Hanging up my toolbox

[jellen]

im with you there russ

 

[bazza2541]

was on an commercial job last week a so called electrician/ adult trainee who has just got his ticket through taking pictures and sticking in a log book couldn"t make a 90 degree bend in a piece of 4x4 trunking finished job looked like he cut it wth a broken bottle £12.68 ph couldn"t even draw a 2 way lighting circuit

That is soo typical of what I have been seeing.
The trade is in a terrible state.

 

[Plan]

I'm in the Liverpool area and the trade is DEAD.
I'm thinking of side lining too. I'm thinking of man whoreing to the tramps on the pier head!!!
On a more serious note things have to pick up soon. Pretty soon places will be crying out for decent sparks like us and then WE will be able to quote the rates (with in reason) and tell them cheeky twits where they can stick there £5.50 an hour for approved JIB spark. I too have seen that job makes me sick
Keep the faith. This is a temp set back. Ps them tramps are mine!

 

[denis1]

can you realy hang up your tools?

 

[ecclescake]

Keep an eye out for the oil sands work.

This job has been delayed till next year due to the oil price going down.

 

[jellen]

I'm in the Liverpool area and the trade is DEAD.
I'm thinking of side lining too. I'm thinking of man whoreing to the tramps on the pier head!!!
On a more serious note things have to pick up soon. Pretty soon places will be crying out for decent sparks like us and then WE will be able to quote the rates (with in reason) and tell them cheeky twits where they can stick there £5.50 an hour for approved JIB spark. I too have seen that job makes me sick
Keep the faith. This is a temp set back. Ps them tramps are mine!

You cna keep the tramps my friend

 

[Skint Eastwood]

Good thread.

Although I'm sorry to hear so many sparkies are struggling for work, I am, perversely, quite encouraged by a few of the posts on here.

Seems there are plenty who are confident things will turn around soon, and that decent workmanship will always be valuable. I really need to hear that. Just coming to the end of a 2330 course - after 3 years and £5000 spent I really don't want to be thinking it's all been a waste.

Yes I enjoyed it, found it interesting, will get a certificate, but as we all know the bottom line is earning a good living. From a selfish point of view maybe its a good thing for people like me trying to break into the trade that the higher paid may be leaving, and that their shoes are being filled by cowboys, who will surely be found out in the end. Seems like opportunites will soon open up.

But like people have said, I would imagine the things we need right now, newcomers and seasoned pros alike, is a bit of diversity and flexibility.

 

[jellen]

Good thread.

Although I'm sorry to hear so many sparkies are struggling for work, I am, perversely, quite encouraged by a few of the posts on here.

Seems there are plenty who are confident things will turn around soon, and that decent workmanship will always be valuable. I really need to hear that. Just coming to the end of a 2330 course - after 3 years and £5000 spent I really don't want to be thinking it's all been a waste.

Yes I enjoyed it, found it interesting, will get a certificate, but as we all know the bottom line is earning a good living. From a selfish point of view maybe its a good thing for people like me trying to break into the trade that the higher paid may be leaving, and that their shoes are being filled by cowboys, who will surely be found out in the end. Seems like opportunites will soon open up.

But like people have said, I would imagine the things we need right now, newcomers and seasoned pros alike, is a bit of diversity and flexibility.

TBH mate, you can be as diverse as you like and it still wont help, I even went down the route of gettting a rope access cert, and have only had one job from that so far. I do agree that things will pick up in time, it has to, but how long thats going to take is anybodys guess. I would be supprised and delighted if things got any better this year.

 

[ecclescake]

Good thread.

Although I'm sorry to hear so many sparkies are struggling for work, I am, perversely, quite encouraged by a few of the posts on here.

Seems there are plenty who are confident things will turn around soon, and that decent workmanship will always be valuable. I really need to hear that. Just coming to the end of a 2330 course - after 3 years and £5000 spent I really don't want to be thinking it's all been a waste.

Yes I enjoyed it, found it interesting, will get a certificate, but as we all know the bottom line is earning a good living. From a selfish point of view maybe its a good thing for people like me trying to break into the trade that the higher paid may be leaving, and that their shoes are being filled by cowboys, who will surely be found out in the end. Seems like opportunites will soon open up.

But like people have said, I would imagine the things we need right now, newcomers and seasoned pros alike, is a bit of diversity and flexibility.

Only a newcomer would say that if you realised how many sparks are out of work the last thing we need to hear is the higher paid are leaving and I'll work for less we have fought hard to get our rate up the last thing we need is people working for less and doing a worse job.

 

[jellen]

Only a newcomer would say that if you realised how many sparks are out of work the last thing we need to hear is the higher paid are leaving and I'll work for less we have fought hard to get our rate up the last thing we need is people working for less and doing a worse job.

There was a time not so long ago that asking for £300 a day wasn't a problem, they knew what my work was like and didn't have a problem paying for it. Cant see that happening again

 

[Plan]

Only a newcomer would say that if you realised how many sparks are out of work the last thing we need to hear is the higher paid are leaving and I'll work for less we have fought hard to get our rate up the last thing we need is people working for less and doing a worse job.

I agree mate just shows the naive attitude of todays apprentices (although paying £5000 your self means prob only ever done college and foreigners never work on a real site, no offence), it's all me me me and I'm the best spark in the world you can't teach me a thing! Christ every time I open my tool box I learn something new it's called experience hence WHY we expect the pay we deserve

 

[jellen]

Oh and another thing that really peed me off. Last night saw an advert on the telly for "train to become an electrician and earn between 30000 and 45000 per year. The course was only a couple of months long!

If you can be classed as an electrician after that amount of time the rest of us time served tradesman must be gods gift to electricity

 

[trix]

According to the national news papers yesterday, there are too many vacancys for skilled labour, a shortfall of 5000.
This is the reason why foreign skilled labour is being encouraged. Who's encouraging them ?

And back in the real world,

1) Politicians have been sat behind their desks, thinking of ways to steal money,
yet make it look like itis legitimate.

2) Banking gurus

3) Insurance schemes

4) My phone, my Email and my letter box is constantly being used by organisations trying by
hook or by crook, to swindle me out of any penny they can.

5) Organisations are giving the impression that there is a large shortfall in skilled labour,
offering worthless courses to vunerable hopefuls, sometimes spending their
redundency monies or savings.

Groups 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 can be summed up with one phrase, " THIEVING SCHEMER'S"

As if things aren't hard enough for every one.

 

[Andy Smith]

According to the national news papers yesterday, there are too many vacancys for skilled labour, a shortfall of 5000.
This is the reason why foreign skilled labour is being encouraged. Who's encouraging them ?

And back in the real world,

1) Politicians have been sat behind their desks, thinking of ways to steal money,
yet make it look like itis legitimate.

2) Banking gurus

3) Insurance schemes

4) My phone, my Email and my letter box is constantly being used by organisations trying by
hook or by crook, to swindle me out of any penny they can.

5) Organisations are giving the impression that there is a large shortfall in skilled labour,
offering worthless courses to vunerable hopefuls, sometimes spending their
redundency monies or savings.

Groups 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 can be summed up with one phrase, " THIEVING SCHEMER'S"

As if things aren't hard enough for every one.

How right you are

 

[Phaeton]

Well I'm off driving a HGV tonight that's how bad it is, used to do it when I fancied in the past & got £12-15 an hour, now I'm taking £9.25 just wish I didn't have to, but no choice.

Alan...