Taking on an apprentice?

[TimeServed]

So today I had a local lad ask me if I was interested in taking on an apprentice. He's in his 1st year, doing 2 days a week at college but without any practical on site experience. According to him I can receive a government cash back of xxxx amount..... He's also given me the number for the college rep who deals with this.
Obv I will need to contact the college and find out further details, but I was just wondering how others have found having an apprentice on board? Are they worth the hassle? Worth the money/investment? Etc..........

 

[Killy Bing]

My boss took me on a three week trial when i started and I'm just finishing my apprenticeship. to be honest i was quite a slow starter practical wise but i picked up the technical side very quickly but I've got here in the end!
Now my boss sends me to jobs by myself quite often and I'm pretty competent

he took on his friends son straight away with no trial and.... Its a different story...

do a trial before you commit!

 

[sonray ltd]

Luck of the draw really if you can get a good one who show's some willing.
Not like some of the numptys i've had, can't get their hands out their pockets and when they do they are on facebook.

Wouldn't do it again not with what the p l insurance want extra aswell.

 

[Killy Bing]

I did my own insurance from the start, shows your willing and gives you some motivation to do more!

 

[lame plumber]

sad to say but they do more harm than good for to long, it costs you in insurance etc and the government contribution isnt worth the hassle. if they paid me as much as the college gets then it would become more worthwhile!

 

[tamz]

I've had a few apprentices. Mostly good and one numpty. The grants are not what you will do it for as they are laughable. If you have the work and the inclination to pass on your knowledge do it.
It can be hard work at times and sometimes you will feel like you are their fkn social worker. They are all hard work to begin with. You and I were probably hard work too tho. Get the right one and you win a watch.

 

[Plumb08]

So today I had a local lad ask me if I was interested in taking on an apprentice. He's in his 1st year, doing 2 days a week at college but without any practical on site experience. According to him I can receive a government cash back of xxxx amount..... He's also given me the number for the college rep who deals with this.
Obv I will need to contact the college and find out further details, but I was just wondering how others have found having an apprentice on board? Are they worth the hassle? Worth the money/investment? Etc..........

You can receive a governement cash back. In my opinion everybody deserves a chance, But I would say that because I am looking to become an apprentice myself. I'm sure that if somebody is taught well then they would be worth the investment.

Just my opinion

 

[on31ll]

Its good to put back and teach right everyone has the stance of well he is gonna be my competetion so no ! That carrys on and the industry will die ! The moneys pathetic and woth some colleges if he works for you then you have to pay hos course ! Your pl goes up so the money you do get will soon be swallowed up ! It isnt a bonus for you ! But teach him right ! Oh and get a contract written up ! Dont wanna train him for a week after he passes to get a van and do one !

 

[snowhead]

Take him out with you for 1 day, no pay, no commitment, you'll soon decide if he's worth it.

If he's stood at the back of you watching and passing tools he's O.K.
Send him to the van for bits and see how long he takes.

If he's sat on his iphone, bin him off.

 

[Wet dream]

All of most resent have been a waste of time can't get them off there phone, world of there own from 2pm asking what time they finish god help you if they have them there after 5pm. And they have more rights then god. We have had 3 really good lads out of 9 the 3 are all out of time now and good engineers the rest are gone and the company has give up and will not take on any more. if you get a good one great if not they an a nightmare to get rid of

 

[leethegasman]

Luck of the draw really if you can get a good one who show's some willing.
Not like some of the numptys i've had, can't get their hands out their pockets and when they do they are on facebook.

Wouldn't do it again not with what the p l insurance want extra aswell.

Apprentice phone stays in van you can not learn and be on phone as well.

 

[Killy Bing]

Hmm lets see if this helps

set ground rules

phone stays in the van, tell him or her to get a pay as you go phone for use at work
( calling while youre at the merchents or in a loft or in my case, down a well!!)

he or she pays for their insurance or if you have to pay, deduct it from their wages

every third or forth week of their wages is spent on tools for them (or money for driving lessons)

And as for you, you need to activly teach them!
ive noticed from quite a few other apprentices that their employers dont explain things such as how olives work, how to solder properly or even the difference between sealed andopen vented

and the colleges tend to give little help as the nvqs in plumbing can be a dossers course for alot of 16year olds who dont want to work. Instructors time gets taken up with those kids.

it can pay off, my boss knows my abilities, if theres an oil service, thats my gaff simply because I'm so quick at them or even designing systems!

 

[leethegasman]

Hmm lets see if this helps

set ground rules

phone stays in the van, tell him or her to get a pay as you go phone for use at work
( calling while youre at the merchents or in a loft or in my case, down a well!!)

he or she pays for their insurance or if you have to pay, deduct it from their wages

every third or forth week of their wages is spent on tools for them (or money for driving lessons)

And as for you, you need to activly teach them!
ive noticed from quite a few other apprentices that their employers dont explain things such as how olives work, how to solder properly or even the difference between sealed andopen vented

and the colleges tend to give little help as the nvqs in plumbing can be a dossers course for alot of 16year olds who dont want to work. Instructors time gets taken up with those kids.

it can pay off, my boss knows my abilities, if theres an oil service, thats my gaff simply because I'm so quick at them or even designing systems!

Sounds like you are a good employee and that you have a good boss.

 

[Killy Bing]

No choice but to be a good employee! How else can you make a living today.

from my college mates, if you get paid regardless for what you do, you don't feel the need to grow and thats a very very bad thing as an apprentice.

 

[Koogatubac]

Thats a great idea 1king said.

I was a apprentice, had 2 other jobs going aswell as learning plumbing. Always was keen. Took me over a year to figure out how a olive sealed onto pipes lol
Got chucked into deep end of installing boilers, that helped me out massively and had huge respect for guy i was learning from.
In end taught myself since he was rough but fast and good at figuring stuff out. Stole alot of knowledge from about 20 different engineers in my apprenticeship (working for company)

Make sure ur apprentice is dedicated and shows willingness to work hard and not be more bothered about organising football matches and looking forward to weekend even though its monday morning.
Apprentices nowadays are alot worse and seem dont care as much as when i learnt the trade

 

[lame plumber]

i may have been unlucky with what I got but having tried 4 for works experience first, then found one that was reasonable, i bought his ppe and more tools for his use, got him going and able to hang rads and do a decent job on pipework and he upped and went shelf stacking, the next was a favour to his dad, a bright lad but he did the same after 4 weeks despite letting him do jobs with me. Seems that the young dont like learning slowly and gettting it right, everything needs to be now, but turning up for work is optional!!!!!! Wont look at another apprentice unless he or she wants to pay their own insurance and buy some tools themselves and turn up 4 days a week. As for phones!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[CMcM]

u think its all the 16yr olds that are bad, i have an adult apprentice this now, have to call him when i leave mine to pick him up & he still isnt outside the house! doenst buy tools and constantly moans his money is crap. every morning as soon as he is in the van "when do you think we will be home"
Some of the other engineers have had enough i think hence y i have him. happy days.
anyone else finiding they think its there right to be picked up n dropped off where they want? i remember being dropped off anywhere there was a train station and if i wasnt at the pick up point my engineer just drop past.

blame the school teacher!!!

last mob i worked for went thru loads of school leavers some would last a week some would last longer. loads of nuggets till u get a good one.

 

[CXR100]

as an apprentice i spent all of my £50 a week on tools for a few weeks! never complained about the wage, listened carefully and dint answer back, didt use a phone during working time, found out quickly that there was no point asking what time we would be home after getting the same answer everyday "when we finish what i was planning on doing today" and studdied for all my exams at collage, but i never did pay my own incurance!

 

[Plumb08]

did you take him on mate?

 

[TimeServed]

I've told him that as I have only just started out on my own I cannot promise anything purely because I don't know if I will be able to finance employing him just yet but I told him he can work with me when I need him whilst he's on the look out for a full time employer.
Great info from you guys, cheers.

 

[mountainman]

I agree with Tamz.
I taken on a couple of apprentices over the years, two were unwilling or unable to learn/get up in the morning.
One stuck with me for ten years and I am proud of his achievements.

 

[darrenmcc]

Hey guys, having read through most of the forum looking, I was wondering if any of you would consider taking on a 29 year old apprentice? I used to live in Greenock until about 2 years ago when I got offered a job in Ireland as an apprentice, but when I moved over, the company went bust shortly afterwards so I kept looking and in November last year, got a start with Celcius Mechanical doing some renovation work in a Hospital that needed upgraded. I was mostly doing the cleaning up and prepairing the tools like gas bottles and safety stuff to go with it, cleaning the work area before and after work, fitting some uni-struts and learning about bending copper, also fitting some WHB with wastes and I was showed the table for testing the water temperature. Recently tho, the company lost 2 big contracts worth €1,000,000 and as a result, I was let go before being registered. I was there 6 months and would be able to give 2 or 3 references. I also done an N.C course in Plumbing and Building Maintenance before I left for Ireland, but as work here as gotten much worse (due to a government scheme that allows companies to take people on for free, and they claim welfare and get an extra €50 a week), I've decided I would like to return home and look to see if I can get an apprenticeship. I have some tools, not a lot tho, do have my own safety gear, boots, lid etc and wouldn't expect anyone to buy me them. If any of you would consider me and discuss, please send me a private message or I would be willing to call you. Sorry for interrupting a thread