Trainee wage

[Jlux21]

Hello chaps,

Just want to gather some opinions with regard to a trainee wage. I've done 3 years at night school doing the 2330 and was offered the chance to do my Nvq with a company and was a bit disappointed with what they were willing to pay me. Im 22 with a mortgage, so unfortunately cant just accept anything. What would you say is a fair trainee wage in these circumstances?

Cheers.

 

[telectrix]

stick with it mate. when the romanians flood in it'll go down .

 

[Jlux21]

Unfortunately I've had to abandon it after 6 weeks. £5 an hour. An hours travel to site and over an hour back due to rush hour, unpaid. If my colleague had holiday or was ill I would have to stay away from site so wouldn't get paid. The van broke down the other week so couldn't get to site, another unpaid day. Basically if anything stopped me working I wouldn't be paid, regardless of if I was at fault or not. Worked out at 40 quid a day. Basically labouring all day, moving tools, cable, etc etc. I feel I was being taken advantage of. Any of you agree? Having not been a regular in the trade I have no idea what's fair, but others I've spoken to within building trades have said I was being taken advantage of. Just interested what you guys think? What would you pay a trainee? Am I right to think it was totally unfair?

 

[telectrix]

yep. agree . min. wage is £6 odd. if you've passed 2330 level 3, you should be on more than that. not sure of the exact figure, though.

 

[Jlux21]

My thoughts exactly. They were having none of it though. I said what about min. Wage? Nope, that was still to much. My mortgage won't pay itself so got to return to my old job. Gutted as I've waited 3 years for the chance.

 

[Jay Sparks]

I would say you should be looking at around £8 p/h. And you wont do much of your NVQ if your just fetching tools and making the tea!

 

[oldtimer]

I take it this was via an agency who charge £25 and hour and chuck you a fiver god how I hate those paracites

 

[Jlux21]

My initial thoughts were 8 p/h. They laughed in my face! So I reluctantly accepted the 5 p.h. Oh how I regret that. Just glad others in the trade agree with me and I wasn't being unrealistic. Oh well, must have just been a bad company. Not sure how ill possibly get my nvq now though.

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Old timer - no. A private company.

 

[oldtimer]

stick with it mate. when the romanians flood in it'll go down .

Yep funny but true if it is an agency that is paying below the minimum wage then they should be shut down and heavily fined

 

[telectrix]

£7 - £8 is realistic. so is learning the trade.,not being a dogsbody. keep looking. something will come up.

 

[oldtimer]

My initial thoughts were 8 p/h. They laughed in my face! So I reluctantly accepted the 5 p.h. Oh how I regret that. Just glad others in the trade agree with me and I wasn't being unrealistic. Oh well, must have just been a bad company. Not sure how ill possibly get my nvq now though.

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Old timer - no. A private company.

Then report them

 

[Jlux21]

Hope so

 

[Jlux21]

It's tempting

 

[oldtimer]

Well dont hang about read this and send her office an email

Minimum wage offenders to be actively named and shamed | Society | theguardian.com

 

[RWJ]

It sounds like they were taking the juice abit. I would suggest it should be at least £7 - £8 or more if they are good.... Well in North Suffolk anyway.

We've had trainees that had done 2330 Level 3 some you could leave to do jobs and made a good job of it. My last apprentice (also completed Lvl 3) couldn't even do basic YT2 runs... I had to get a Labourer (yes labourer) to complete the job, that apprentice also took a shining to some of my tools

 

[Jlux21]

I was being left a few hours at a time to get on and 2nd fix. All domestic work. Hardly felt like a trainee.

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I was being left a few hours at a time to get on and 2nd fix. All domestic work. Hardly felt like a trainee.

 

[Jlux21]

Anyway, grumble over. Just wanted some other opinions to see if I was right or not, just to put my mind at ease. Glad I'm out of that company now.

Cheers for the feedback.

 

[Jlux21]

It sounds like they were taking the juice abit. I would suggest it should be at least £7 - £8 or more if they are good.... Well in North Suffolk anyway.

We've had trainees that had done 2330 Level 3 some you could leave to do jobs and made a good job of it. My last apprentice (also completed Lvl 3) couldn't even do basic YT2 runs... I had to get a Labourer (yes labourer) to complete the job, that apprentice also took a shining to some of my tools

where are you based may I ask mate?

 

[Will Mcloughlin]

Unfortunately I've had to abandon it after 6 weeks. £5 an hour. An hours travel to site and over an hour back due to rush hour, unpaid. If my colleague had holiday or was ill I would have to stay away from site so wouldn't get paid. The van broke down the other week so couldn't get to site, another unpaid day. Basically if anything stopped me working I wouldn't be paid, regardless of if I was at fault or not. Worked out at 40 quid a day. Basically labouring all day, moving tools, cable, etc etc. I feel I was being taken advantage of. Any of you agree? Having not been a regular in the trade I have no idea what's fair, but others I've spoken to within building trades have said I was being taken advantage of. Just interested what you guys think? What would you pay a trainee? Am I right to think it was totally unfair?

Mate I did a 5year apprenticeship
I started working for free for the 1st 3months just to get a foot in.
then accepted £3.00p/h for 2 1/2 years then got a 50p pay rise.
and then i was doing everything from carry tools fetching materials digging trenches plastering and making good.
chasing out , all the donkey work. then my third year came along, got aprouched by another company and was on £5.50 for nearly another year before eventualy getting £7.50 p hour by my 4th year.
now im self employed.
I run my own company at 24 years old and im probably earning about £18- £22 a hour.
and im cheap
becoming an electrician doesnt happen over night or in 5weeks.
its takes back breaking working and pure dedication
even sacrifice.
if you want it get your head down take what you can and learn as much as possible

 

[simpson93]

totally agree with above, would say starting pay anywhere between 30-60 a day if not for free, in london anyway.
imo 2330 level 3 doesnt increase how well you work on site either.

 

[Jlux21]

Agree with what your saying mate. But I just couldn't carry on with it. No problem with the hourly rate, big problem with being employed and on the books but not getting paid when something thats the companys responsibilty stops me From worling. And at 22 and being part qualified, left to do work on my own, surely 5 is an insult? Can't pay my mortgage on fresh air can I? My fault I know buying a house at 21 before I've finished training but the house was to good an opportunity to look past. Have already invested 3 years of my time training, so I know full we'll it doesn't happen over night or in 5 weeks.

 

[VoltzElectrical]

controversial I know, but why not go agency and get your NVQ with XS training or whoever..?

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I was on £10.50 an hour as a mate BTW.

 

[rmc86uk]

The problem here is slightly older trainees new to the industry expect decent pay when really it should be the same as a school leaver doing an apprenticeship.

 

[Jlux21]

Voltz - that's the next option. Looking into it just now

 

[stranded]

The government is going to perhaps start naming and shaming companies that do not pay at least the mininum wage.

 

[stranded]

Read here
www.gov.uk/government/news/national-minimum-wage-rogues-to-be-publicly-named-and-shamed-under-new-plans

 

[flyingsausage]

I am afraid that most electrical contracting companies are like what the OP described in his opening post.

 

[wrighty]

you made the right decision mate, yes I appreciate its hard going etc out there, but I wouldn't allow myself to be left doing jobs for a company at £5 an hour, knowing full well your being charged out at full rate but getting paid pennies, the more people that allow this to happen to them in the hope of completing NVQ the less chance there is of wages going back up to somewhere near where they should be. an Aldi store is opening near me and ive seen the adverts for up to £9.20 an hour for shelf stacking, now if you can get that sort of money shelf stacking you should at least be getting £7+ with what qualifications you already have,

 

[flyingsausage]

I have seen adverts for sparks for way less than what Aldi is paying,you have to watch out - the world is full of sharks who will line their pockets at your expense and when you get fed up their will be another mug along to take your place.

 

[Jlux21]

Appreciate all the replies. Thanks chaps.