Taking on an apprentice

[doctor Bob]

Well you wouldn't think in todays economic climate that finding an apprentice would be difficult.

Wrong.

All being officially done, through the local college and any other colleges interested, also with the assistance of Essex county council. These 2 bodies have been marvelous, always on hand telling me the process and offering all the assistance I need.

I advertised for the apprentice over a 3 week period, part of the application was answering 2 questions I had set...

1/ think of a slogan for Armstrong Jordan Ltd (less than 10 words)

Here are a few examples of replies

No
Don't know
Aj is good
we make it
what is a slogun

2/ what is the weakest part of our website

Answers

Dunno
avent bean
cant find it
I haven't done IT

Anyway eventually got a short list of 9 candidates.

3 selected for interview on Tuesday, only one turned up, the other 2 just didn't bother, not early interviews, 11am and midday.

After all that I have gone direct to the college and taken on one of the lads already doing a carpentry course, but it's amazing these kids really aren't bothered about working.

The college told me they found placements for 4 kids last month and not one of them turned up on the first day.

 

[No skills]

Doesnt supprise me, some of the young people I have worked with in recent years have had no desire to work/earn money/learn anything. They cant seem to get back home smoking weed and on the dole quick enough. Then again some of the adults I have worked with have had exactly the same attitude, got one at work I cant wait to get rid off.

This isnt a white wash attitude from me, just formed from the people I have worked with. I really hope there are a lot of young folk that want to do something productive with their lives.

 

[Paul Chapman]

What a sad state of affairs......

Cheers :wink:

Paul

 

[UTMonkey]

I am 42 and just starting at this, if I was offered an apprentice at 18 I would have bit your hand off!

 

[Jensmith]

Don't understand it.

On the plus side we had a couple of young people where I used to work and the enthusiasm was overflowing. They had both been to university though.

 

[Anima]

My brother is 17 and would snap your hand off. It's a shame we are so far away.

 

[Hudson Carpentry]

I found it hard to find an apprentice to. Still haven't got one and given up now. Any I found suitable are over an age threshold and it would cost me thousands to take them on to which I can't afford. Seems a silly system if you ask me

 

[Greedo]

I'm at college doing and HND in furniture design and craftmanship. Without sounding arrogant I don't really need to do it but just felt I would learn a bit more, it's only 2 and a half days per week, the HND will maybe add a bit of kudos with customers and I'll make tons of contacts and get entered into competitions getting my work and name out there more. I also get student discount in virtually every shop I go to now and it's better than trade discounts half the time as I plead the poor student card and it works (wrong I know )

Anyway to my point. There are 20 of us in the class. One girl is 17, 2 guys are 18/19 and everyone else is between 20 and 45. I am the only one so far who has not missed a single class. I actually am unaware of some of their names as I don't see them often enough to get to know them. One guy has been in on average one day out of 8 weeks so far. I would say 3 others and I are keen, work away at whatever task, if we finish the project earlier we look about for other stuff to do, bend the lecturers ears and carry on with little projects on our own. The other 16 just stand about, moan they are bored and leave early or don't come back after lunch. I actually want to kick them up the buttocks as they are taking up spaces of people who tried to get on the course who are mad keen. It is so frustrating. They are lazy, uninterested, have no get up and go, no imagination and no initiative. On the plus side there are 18 people who I won't need to worry about stealing business off me as they couldn't deal with a customer properly if their life depended on it.

Rant over. Sitting on here with one eye on Strictly while the wife thinks I hate the programme. lol. Some of the outfits are particularly interesting lol

 

[JakeS]

They had both been to university though.

When I was finishing up my A-levels (around 98-99) everyone at the school just naturally assumed that everyone would be going on to university to study "proper" academic subjects, and the notion of vocational training at the local college was presented as more or less a waste of time and only worthwhile for people who were "too stupid" to succeed at academic subjects. So naturally - from what I heard from people who went anyway - the local college was the route of choice for those people more interested in putting off full-time work another few years than learning anything useful.

We took on a work experience guy at work (software!) quite recently, and from what he said it sounds like it's only got worse. It seems to me that the prestige associated with academic subjects to the near-total exclusion of everything else is the biggest failing of the current education system. :/

 

[Benchwayze]

There's someone in General Woodworking who is looking for a training situation.
He seems not to be exactly green, but wants to learn more. Sorry I don't know how to link to the post.

HTH both of you.

There you go Bob. Don't know if he is near you.

post721726.html#p721726

 

[CHJ]

.... Sorry I don't know how to link to the post....

Right click the symbol at the start of the post time/date ref. top right of post window, (

Posted: Sat Oct 27, 2012 9:20 pm ) and copy shortcut.

 

[Benchwayze]

.... Sorry I don't know how to link to the post....

Right click the symbol at the start of the post time/date ref. top right of post window, (

Posted: Sat Oct 27, 2012 9:20 pm ) and copy shortcut.

Ta!

 

[CHJ]

 

[doctor Bob]

Thanks but as mentioned I have a young lad starting in a weeks time.

 

[Chrispy]

Lets hope he turns up then!

 

[Bradshaw Joinery]

i left school halfway through my alevels as i found a apprenticeship at a local joinery firm went straight there, didnt even think twice. i now know of 2 young guys hoping to find the same thing. And have helped another get an apprenticeship with a friend this year. so there seems to be some keen people around...

 

[devonwoody]

I was speaking to a grandmother the other day, she was spouting about her grandson.
(he got 2 x C's and 1 D, A levels) and somehow got to university two years ago for an engineering degree.

At the end of of 2nd year he claimed his hard drive had gone bust so he did not get good results.

Started his third year and his grandmother said the boy went to a seminar and was offered and internship with a finance company at the end of his 3rd year with free accommodation in London and a good income.

We have paid for his uni education which is unlikely to be followed and no doubt some of those you are seeking as apprenticies will also be leading a life of O'Riley with just wanting the alternative life for as long as they can get it.

 

[Benchwayze]

NP Bob. Just me rushing fences.
And as said, Let's hope he turns up!
Thanks Chas. I managed to get a link in the post after all!

 

[Benchwayze]

uni education which is unlikely to be followed and no doubt some of those you are seeking as apprenticies will also be leading a life of O'Riley with just wanting the alternative life for as long as they can get it.

I wish I could have had the chance for University. (I will NOT call it Uni!)
In the 1940//50s I failed my 11 plus. No second chances were there?
I didn't let it stop me. I managed to obtain 6 Royal Navy Higher Educational Test Certificates that were the equivalent of GCE A levels.

I'm not boasting here you understand, but I didn't manage all that by moaning about things going wrong; albeit we didn't have PC and laptops of course! And as for a 'gap'? The only gap I looked for was the one in the fence at HMS Ganges, so I could go for unscheduled walks along the foreshore!

 

[James C]

It is a shame that Apprenticeships are all directed towards the ungrateful youth. I'm 25 now and anyone wanting to give me an apprenticeship would have to pay through the nose, which is a shame because I'd quite happily quit my job if it meant learning from someone knowledgeable and eventually end up making shavings for a living.