UK Failing Apprentice - What to do

[poggy1951]

What to do with a failing apprentice........ bin him but what are the legal problems that may arise.

 

[MJPD29]

Its probably facebook related, ours is still hopeless and still has the attention span of a tick tock video, we only keep him because 1, he hasn't got attitude and 2, he is cheap labour. I couldn't get a labourer with half a brain to do what he does for the money we give him so stupidity does have its upsides.

Brutal. Too many people with that attitude in this industry at the minute. We were all there once, young lads/ladies all deserve a chance.

 

[westward10]

It may well be but its pretty accurate. If he is daft enough to not listen and therefore not progress he is going to be on rubbish money forever and if he isn't capable of doing more technical things then all that's left to do is be a van monkey and a brush monkey. The young of today seem to think it works the other way round, ie:- if we give him more money then he will do more stuff, sorry but it doesn't work like that.

Whatever you feel about him I doubt anyone one on here is impressed by your posts. Your negativity about him is a possible reason for the way you say he is and I have pulled many trainees from what I thought were impossible places.

 

[oscar21]

Brutal. Too many people with that attitude in this industry at the minute. We were all there once, young lads/ladies all deserve a chance.

Err... he's had a chance, we took him on. I' ve told him about his phone but he pulls it out of his pocket probably 20 or 30 times a day. He has now taken to hiding behind the van to facebook when he goes to get something.

Once someone has the phone addiction there's no coming back from it no matter what you try, its worse than crack. The only time it will stop is when the inevitably walk out in front of a HGV.

 

[nicebutdim]

Once someone has the phone addiction there's no coming back from it no matter what you try, its worse than crack. The only time it will stop is when the inevitably walk out in front of a HGV.

It may equally be the case that he has become completely disillusioned by the people he works with and perhaps, at this point, the idea of being an electrician.

Don't get me wrong; I understand that there are young people who lack motivation and have little desire to work, but a good percentage can be turned around. Apprentices aren't cheap labour and I take it he's a PAYE employee earning at least the national living wage.

I'm also at a loss in trying to understand this kid's status. You've posted about him previously, and described him as an apprentice, but today state that he is 19 and has finished his training. At that age he'd have done well to compete an apprecticeship a year early - especially when you describe him as next to useless. Something smells wrong here - either in the details you have related or with his status as an apprentice electrician.

 

[oscar21]

Well what would you call him? He did 2 years at college from 16 to 18, now he works for us. He is just a worker now like every one else. I call him an apprentice because an apprenticeship used to be 7 years long. We pay him NMW.

As for disillusioned, I think he's gutted that the real world isn't the same as the make believe school world that he was used to, he still thinks its a good thing if he gets away with doing nothing all day or for example putting ceiling roses up with just a screw straight into plasterboard. He thinks he has out foxed teacher whilst the reality is its just money down the drain.

There is a reason why when you ask a tradesman would they take on an apprentice 95% of them say "no way man" - they know the score.

 

[nicebutdim]

Well what would you call him? He did 2 years at college from 16 to 18, now he works for us. He is just a worker now like every one else. I call him an apprentice because an apprenticeship used to be 7 years long. We pay him NMW.

So he isn't serving an apprenticeship. Are you assisting him with gaining qualifications such as NVQ and the aim of completing the AM2 or is this just a cheap labour situation for a kid who probably sees this as a dead end working for people who despise him?

It's clear from your posts that you detest this kid, so I'd be surprised if he hasn't also arrived at the same conclusion.

 

[nicebutdim]

Just looked back at the thread you previously posted about this kid and note you mentioned having no idea what course he studied, not what qualifications he gained.

I think it's less a case of having lost interest in him and more a case of never having interest to begin with.

 

[littlespark]

We kinda skewed off at a tangent. We’re not talking about the OP apprentice now.

 

[Mike Johnson]

We kinda skewed off at a tangent. We’re not talking about the OP apprentice now.

Agreed, but we are now talking about the attitude of the employer to the apprentice, there is always two sides to any conflict.

 

[Taylortwocities]

Whatever, the apprentice is an employee like any other. This excellent guide will tell you what steps to take. Get it wrong and he/she could sue for wrongful dismissal.

Can I Sack an Apprentice?

Sacking an apprentice can be a difficult task. You need to understand, and act within, the boundaries of the law in order to avoid an appearance at an employment tribunal.

www.anapprenticeship.co.uk

 

[Mike Johnson]

Unfortunately that link does not lay out the procedure, just tells you that it's possible, See post 9 for the accepted procedure.

 

[7029 dave]

Mmm, I have read through the comments and understand both sides.
Oscar does have some valid points, its very different from when I started as a 15 year old kid in late 70s.
IMO age is irrelevant I loved and enjoyed the job money was rubbish but knew was gaining knowledge and learning a trade that would one day pay off thats the deal we all accepted that. (cheap labour)
I had something to prove to myself especially being told your a dunce at the age of 4 by some postwar old spinster school teacher that wrecked my confidence throughout my whole school years.
Its all very different today my own kids who are in their 30s now with children have a very different view and attitude to me so I cant even try to understand the younger generation.
I have trained up loads of kids in my time and also mature trainees some were great some we awful, what really used to get my goat up was when they tried to call the shots.

 

[littlespark]

Skewed off....

I meant to add, that the OP is named Poggy.... not Oscar.

We should be using this thread for Poggy's situation, as Oscars has been mentioned on another thread already... We're just repeating ourselves with it.

 

[Mike Johnson]

@poggy1951 The OP has not been back and told us how this apprentice is failing, so everything else is supposition.

 

[7029 dave]

Skewed off....

I meant to add, that the OP is named Poggy.... not Oscar.

We should be using this thread for Poggy's situation, as Oscars has been mentioned on another thread already... We're just repeating ourselves with it.

True but everybody was reacting to Oscars posts