with a mental health organisation, in what they hope will become a more common undertaking for the industries across their members.
“We have always had a real interest in the welfare of people in our member industries,” Camm says.
“Our HR and industrial relations teams give advice to members on a number of topics. But we’ve found that mental health is an issue that’s continuing to grow across the nation.
“You see some of the data on suicide for young men in the construction industry. It’s really alarming, and we really don’t want to see that grow in the automotive and transport industries.
“They’re wonderful industries, and we know people have ups and downs. This partnership will be a first. None of my colleagues across other motors trades associations have done this.
“We feel like this is a worthy cause that warrants our time and investment.”
The MTAQ has also taken to producing a number of videos alongside TradeMutt for their YouTube channels, which you can find on the ‘MTA Queensland’ website.
If you or anyone you know is experiencing mental health challenges, you can reach the ‘This is a Conversation Starter’ support service at 0488 846 988.
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