Very basic trainee workbook

[Marvo]

Hellooooooooo trainees!!!!
Long time no see, hope you're all doing well.

Long story short, I have a 23 yr old son who has no direction and he's been loafing around at home consuming the contents of my fridge, using my internet bandwidth and generally getting on my ----. I've eventually got to the point where it's cheaper for me to pay him minimum wage and have him skivvy full time for me at work. At least he's out of the damn house, out of the damn fridge and off my damn wi-fi for 8 hours a day.

It all went swimmingly for the first few hours after which I realised he's a liability on site and he's actually slowing me down and giving me stress. I've decided he's going to have to learn some basic electrical skills and get some basic knowledge first . My new plan is to leave him with the guys in my workshop where he can study and they will teach him about using general hand tools and power tools.

The practical skills side of things isn't a problem but the theory side of things is a bit more tricky. I spent over an hour today showing him how to prove a circuit is isolated, lets just say it didn't go well. I'm looking for a very basic textbook that he can work through that will give him a foundation, I'd say something around primary school or early secondary school level. Bear in mind he can't wire a plug and he doesn't know what position a circuit breaker lever is in when it's on and when it's off so think about the safe for toddlers foam bath-book of electrical theory. Ideally something that's a free downloadable pdf.

Thanks in advance.

 

[James]

I have had to endure the one of these mid twenties “teenagers”

You can add to the list that they will roll out of bed about 4 hours after you have left for work, make a huge mess in the kitchen and be out or otherwise unavailable when you get home to suggest either cleaning up or getting a job!!

I have tried taking him out on site in the past, he makes me late out of the house in the morning. Moans about his back aching, and if I suggest spending some more time working and less time on Facebook etc. His mother moans at me for being horrible to him.

I have come to the conclusion that the highest level of electrical training he is likely to achieve is,

A.. NVQ 1 competency in changing X-box batteries
B.. Proof of concept, light switches can only be turned on, it is in fact dangerous to turn them off in case it gets dark outside.


He has been working for the office of national statistics for the last few weeks.
Temporary position through per temps recruitment agency.

£130 a day plus expenses for mileage etc.
5 days a week.
Delivering and collecting covid test kits.

It has been fantastic.
Internet traffic down by 85%
Electricity usage down by 30%
The fridge has food in it
The sink is no longer full of dirty pans
I don’t get woken up by his bed time shower for an hour at 2am
House stress levels have dropped by 62%

I think they are still trying to recruit more, so it might be worth him looking in to.
It’s hardly a career choice but get it whilst it’s available!!
[automerge]1601963640[/automerge]

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[Marvo]

I'm glad things are looking up in your household James, I can only dream of being where you're at. It's 9.50am local time, I'm supposed start work at 8am but he's just finished his shower and I'm sitting here waiting for him to find his clothes. He's also still not made his lunch yet....sigh

I'd love nothing more than to send him to the UK for the national statistics job but the commute from Cape Town might be a bit of an issue. Maybe you have a spare bedroom you could put him up in, it would just be a few weeks, honest.

 

[Lister1987]

Try these, had them still in my drive for a while

 

[Lister1987]

More materials here; https://www.efixx.co.uk/Apprentice Hub/downloads

 

[Marvo]

Thanks Lister, much appreciated.

I came across someone selling this the other day so I bought it. It's got limited use for teaching electrical but at the price he was selling it was rude not to buy it.

 

[Charles Lill]

I'm glad things are looking up in your household James, I can only dream of being where you're at. It's 9.50am local time, I'm supposed start work at 8am but he's just finished his shower and I'm sitting here waiting for him to find his clothes. He's also still not made his lunch yet....sigh

I'd love nothing more than to send him to the UK for the national statistics job but the commute from Cape Town might be a bit of an issue. Maybe you have a spare bedroom you could put him up in, it would just be a few weeks, honest.

Thanks Lister, much appreciated.

I came across someone selling this the other day so I bought it. It's got limited use for teaching electrical but at the price he was selling it was rude not to buy it.

View attachment 61274

I have a level 2 book

 

[Rather be Fishing]

Loving the sense of humour on this thread. Made me chuckle

 

[Rather be Fishing]

Forgot to add they don't know how good they've got it when the ol man's a electrician you'd have thought they would be all over it

 

[FatAlan]

I thought my 16 year old was bad. Does that mean I have at least another 10 years! Computers have a lot to answer for! At 16 I was grinding rust off my dads MG Midget for fun! ?

 

[Rather be Fishing]

I thought my 16 year old was bad. Does that mean I have at least another 10 years! Computers have a lot to answer for! At 16 I was grinding rust off my dads MG Midget for fun! ?

?

 

[Marvo]

Just to update on the loafer. I had him working with me for a couple of weeks....before I fired him, twice in fact.

I was using him as my personal labourer and teaching him some basics whilst we were on site. It cost me dearly. In just 2 weeks I lost more tools and test equipment than in the 30 years previously. He was late just about every day, in fact the only days he wasn't late were the days he was missing in action completely at one of his friends house nursing a hangover from the night before.

Third time he missed work I fired him. After lots of drama, tears and promises plus pressure from wifey I gave him a second chance (technically his fourth chance), three days later I fired him again for another no-show.

As it stands right now he's got 2 weeks to find himself employment he can commit to and come up with some financial contribution towards his keep. Failure to do so and he's out and he can go stay at one of his useless bone idle friends houses and sleep on a couch.

 

[FatAlan]

Really difficult when it comes to our own kids. Perhaps we should start up our own mums net type thread ???