A Perth dad's unusual efforts to find his son a job have paid off, with an employer putting his hand up for a win-win deal.
Travis Bastian has spent six months trying to get an electrician's apprenticeship, pulling out all the stops in the meantime by completing a pre-apprencticeship and numerous short courses, countless job applications and paying his way by flipping burgers.
Watching his 20-year-old son losing hope, his father Stuart Bastian turned to Gumtree, pleading with an employer for a 'gentleman's agreement': take his son on in exchange for having his father pay the wage until Travis gained the skills to become an asset.
This was no different to a parent supporting a child through university, he said.
WAtoday published the story in days before Christmas and within days had passed on a message to the Bastians from family-owned Perth company 3G Electrical.
Travis is now completing a trial and is likely to start officially on Monday.
Manager Dean Goldberg said he was attracted by the idea of a father who would go to such lengths because his son was so enthusiastic about working.
"With them going to that amount of effort, I find it would be kind of rude not to give him a job," he said.
"He's a good kid. He's more on the ball than most apprentices."
Mr Goldberg said the WA economy was making it tough for employers.
"There is very little work going around and so many sparkys in Perth that it's hard to commit to that person for a four-year contract – the subsidies are not as great as everyone thinks they are," he said.
"We have come to an arrangement.
"It helps us out and helps Travis out at the same time."
Mr Bastian said Travis, who had also jumped at the chance to do some work experience last week in 40-degree heat without batting an eyelid, despite the lack of pay, was relieved to see some action.
"You can only make Whoppers for so long," he said.
"Not to denigrate HJs of course but to start work on something that is tangible and valuable for a lifetime, and direct his energies towards actually learning, is highly welcome.
"He is very relieved and we've very happy for him – he even looks happy."
While the agreement with SG Electrical was verbal at this stage he "wholeheartedly believed in this gentleman".
"And if for any reason something permanent doesn't come through there are other irons in the fire that have come from this," he said.
"I sincerely appreciate the interest and support and I thank everyone deeply.
"I hope this has illuminated the system, it's arguably quite antiquated and it's a lot about who you know, there is a lot of nepotism that creeps through."
Apprenticeships for all major trades dropped significantly in WA during 2016, with both mining and housing both slowing simultaneously.
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