NO One wants to be a plumber??

[ShaunCorbs]

Last apprentice we had spent first 16 weeks at college on health and safety.
I'm all for being safe but he wouldn't do anything I asked due to everything being life threatening !
That's how it sounded anyway.

Learning a trade is a long hard slog at low pay as we all know.
It's all I.T. Or sports science or tesco/lidl jobs now.

Who's going to fix my heating when I'm too old to do it anymore ?

By then depending on age it will be a man and a laptop

Plug in plug out

 

[gassafe]

Shortage of plumbers will only push the prices up so bring it on

 

[ShaunCorbs]

Shortage of plumbers will only push the prices up so bring it on

And then lower them due to all the 6 week wonders but then rise again due to there cock ups

 

[tamz]

There are lads out there whos parents would still bite yer hand off for an apprenticeship for their boy but unfortunately 70% of the yoof have been brainwashed by the system and the others need a kick up the ar se.

 

[REDSAW]

my daughters 22 and 2nd year into a 7 year apprenticeship.lol

 

[Jay The Plumber]

in my area I am aware of a plumber with C&G level 3 and a job left because Aldi were paying £.050p more per hour...

 

[joni os]

People call a plumber when things go wrong and then associate us with the problem. The attitude of why should I understand my heating system when I can call some monkey to fix it is common. There is more respect for the call centre staff when they invoke the boiler cover than for heating engineer who turns up. "Don't get technical just fix it", is said with no self awareness of what it reveals about the speaker's ignorance.
Add to that any self employed plumber works on the equivalent of a zero hours contract, include anti social hours and lack of paid holidays and plumbing will not stand out as a desirable job option.
Whilst we have a fragmented building industry nothing will change. Meanwhile make sure you're the most expensive monkey on the block.

 

[gasmanrob]

We all moan about apprentices, they're clumsy, bone idol, always on the phone or loosing tools. I've never believed the press about the shortage of plumbers until recently. We can't even find bad ones at the minute and that's despite paying a good rate!

We've just taken on a 29year old labourer chequered past with demolition as his only real link to a trade. That said he has a great attitude and shows promise.

I think the hardest part is finding a youngen who wants to be a plumber rather then parents said they should do it.

Half the battle at the point is won. Then it's about keeping them interested getting tasks done given them there own project to do anything from hanging a single rad and piping it, to an airing cupboard etc. Letting them see their own development so they can see them selves learn and progress rather then passing us spanners and screwdrivers all day

 

[Gbplumber]

i have just finished my 4 year apprenticeship having started it at just turned 16 and left school. wasnt 100% sure it was what i wanted to do, but manged to get a position with a good company and havent looked back since! definitely the best thing ive ever done! i find it really interesting but then do see other apprentices that cant be asked and like you say are just always on phones ect. I can see alot of these people doing just for something to do, but there are still a few like myself who are keen and passionate about the trade, cheers!

 

[Jay The Plumber]

well, I hope the shortage continues..
I went to 2 firms a while back around here that were looking for guys for all aspects of plumbing.
one offered me £8/hour and the other £10/hour.
cant work for that.