There is a nationwide skills shortage as young people are more interested in pursuing higher education.

Brickworks executive officer Lindsay Partridge is unable to run his brick manufacturing company at full capacity because of the skills shortage.

He told Julie-Anne Sprague on 6PR Afternoons parents could be the ones to blame.

Press PLAY to hear how parents might be contributing to the skills shortage 

“It’s not that there’s not enough trades, the issue is we can’t get people to start,” Mr Partridge said.

“It’s because parents want their kids to get a higher education so we have too many university graduates and not enough trades people.”