Are you an electrician with more work than you can handle?!?!

[Scorrer11]

Too much work? Not enough time? Why don't you take on a trainee?
trying to understand the trade a little bit more, can you please tell me why you don't take on people to help you when there are so many on here offering cheap or even free work to learn more about practical electrics.
What are your red or green flags when seeing a ad for something like "will work for free to gain experience" or "looking for a job to do my nvq (at my own cost)"

like is theoretical qualifications a green flag? Or red because they won't want a apprenticeship?
would you be more likely to take someone on if they Had there own public liability insurance?

hope this starts a conversation to try and air out the restraint we as the trainee feel from the potential trainers out there that could earn more money and customers from the additional help.

thanks
shaun:shades_smile:

 

[Dave OCD]

I have 1, my youngest son. We're 6 weeks in and he's starting to be quite handy. He actually connected 2 downlights yesterday, albeit only with 1 cable at each one but did a nice neat job. I always let him carry my heavy toolbox to help build up his strength- see how caring and considerate I am !

 

[Leesparkykent]

I have 1, my youngest son. We're 6 weeks in and he's starting to be quite handy. He actually connected 2 downlights yesterday, albeit only with 1 cable at each one but did a nice neat job. I always let him carry my heavy toolbox to help build up his strength- see how caring and considerate I am !

I can hardly get a word out of my 1st year all day...think he's scared as the other lads say he comes out of his shell when I'm not about lol. Had him cable tying all the BT's, TV's, door entry cables on the tray down the riser on a block of flats that I am doing today. My second year is better than some sparks I know lol.

 

[Dave OCD]

I've always emphasised the importance of cleaning up thoroughly as well as being being polite,friendly and well mannered to my lad Lee. He'll quite often be given tips by customers but doesn't think I should reduce his wages by those amounts lol.

 

[Scorrer11]

I have 1, my youngest son. We're 6 weeks in and he's starting to be quite handy. He actually connected 2 downlights yesterday, albeit only with 1 cable at each one but did a nice neat job. I always let him carry my heavy toolbox to help build up his strength- see how caring and considerate I am !

dave that must be nice! I'd love to be in a position where I'm passing on my trade to my child arty:

 

[Dave OCD]

dave that must be nice! I'd love to be in a position where I'm passing on my trade to my child arty:

It is really nice mate but can be a bit tricky as my expectations and standards are high and he sometimes thinks he'll have an easy time of it working with his soft old dad but 95% of the time it's all good really. :smiley2:

 

[HappyHippyDad]

My lad is 7. I was working at his Grandma's todays which is one of the few times I'll take him along. I had him pulling an awkward/difficult cable through a cavity wall whilst I fed from above. I payed him with 30 minutes of Sponge Bob Square Pants TV time and a cake!

So Scorrer, if you're willing to work for those wages!!

I think I should have come up with some positive ideas in my original post as well, sorry about that, although knowing what you're up against can help as well.

1. Always keep asking and looking for someone to give you some experience, someone WILL say 'yes' eventually.
2. If you have your own house then use it as a practise house.
3. If you don't have your own house use your parents.
4. Ask some of the bigger firms for some experience, I would think they are more likely to say 'yes'.
5. Perhaps delve into family members and see if any of them have some connections in the electrical industry, you never know.
6. Keep doing number 1.

Good luck chap, you've got the gift of the gab so you're half way there :biggrin:

 

[Simonslimline]

Knock up a test rig and purchase a copy of guidance note 3. This could be a good way to practice the testing side of things perhaps.

 

[DuaneMHunt1976]

I'm still getting my feet, but it is in my plans to get someone trained and then be partners and branch out
Dream is to have one name with people working under that in catchment area that over lap a bit
One store with better supplies and tools, also big jobs you can call others with in the group in to help out
Along with a phone call if you Unsure helping hand

I think that the people like myself who have put money in for classroom training are a untapped source
Someone proven to be keen to put their own money in and pushed them self's back in to a class to learn, shows commitment
And they just need that helping.hand and a push to go all the way.

And if.when they are.trained and ready for the world and they go Han solo agest you, well children grow up and be what they want to than what you want for them, example Darth Vader, trained up And chose his own path than the one layer out for him.

 

[7029 dave]

So you learned all you can from his investment in you, then when its payback time you jumped ship to a bigger company?

thats pretty much what i said wasnt it?

Even with his blessing thats exactly what you did!

thats exactly what i did as well and probably nearly every self employed bloke on here, thats why companies generally dont bother with apprentiships now, they just poach the finished article off another company or import them from abroad

No not at all, he told me that, and most importantly I was an asset to him for many years after, done lots of work for him when I went alone, we remain goods friends to this day,he is retired now.

 

[Scorrer11]

My lad is 7. I was working at his Grandma's todays which is one of the few times I'll take him along. I had him pulling an awkward/difficult cable through a cavity wall whilst I fed from above. I payed him with 30 minutes of Sponge Bob Square Pants TV time and a cake!

So Scorrer, if you're willing to work for those wages!!

I think I should have come up with some positive ideas in my original post as well, sorry about that, although knowing what you're up against can help as well.

1. Always keep asking and looking for someone to give you some experience, someone WILL say 'yes' eventually.
2. If you have your own house then use it as a practise house.
3. If you don't have your own house use your parents.
4. Ask some of the bigger firms for some experience, I would think they are more likely to say 'yes'.
5. Perhaps delve into family members and see if any of them have some connections in the electrical industry, you never know.
6. Keep doing number 1.

Good luck chap, you've got the gift of the gab so you're half way there :biggrin:

allready rewired my own house, currently in the process of investing in a multifunction tester so i can do all the dead tests were learning at college before my friend comes in and signs it off properly.
alot of the bigger firms only want apprenticeships and refuse to help people do there nvq with them, allready been turned away by british gas, mitie and integral
gift of the gab has allways been my best tool to get out there lol
but if were being honest i would work for you for cake!!! hahaha

 

[DuaneMHunt1976]

Then person signing off.is spose to seen the work being done
And he would.be sign up for these third party things

I guess will just put the paper work in as if he'd done it him self, what isn't spose to happen but I would lay lot of money that it happens a lot but never spoken about.