If you want a society with mentally healthy people, the best way is to teach children to talk about it. That’s why a vocational school in Australia has already taken action. The teachers there don’t wear their own clothes, but special workwear carrying a message for the students.
It starts with the youth
The new workwear was launched last month at TAFE NSW during Tradies National Health Month. The shirts were developed by Trademutt, an organization known for workwear that raises awareness about mental health. On the back of the shirt, you’ll find the text “this is a conversation starter”, showing that the wearer is open to personal conversations.
The shirts are worn by 500 carpentry, plumbing, and electrotechnology teachers across TAFE NSW’s 42 campuses. According to a spokesperson from the institution, improving students’ health and wellbeing is very important. Precisely because they are still in training while also starting their careers, finding a balance between work and private life can be challenging. Since the teachers themselves come from the industry, they can guide students through these conversations.
Workwear increasingly draws attention to mental health
In recent years, we’ve seen more and more organizations choosing workwear that highlights mental health. In England, for example, there is the special “Make it Visible” campaign, which focuses on construction workers. The Lighthouse Construction Industry Charity, an organization that supports the mental health of UK construction workers, set this up together with car brand Ford. Here too, Trademutt provided the “this is a conversation starter” shirts, and meetings were organized to discuss what you can do if you or a colleague struggles with mental health issues.
In New Zealand, Diamond Workwear focuses on the same target group with similar shirts, but in a different country. And that’s no coincidence: research shows that worldwide, suicide rates in the construction industry are much higher than in other work environments.
Meanwhile, more and more organizations from other industries are following this example. The Australian Forest Products Association (AFPA), Motor Trades Association of Queensland, the Public Transport Authority of Western Australia, Bosch, and KPMG also wear Trademutt shirts. Each with their own custom print, but always carrying the same message: talk to each other.
I think all these initiatives are fantastic, but the introduction of these work shirts at a school is my absolute favorite. Learning and development should continue throughout our lives, but for young people, paying attention to mental health is especially important. It can prevent a lot of misery later in life. And in some cases, it can also save many lives.
Illustration Credit: Trademutt
