It is hard to hire locals as technicians even though a mechanic is able to have a decent career advancement and high paying jobs down the track, reported The Straits Times.

Automotive workshop BCC group director Francis Lim said, "Jobs in automotive workshops are viewed as unglamorous - dirty, tough and lowly paid. Even ITE graduates who studied automotive technology don't want to join the industry."

Mr Edmund Lim, managing director of Lim Tan Motor, agreed. His staff size has shrunk from more than 50 to about 40, and he has nine job listings on the Jobs Bank website.

Mr Francis Lim, who is also the president of the Singapore Motor Workshop Association (SMWA), said ITE graduates often do not realise that car workshops provide good career progression. Many start as a rookie mechanic with a mentor, become a senior mechanic and eventually a manager, drawing up to $5,000 a month.

The labour crunch is taking a toll on some workshops. Mr Phua Cheng Long, manager of automotive firm Tuffi Group, said it was wary of accepting projects as it might not have enough staff.

Workshops have to hire foreign workers, with the bulk coming from Malaysia, along with nations such as China or the Philippines. But the hiring of foreign workers has its pitfalls as well - foreign worker levies increase costs and some workers are not reliable.

"A lot of foreigners just take up the job for a year and leave. They only do it to get approval as a permanent resident or to move on to other jobs," said Mr Edmund Lim.