[SixSigma]

You can't just up wage offers and see results. HGV driving already pays good wages here - upwards of $750 p/w and it costs something like $1500 to get qualified.

Even if you only work for a year, you will recoup your investment so I don't think it can possibly be people thinking that "I'm not going to be an HGV driver because robots will take my job, I shall stay here in McDonald's on minimum wage"

So it can't be a purely wage issue that keeps millions of people in low pay / unemployment and not behind an HGV steering wheel.

[redblacktree]

Could be that the McDonalds employee doesn't have the $1,500 to get qualified. For a great many people, that's an amount that seems impossible to save.

[JupiterMoon]

If industry was really desperate they would simply offer people training contracts with a buy out clause. I.e. the company pays for the training and the driver (assuming they pass) then has to work for the company for a minimum length of time or buy themselves out. This would surely be a win-win for everyone.