Hiring an apprentice pros/cons

[shyguy2005]

After a long hard week I’m seriously thinking of taking on an extra pair of hands.

Anybody got any advice pros and cons on employing an apprentice ??

I’ve never done it before but finding it really hard going on my own at times especially when doing full heating jobs.

Tools end up in every room on the job , vans always a mess and just hard going.

So any tips would be greatly appreciated.

Cheers

 

[SimonG]

I don't need the grief or the extra expense.

Maybe in a few years time.

 

[townfanjon]

Make sure he gives you his phone when he clocks on and give him it back when he knocks off .... Otherwise it will be in his hand ALL day .

 

[Deleted member 96286]

I took on a school leaver on a government paid employment scheme. He lasted 2 weeks before phoning in to say that he wasn't coming in that week because he had a migraine.
The work he was doing was very little, and I was prepared to send him to college. He missed his chance with me and I told him to go do one.
There's so much red tape involved in taking on a 16 year old. They're not allowed up ladders, or to use power tools or anything that we plumbers do on a daily basis. In fact all they are allowed to do is to stand and watch and pass you tools from your tool kit. I HATE someone standing over my shoulder while I'm working, it's so off putting.
If you take someone on, look for someone whose part of the way through his apprenticeship and has been paid off because his firm has gone bust, someone like this will be desperate to work and to do their best so that they can finish their apprenticeship.
Some of these 16 year olds, expect to leave school and walk into tradesmans wages. They are the lazy barstwerds and the ones to avoid.
Think and chose very carefully.

 

[Deleted member 32524]

Another self employed plumber to work alongside you? Jobs would take half the time. Maybe go to the local college and find an older "apprentice" going through their ACS?

 

[Millsy 82]

Before I foolishly went back employed a couple of years ago I was debating whether or not to take on an apprentice.

The pros are
Cheaper wages whilst training
A second pair of hands for those awkward bits, heavy bits, high bits
Potential to grow business in a few years time
You can mould them to your way of working.

The cons are
You become an employer and the h&s taking on an apprentice is a ball ache
If you are ill you still have them to pay.
When you want holiday what do you do with them
You are responsible for there work
They will be rubbish for the first few months at least so you will be slower not quicker
Possible wont be able to drive or if they can stupidly high insurance
Potential they could do the training then decide they dont want to be a plumber so you invest your time, effort and money for them to go and work elsewhere
Without sounding harsh kids dont seem as enthusiastic as the used to my apprentices have steadily got worse.
They will be more interested in snap chatting pictures of their balls than piping up a toilet.
They will slow you down initially and then you have to double check there work
Probably a few more I cant think about.

The biggest thing for me is they seem to come out of school now and expect to know everything do everything and so on.

I think if I was to look at taking someone on it would be someone like what my brother did. He worked as a gardner then worked in an office and hated the job, he then did night school 2 days a week for 3/4 years at his own cost to be a sparky. He then got a job and worked his behind off to get better.

My reasoning is
If they have paid and stuck with it for 3/4 years then they are more likely to want to learn when they get a job.
They can drive cheaper insurance etc
Less likely to be playing on their phone
Yes you will have to pay more but the learning curve will hopefully be steeper than someone doing an apprenticeship as they want to learn quicker.
If you have a holiday then you may be able to give them a few days small jobs. Customers dont like having 17 year olds in as they think they dont know what they are doing but a 30 year old they know no different.

I would avoid the 6 week courses though at all costs.

That's just my opinion you can still get decent apprentices they are just fewer and further between.

 

[J4Plumb]

There are more mature people out there who have invested their own money and time to retrain but struggle to find trades to take them on to complete their practical training in the real world. I am trying to complete a small portfolio for my NVQ 2 plumbing but have been struggling to find a plumber willing to let me work (free!!) alongside them.....might be worth looking out for someone like that......

 

[SimonG]

It's illegal to have somebody work for free. Discussed at length many moons ago on here.

 

[Deleted member 32524]

Kids don't want to work for a living or learn a trade, too much like hard work. They want to be youtubers and gamers.

 

[Millsy 82]

Kids don't want to work for a living or learn a trade, too much like hard work. They want to be youtubers and gamers.

You have pretty much described my son!

I've told him you can be a youtuber/ gamer in your own time and if it takes off then great but as soon as you get old enough you will be getting a job!