Taking on an apprentice.

Members online

Status
Not open for further replies.
phone the job centre first or your local college the government have an incentive scheme going so check that out i think you get 1500 when you take them on and 1500 after 6 months hope this helps
 
You could also contact your local CITB office for info and help

You will get a grant per year think paid 3 months in arrears. Also some training courses are funded or part funded even for yourself.

Paye is easy enough. I use Moneysoft payroll manager. Put in the gross wages and it calculate everything and does the year end returns with 1 press of a button.

But getting someone who will see it through is another problem. Most quit when they realise how hard it is. Soul destroying!
 
Been mulling this over myself but keep putting it off because

A. Being responsible for someones wages is scary (though know there's ways round this)

B. I tend to manage fine on my own most of the time if not overboarding or something.

C. People call me and say they're dead keen (few girls done this), they're full of thanks and enthusiasm and I think cool. Then they don't show. Or they show for a while and buggar off or they're late.

Had one girl get in touch with me, really keen, she wanted a couple days a week unpaid work experience since she was on a course. I said fine come down and see how you go. So she did. I'd give her a bit of cash end the the job since she's got to pay for her petrol and I'm such a lovely person :RpS_thumbsup:

Anyway, started doing my mates house, I mean one of my oldest closest friends. Told the girl got full house great experience for you but can't pay you this time as doing mates rates. Never heard from her again.

Thanks very much! Take my money I didn't have to give you. Exhaust my time and effort. Rude :RpS_cursing:
 
as said the problem is most young lads are planks, but you get the odd good one.
weve taken an apprentice on in the past , hes still with us now 3 year later, but that's rare.
you do get small grants, but the citb are plebs, and ppe health and safety is mental, because you have to get photo evidence you have to make sure your working standards are A1.
 
Why only take on girls jess ???

I'm using The Plasterers Forum Mobile App

I didn't say that. Girls tend to get in touch with me if they want to plaster. I don't mind boys or girls as long as they're willing to be over worked and under paid :RpS_wink:
 
It does wear you down Jess after a while. You want to give a young person a chance in life to progress and after hours of teaching they give it up. This is why I am very reluctant to employ a teenager. Most do not have the strength. I find someone who has had and lost opportunity's in their youth and then usually in their early 20's with a woman and kid in tow want to get their life in order usually is a good bet.

But being outdoors the work is unpredictable. If it rains, too cold etc it is a case of stay at home today. No work no pay so a zero hour contract. So you have to find someone who can afford to be part time when conditions suit. That is not easy. Usually someone who has a history of living on benefits can help but then if they can afford to live on a poor week then they are the sort who can also knock when it suits them. Got one now, come half term week he is ill. But I prepare for those weeks.

If I was to employ people like me then they could not afford to work for me with all the down time. So it is a particular breed of worker I have to look for, not my type of person and they do my head in with their mentality, what with pay day loans and chucky. Smoke like chimneys and up to late drink but not so much in the last year. My lab of 18 years gets dropped off at the bookies Friday nights and skint by Saturday but he is happy and thats what counts.
 
the trouble with apprentices, we only get offered the dredgings of the education system, being piece workers we are not going to spend any time with fools.
 
I left school in the Thatcher era. Very few got a chance like they do nowadays. I took on lads a few times. Start pissed on drugs, what ever. Did hours work, then went to shop for 3 hours. Came back and knocked full mix on floor. "F off you little shi*" " can I get my pay now then" no way. Best lad was about 35. Grafter. I got him half decent with a trowel. Made job so much less stress...but he got greedy. He wanted half the pay, but without any outlay.
 
I served a proper apprenticeship of 4 years. I did go to college but I had to pay my own entrance fees only to find my employer got a subsidy from the Citb. I did get paid for my day in College but the employer took the same day off on principle? Best bloke I ever worked for though.

I was warned by my parents that apprentices get under paid to start with but there again you know nothing either. I did walk out twice out of frustration. I was on my own though on both occasions so no one knew and went back the next day after sleeping on it. The first time was after 1 year left on my own to board and skim. Made a mess of the skimming and believed to be a plasterer you had to be a member of the Magic Circle. The second time was because of ill treatment by a labourer. I did walk out a third time 1 month before my time was up again because of a labourer and the lack of back up from the other spreads. I did not go back. I have not got on with labourers ever since.

I do get letters from time to time off people wanting to be trainees. But their letters are all what they want but never mention once what they have to offer in exchange? Now if someone was to write to me and state what they have to offer in exchange for my knowledge then it might not end up in the bin.

No time for self, self self people.
 
Last edited:
I served a proper apprenticeship of 4 years. I did go to college but I had to pay my own entrance fees only to find my employer got a subsidy from the Citb. I did get paid for my day in College but the employer took the same day off on principle? Best bloke I ever worked for though.

I was warned by my parents that apprentices get under paid to start with but there again you know nothing either. I did walk out twice out of frustration. I was on my own though on both occasions so no one knew and went back the next day after sleeping on it. The first time was after 1 year left on my own to board and skim. Made a mess of the skimming and believed to be a plasterer you had to be a member of the Magic Circle. The second time was because of ill treatment by a labourer. I did walk out a third time 1 month before my time was up again because of a labourer and the lack of back up from the other spreads. I did not go back. I have not got on with labourers ever since.

I do get letters from time to time off people wanting to be trainees. But their letters are all what they want but never mention once what they have to offer in exchange? Now if someone was to write to me and state what they have to offer in exchange for my knowledge then it might not end up in the bin.

No time for self, self self people.

I wonder, if you'd got one of the 300+ letters I sent out when I first was trying to get an apprenticeship, what you would have thought. It can be tough on both sides I suppose. Back then I was desperate for a chance and out of all the letters I wrote I only got two negative replies. When I got an opportunity I was over the moon and grafted hard to prove myself. Few years on things are looking good. I want a mini me basically I think. Young ones can be too naïve and take things for granted. Older ones can just have gathered too much responsibility by that point and in the end realise they can't afford to start again.

It's like F*****g' goldie locks porridge!
 
I wonder, if you'd got one of the 300+ letters I sent out when I first was trying to get an apprenticeship, what you would have thought. It can be tough on both sides I suppose. Back then I was desperate for a chance and out of all the letters I wrote I only got two negative replies. When I got an opportunity I was over the moon and grafted hard to prove myself. Few years on things are looking good. I want a mini me basically I think. Young ones can be too naïve and take things for granted. Older ones can just have gathered too much responsibility by that point and in the end realise they can't afford to start again.

It's like F*****g' goldie locks !

:-0
 
I served a proper apprenticeship of 4 years. I did go to college but I had to pay my own entrance fees only to find my employer got a subsidy from the Citb. I did get paid for my day in College but the employer took the same day off on principle? Best bloke I ever worked for though.

I was warned by my parents that apprentices get under paid to start with but there again you know nothing either. I did walk out twice out of frustration. I was on my own though on both occasions so no one knew and went back the next day after sleeping on it. The first time was after 1 year left on my own to board and skim. Made a mess of the skimming and believed to be a plasterer you had to be a member of the Magic Circle. The second time was because of ill treatment by a labourer. I did walk out a third time 1 month before my time was up again because of a labourer and the lack of back up from the other spreads. I did not go back. I have not got on with labourers ever since.

I do get letters from time to time off people wanting to be trainees. But their letters are all what they want but never mention once what they have to offer in exchange? Now if someone was to write to me and state what they have to offer in exchange for my knowledge then it might not end up in the bin.

No time for self, self self people.
i could offer you my car and my house and if you want ill throw in my women,, you cant put a price on knowledge
 
It's a catch 22 the younguns are not interested and the older ones just want to use you to set up against you.
 
So if you are thinking about giving a youngster a chance why not start them as a labourer first to see how they are, after all that's all an apprentice is for the 1st few months. You could try advertising and then you might get replies from more people so you can be a little more selective.

Times have changed like the hopes and aspirations of the youngsters out there, and yes I know the vast majority will expect something for nothing and will let you down at some point or another, but somebody gave you a chance and some of them deserve a chance. I have been teaching for 9 years till last July so I have come across a lot and I guarantee you that lots of good workers are out there and they need a chance. How you pick one, well god only knows but you will need to invest time and effort and even then you will get it wrong sometimes. If and when that does happen, don't stop giving them a chance. Try not to get bitter about it, your next apprentice could be the one your looking for and remember they are not all the same. Good luck and be patient, it's a fair bet you will need both
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top