Topspread96
New Member
Thoughts on apprentices are they a benefit? or potential banana skin in terms of future competition & no loyalty? Looking for others opinions/advice? Thanks
Apprentices
- Thread starter Topspread96
- Start date
Cockney
Well-Known Member
All a bunch of tossers!
Dollar
Well-Known Member
Topspread96
New Member
I’ve currently got one, he’s decent but he’s started his own business for weekend work, he’s using my work to advertise for him and his mate to get work not sure what to think about it
1 in 50
And when done, probably nick your work anyway.
Real tough decisions to be made.
Especially if you don't want to hire a foreigner.
A lad/lass
Who's decent
Who turns up - and can possibly get to job
Who doesn't thieve
Is thorough
Ideally without tourettes
Wants to learn
Wants to work
And not live on their phone all day
And is not thick as s**t and can actually read a tape measure (my last two couldn't - I s**t you not!)
And finally isn't asking for more money than you're earning.
Which is why it's 1 in 50 in my experience.
Topspread96
New Member
That’s the problem I’m having with the nicking work. He ticks all the boxes and is extremely good. He’s just started his own business with his own logo bearing in mind he’s not even 2 years in. I’ve got the incling he’s using photos of my work to advertise for him & his mate to do of a weekend. Not sure what to think to be honest
Dollar
Well-Known Member
Topspread96
New Member
It is. I’m now figuring out why most plasterers employ there sons/daughters.
JessThePlasterer
Queen Jess Elizabeth I
If he’s decent and looks like he’s going to go his own way, you could end up with someone you can call on for a lift on bigger jobs but crack on on your own otherwise. Just to put a positive spin on it
I always wanted bigger and bigger jobs and then realised that small ones on my own pay better, don’t get the word ‘budget’ thrown around, and are great for cash flow. Plus didn’t have to rely on anyone.
As for using your work pictures. He’ll likely make a tit of himself doing that. It is cheeky though. Just tell him to pack it in and use pics of his own weekend work
I always wanted bigger and bigger jobs and then realised that small ones on my own pay better, don’t get the word ‘budget’ thrown around, and are great for cash flow. Plus didn’t have to rely on anyone.
As for using your work pictures. He’ll likely make a tit of himself doing that. It is cheeky though. Just tell him to pack it in and use pics of his own weekend work
Cockney
Well-Known Member
You’re still living in the 80s mate. None of the above exist anymore!
#Generation x
Country’s b*ll***s if we go to war.
JessThePlasterer
Queen Jess Elizabeth I
superspread
Well-Known Member
His work might be better than topspread tho and topspread might be using the apprentice’s pictures
essexandy
The Lake Governor
I'd sack the c**t straight away.
Monkey Boy
Well-Known Member
He’ll put more energy into weekends and go slow Monday and Friday
Cockney
Well-Known Member
Couldn’t help myself. lol
essexandy
The Lake Governor
Shut up you knob.
Lastlaff
Well-Known Member
I’d kick the c**ts face in - he’s taking the piss
Vincey
Private Member
I just had a new guy on a few days trial , my apprentice of nearly 3 years just decided he didn’t wanna do it anymore mate and seemed to have a melt down so we parted ways , the new one is keen and it’s been good to have someone again that actually texts and phones wanting to go to work , he’s asking for employment now full time but I’m not sure I wanna commit again to trying to help someone along again now , but I definitely think we could come to a self employed as we go arrangement, this could suit us both will keep you posted though
Hard decision
Hard decision
Topspread96
New Member
It’s tough mate!! I definitely think that’s the way to go, just need someone to hop on from time to time with no commitment. As you say you put in the time to teach them and they f**k off anyway! I wouldn’t mind if they stayed for an extra 3-5 years after to Make me abit of money and give me something back but they wanna go off soon as there qualified.
Steve Brown
Well-Known Member
Think back to when you were young. The good grafters will stay with you and dig out but like you have to earn and support their families so need to work for themselves as we can't pay them the extra wages.
The shite ones are lazy, unreliable and not worth the hassle but will stay with you the longest because nobody else will employ them.
Work solo and on bigger jobs quote high then pull in the old apprentice you trust the most.
The shite ones are lazy, unreliable and not worth the hassle but will stay with you the longest because nobody else will employ them.
Work solo and on bigger jobs quote high then pull in the old apprentice you trust the most.
Stewie03
Well-Known Member
Bloody crazy nowadays I worked with the same 2 guys for 15 years I started with them at 17 as an apprentice but that’s when plastering was just more than board and skim,even further back in the times with malc and hector and norm you had to learn every aspect of the trade
The Apprentice
Well-Known Member
It’s a good job somebody gave us a chance, took us under their wing and helped us on our way to then bugger off and be their competitors.
It’s more difficult nowadays as not many spreads are employed so the funding of apprentices needs to be looked at and radical changes made.
Folk will complain that plasterers aren’t trained properly, how can they be when they can’t get a start and then end up learning off you tube etc.
It’s more difficult nowadays as not many spreads are employed so the funding of apprentices needs to be looked at and radical changes made.
Folk will complain that plasterers aren’t trained properly, how can they be when they can’t get a start and then end up learning off you tube etc.
once gave lab some money to go to chippy for 3 of us, never seen him again, took off,
fellow spread went on holiday, came back lab had sold his mixer/scaffold/batons, etc,
fellow spread dropped lab off at job , whereby customer told him to help himself to tea/biscuits, well he helped himself allright, fish fingers/chips/bacon/sausage/garlic bread, he had to go out and restock before she came home,
fellow spread found lab taking drugs in house, sacked him,
once said to my lab, best behaviour, going to pick some materials up, came back he was sitting outside with 84 year old lady customer, both eating ice cream, telling her about his exploits in nightclubs, she was loving it,
fellow spread left lab on job for a morning, came back and he was sitting down slumped against the wall, best part bottle of rum drank, had to clear him out, and buy new bottle of rum,
one lab i had ate packets and packets of crisps non stop, and guess who is allergic to crisps, me, even the smell i just start coughing, he was soon gone,
paulf
Well-Known Member
If we are going to hark back to good old days, bring back trade schools. Give kids who aren't academic a chance to go in a different direction. As always there's no political will for it, mostly because the our economy is geared up for cheap labour to feed capital greed. All the qualification are structures are there just needs to be brought together under one national system.
There's nothing radical about this, it's what we use to do. But it was broken apart for stupid ideological reasons.
It's the right thing to do, rather than the kids of the future fighting it out with the rest of the world for a job that pays minimum wage.
essexandy
The Lake Governor
None of the best spreads I've met have served a formal apprenticeship, like myself they all just started out as plasterers labourers.
The deliberate dumbing down of the trade, moving away from float and set meant that plasterers labourers became a thing of the past and with that the opportunities disappeared as well.
When I was an apprentice, the only firms that offered signed apprenticeships were members of the builders federation. These firms would have large number of direct employees. It was at a time when there where 10 jobs for everyone.
Everyone was on the lookout for extra cash. The plasterer that I worked with for a couple of years got a spare time job laying floor screeds on a large building site in his spare time. Every thing was cash in those days. When the light evenings arrived we would lay a screed in the evenings for 3 days a week. Then a couple on Sat and another couple on Sunday. We only worked in the city , On a work day I would knock off early while he covered the work. I would have the screed part loaded by the time he arrived. We did put a lot of effort in.
The firm would not want any doing spare time work as they paid our national insurance stamps for the week .
Everyone was on the lookout for extra cash. The plasterer that I worked with for a couple of years got a spare time job laying floor screeds on a large building site in his spare time. Every thing was cash in those days. When the light evenings arrived we would lay a screed in the evenings for 3 days a week. Then a couple on Sat and another couple on Sunday. We only worked in the city , On a work day I would knock off early while he covered the work. I would have the screed part loaded by the time he arrived. We did put a lot of effort in.
The firm would not want any doing spare time work as they paid our national insurance stamps for the week .
Do you employ the apprentice ie holiday pay, sick pay, pension and stamp his national insurance stamp? or is he self employed with no lord and master?
essexandy
The Lake Governor
Can they even really be classed as an apprentice if they're self-employed? I wouldn't say so.
These self employed people who are really directly employed are just being robbed of their pensions, holiday/sick pay etc. I would not advise anyone to go down that road.
There are umpteen better paid jobs .