is it really worth completing my apprenticeship/becoming an electrician.

[Jake1579]

Im classed as a 2nd year apprentice because i went to college for year but i have only been working on site for less than 5 months. the work the company does is heavily built around industrial/commercial work so you obviously need to know a lot more, it got me thinking is it really worth doing for 3/4 years to only be paid 10-13 pound especially in the places i work you need to know so much more and im always struggling to do things finding it hard, which i don't mind because barely got any practical experience on site so i just think about it in that perspective. Just wanted to know whether you actual sparks had to go through all these struggles and whether you think its worth it to be paid an average wage for this sort of work.

 

[Welchyboy1]

So just get my apprenticeship done and possibly branch out... You mentioned you get 30k are you working for some other firm or is it your own ??

Work satisfaction is a big part what you should look for primarily in a job you intend to do for the long term

working for yourself when your ready is the main way to go if you want the higher earnings [say £50k+]
but you have to have a good business mind on your shoulders too, not only being a good spark will get you there, but thats all part of learning

 

[Barry White]

Most aprentices get little pay (less than minimum wage) but you are learning a trade! we have all had to endure this burden some more than others.
What realy matters is are you getting the right experience.
Have a read on the forum and you will find people looking to work for free or very little just to do the same.
You are half way there knuckle down work hard and learn the cash will come later.
Ps every day is a school day in this trade

 

[Taylortwocities]

Looking purely at the domestic scene:

Last year 145,000 new homes were built in the UK. (It should be a lot more)
Every one of those homes needs your sort of skills and that's not to mention all of the refurb/rebuild/rewire stuff.

Of course it is worth it. Stick with it, electriciaty isn't going away!!
And the market is moving into smart home territory - in a couple of years you could find a new market in installing systems that control all of those networked heating systems, fridges and automated pet feeders!!

 

[shanky887614]

stick at it, if you get good at containment and hard working other firms will be happy to take you on and teach you something different.

i got lucky in a way that the firm im on does mainly bms but will turn there hand to anything and we have subed out to a lot larger firm when we needed to as well

 

[DoctorHver]

This is an age old thread (so I applogy for responding to this thread), so i'm not sure what the OP ended up doing, with previous advice given. Whether he quit or completed the apprenticeship or not. Which ever the case I hope he made the correct decision for himself. Whether he stuck it out or quit.
But with that said for anyone else in similar posistion as OP was 5 years ago, I would like to point out no job is worth its money if its only going to make you misserable and affect your mental health. If you worry about doing this job (or any job for that matter) and it starts affecting your work performance and your function in daily life outside of it, then there are clear sign that this job is not worth your time and mental well being. So in some cases the right course of action would be drooping out/quiting, If you are still in school and you have not signed with any company for the training part, you could always change the course of study. But if you do so, check what rules you school has when it comes to drooping out/changing courses. They will tell you where and when its best to make your changes as drooping out in the middle of semister can affect whether or not you are being re-admitted next semister. IF you have signed for the apprenticeship with a company just re-read the contract and check date you signed the contract and that should tell you the best course of action. If you are just few weeks in, you might want too start filling out the cancellation papers, give reason why you are quitting and have al the correct inviduals sign the cancellation papers and with that your apprenticeship contract is gone for good. However if you have very little left of yourt apprenticeship contract you might want stick it out and complete the program.

 

[Mike Johnson]

Except in Scotland Is there such a thing as an "apprenticeship contract" since the advent of the "contract of employment" ?

 

[rapparee]

Except in Scotland Is there such a thing as an "apprenticeship contract" since the advent of the "contract of employment" ?

We give our apprentices a 4 year contract which tell them up front that they will be kept for four years, what they will be paid each year and there is no obligation to keep them after they are qualified.

If we do decide to take on a qualified individual after their apprenticeship ends, then we will advertise the vacancy and they will have to apply for it.

Literally sit through an interview and everything

 

[The apprentice]

very rewarding trade if yor kean to learn

 

[Mike Johnson]

Do the apprentice contracts include indenture papers as the old apprentice papers did or is it just a contract between a company and an individual?

 

[rapparee]

Do the apprentice contracts include indenture papers as the old apprentice papers did or is it just a contract between a company and an individual?

Just the company and the individual

We state that we will send them to the local college to be trained.

The fitter apprenticeship is delivered by the "Southern " Ireland colleges, so the contract is a contract between the company, individual and training board, FÁS/Solas

 

[ElectroChem]

If we do decide to take on a qualified individual after their apprenticeship ends, then we will advertise the vacancy and they will have to apply for it.

Literally sit through an interview and everything

If someone's been working with you for four years and you have to hold an interview to decide if they're worth keeping on then I submit the answer is 'no'.

 

[nicebutdim]

If someone's been working with you for four years and you have to hold an interview to decide if they're worth keeping on then I submit the answer is 'no'.

If there had been 10 apprentices and only 3 permanent roles offered, I'd guess that this would be the simplest way of avoiding employment tribunals.

 

[ferg]

If there had been 10 apprentices and only 3 permanent roles offered, I'd guess that this would be the simplest way of avoiding employment tribunals.

Also a really good way of keeping apprentices on their toes.
There is IMHO a difference between being a bad employee and having done enough to be dismissed.

 

[nicebutdim]

Also a really good way of keeping apprentices on their toes.
There is IMHO a difference between being a bad employee and having done enough to be dismissed.

In this instance they aren't being dismissed as their contract was for an apprenticeship.

It's not ideal that they might then have to secure future employment, but everyone knows someone who never completed a napprenticeship for reasons beyond their own control. At least this way they're guaranteed a full apprenticeship (provided they do what's expected of an apprentice).