Irish backpacker claims sought-after $180,000 job – a favourite of migrants moving to Australia – is a ‘scam’

An Irish backpacker has claimed that traffic control work in Australia is actually a ‘scam’, despite some workers earning as much as $180,000 a year.

The tourist, named Kerry, recently shared a TikTok revealing why she wouldn’t recommend the course to others traveling Down Under.

Kerry said that although she earned as much as $45 an hour in Sydney, services were difficult to come by and she also had to spend $600 of her own money on courses and uniforms.

“It’s the biggest scam in Australia for backpackers,” she told the paper video.

“People come to Australia and spend hundreds of pounds on traffic control courses, thinking they’re going to get loads of hours and it’s going to be a full-time, stable job.

‘If that’s the case, just go work in the bar or in the catering industry, it’s so much easier.’

Kerry explained that to work in a bar, staff only needed to complete their Responsible Service for Alcohol license, which costs $124 in NSW.

She said she worked for two traffic control companies and had to take a series of courses ‘in the middle of f***ing nowhere’, then buy the uniform.

The biggest problem was that the work was informal, which meant that some weeks she didn’t work any shifts at all.

“I’m sorry, sir, I actually have to pay rent here, can I have a few hours?” Kerry continued.

The tourist, known as Kerry, recently shared a TikTok in which she revealed why she wouldn’t recommend traffic control to others traveling Down Under

“My boss used to text me at 11pm at night and say, ‘Oh, you’ll be there at 6am,’ like, can you give me at least 24 hours notice?”

The Irish woman said that even once she had arranged a service, the work could take hours, and her company did not provide her with a car.

“Don’t rush over here to become a traffic control officer, it’s not meant to be that way at all and it’s damn boring!” she said.

Kerry added that there was also a danger factor, claiming that some cars would drive right past her and almost hit her, despite the fact that she was holding a stop sign.

The boredom was also unbearable: Kerry said in another video that she watched ants crawling on the ground for 45 minutes.

Kerry said while she earned as much as $45 an hour in Sydney, services were difficult to come by and she also had to spend $600 of her own money on courses and uniforms.

Those who work in traffic control and are unionized appear to be doing better, with Kerry saying she knew other women who had “made money” from union jobs in five years.

Many others who had tried their hand at traffic control agreed that it was difficult to arrange services.

‘I agree with that!! It’s so variable. I did it in Darwin and got a full week of work and the rest got two days, sometimes one or none!’ one person commented.

“Same in WA, most unstable jobs haven’t had hours for weeks and sometimes we find out we’re flying a day early,” said another.

CFMEU NSW boss Brian Parker said in 2018 that some traffic controllers can earn as much as $180,000 a year.

“They stand outside all day, in all weather conditions, and face abuse from the public,” he said at the time.