Apprenticesxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

[Pete999]

Am I out of touch with modern trends? don't answer that if you can't be nice.
I see a lot of threads, enquiring about "how do I get an Apprenticeship" and "I'm an Adult Apprentice"
Have things changed? daft question really of course they have, with the onset of short courses etc, I'm not having a dig at short courses, honestly, I just cant understand, how Guys and Gals are searching pillar to post foe Apprenticeships.
There are those who will say "things have moved on Pete" but many of the larger Electrical Companies treat Apprenticeships as what they are, a commitment to someone who is willing to train, work for low wages for a period of time and eventually learn a trade, qualify properly, and become Electricians, you hear of people moving from one post to another for an Apprentice position.
Can someone please explain, to someone Old School, how the Apprentice thing works these days, because I'm lost.
I can understand people with commitments, trying the short course route, I don't personally like it but, it's the new wave I presume, I was indentured for 6 years, this must have changed, so will someone please explain to an on fart how it works these days, much appreciated in advance, just to ease my furrowed brow, and ease an Old timers worries. please.

 

[Squid]

The company I served my time with often hired apprentices, used them as cheap labour for 4 years and then laid them off once they was qualified. Then hired another apprentice to replace.

Fair enough it got me my papers but I hated working for them a*seholes.

Most companies did that as if you stayed in employment for an extra day or week then the time of your apprenticeship counted towards your redundancy.

Did my time at EIL in Victoria, got laid off whilst working at the V+A when my time was up, a week later I was working on a site for Matthew Hall at London Wall.

 

[jamie-spark]

Am I out of touch with modern trends? don't answer that if you can't be nice.
I see a lot of threads, enquiring about "how do I get an Apprenticeship" and "I'm an Adult Apprentice"
Have things changed? daft question really of course they have, with the onset of short courses etc, I'm not having a dig at short courses, honestly, I just cant understand, how Guys and Gals are searching pillar to post foe Apprenticeships.
There are those who will say "things have moved on Pete" but many of the larger Electrical Companies treat Apprenticeships as what they are, a commitment to someone who is willing to train, work for low wages for a period of time and eventually learn a trade, qualify properly, and become Electricians, you hear of people moving from one post to another for an Apprentice position.
Can someone please explain, to someone Old School, how the Apprentice thing works these days, because I'm lost.
I can understand people with commitments, trying the short course route, I don't personally like it but, it's the new wave I presume, I was indentured for 6 years, this must have changed, so will someone please explain to an on fart how it works these days, much appreciated in advance, just to ease my furrowed brow, and ease an Old timers worries. please.

I’m pretty sure here in Scotland an apprenticeship or an Adult apprenticeship is the only way of becoming an electrician. I have never know or heard of anyone doing the 4 week course, we read about all the times on this forum that happens down south. Same with this “ Domestic installer “ qualification. It’s been standard for years here that to sign domestic jobs off for the local council if you were not NICEIC OR SELECT registered to self certify, you had to show them your cscs gold card.

 

[jamie-spark]

Deleted duplicate post

 

[gazdkw82]

Real mix of ages and backgrounds on my apprentice course. Couple in late 40's, early 50's, good hand full in mid 30's.

Most of them were full time subs who were paying for the course themselves to get the quals they never achieved in the first place.

I can't comment on apprenticeships in the past but it seems they are still popular for many different people from many different backgrounds and experiences

 

[Jay 1987]

Pete, I can only speak for Scotland so here is my experience as I am putting a lad through it at the moment.

SECT run the training programmes and they are funded principally by the Scottish Government. SECT are part of SELECT.

My apprentice is 26 and a good lad. He is on below minimum wage for the 1st year regardless if he is at college or working with me. Pay rates are in line with SJIB. The course is 3 years but can extend to 4 if the apprentice struggles. It is run in blocks, roughly 4 or 5 weeks at a time and then he is back with me on the tools for 5 or 6 weeks. Alternating between the two. It's intensive and hard work at college. They are constantly assessed and I and the lecturers have access to an online software so I can see how he is doing and ask questions etc.

So far in year one he has done electrical theory, circuit designs and calls. Workshop wise tray, trunking and conduit. Metal and plastic. Last week it was plastic. Here's a pic of what he did in his bay.

Because the money is so bad I have helped him in other ways He's expected to also buy all his own hand tools! I've gotten most of them for him and I have to say CEF and YESS have also supplied some stuff FOC.

Any questions, just ask....

View attachment 47815

View attachment 47814

Tidy work

 

[simpson93]

Being only 25 i think its fairly recent for me.

Leaving school at 16, i simply couldnt find the apprentiship i was looking for and ended up enrolling on 2330 course for 2 years. The only people on the course who seemed to have apprentiship style training where those who had family in the trade.

For my first job as a trainee, I was told to register self-employed and paid £30 a day which I'm sure would be quite daunting for most people. Every job I have had since then has always been under a self-employed basis, i just think know one wants to actually employ anyone anymore.

 

[MFS Electrical]

Am I out of touch with modern trends? don't answer that if you can't be nice.
I see a lot of threads, enquiring about "how do I get an Apprenticeship" and "I'm an Adult Apprentice"
Have things changed? daft question really of course they have, with the onset of short courses etc, I'm not having a dig at short courses, honestly, I just cant understand, how Guys and Gals are searching pillar to post foe Apprenticeships.
There are those who will say "things have moved on Pete" but many of the larger Electrical Companies treat Apprenticeships as what they are, a commitment to someone who is willing to train, work for low wages for a period of time and eventually learn a trade, qualify properly, and become Electricians, you hear of people moving from one post to another for an Apprentice position.
Can someone please explain, to someone Old School, how the Apprentice thing works these days, because I'm lost.
I can understand people with commitments, trying the short course route, I don't personally like it but, it's the new wave I presume, I was indentured for 6 years, this must have changed, so will someone please explain to an on fart how it works these days, much appreciated in advance, just to ease my furrowed brow, and ease an Old timers worries. please.

I done a proper apprenticeship with SECTT and the SJIB and on the back of my craftsman certificate it lists the places you were employed throughout your apprenticeship (I only had the one)so I take it it went on with the proper ones too....

 

[Deleted member 26818]

From what I’ve been told, the Government has stopped or reduced the amount they pay employers to take on Aprentices.
As far as I am aware, there are still companies that take on Aprentices, T Clarkes, London Guild, Gratte Brothers, even smaller companies like SEE had Aprentices, before they went bust.

 

[richy3333]

Dont know if I said earlier Spin but I get no financial assistance at all in Scotland apart from that the course is funded by different parties. I have to pay my apprentice his wages, travel etc. Cant claim anything back.

 

[Marti]

As a mature enthusiast looking for a new career I could not even get any of "equal opportunity" employers to return my calls. Eventually put myself through college and part P etc; an impossible task without family support. Two youngsters sitting on my class had been used a cheap improvers for four years as part of their so called apprenticeship. Que the British companies crying "we can't get the quality staff in the UK" before under paying some poor European who just wants a better life for his family. I love this job but despair of the people that run the industry.

 

[MFS Electrical]

Dont know if I said earlier Spin but I get no financial assistance at all in Scotland apart from that the course is funded by different parties. I have to pay my apprentice his wages, travel etc. Cant claim anything back.

Do you not still get a little bonus once the apprentice passes his FICA?

 

[MFS Electrical]

Sorry if I caused offence @Moe my choice of words could have been better rather than proper maybe I should have said traditional.....

 

[Phil Thompson]

I have a level 2 trainee at the moment. He’s paid £40 a week for 2 years by college, then he goes on to level 3 where he becomes an employee and gets national minimum wage.

He’s been with me since Sept and whilst he’s a million times better than the 3 I had last year, he’s still not able to earn the £20 a day cash I throw him extra a day, and according to my accountant I’d be worried I will never get what needs to be billed out for him should he move on to level 3 now for the rest of his 4 years, if he gets his gcse resit maths. It’s actually not much difference between it and when he’d be 3rd year level, so in my eyes the first year rate is too high and should be more like £50-80 a week, the time you lose trying to teach them anything is unreal, they don’t have a clue about materials for months and months, so don’t speed you up that way.

Then these days because they’re all cotton wool wrapped snowflake babies, their mummies have them so mollie coddled they don’t even know what a brush and shovel is, never mind how to use them lol

 

[Carl S]

I became a EITB registered trainer just before I finished my apprenticeship. The up and coming apprentice’s grasp of maths was always my bugbear.


As for the brush and shovel, apprentices, trades men, charge hands and the forman all mucked in to clean the workshop. “You’re there to learn a trade, not make tea!”

 

[richy3333]

Do you not still get a little bonus once the apprentice passes his FICA?

Hi MFS.
Not that I am aware of, I’ve seen nothing on the SECT website nor have they said anything to me.