What to do next?

[Mike Hill]

Have you considered getting your HGV?

 

Its a great ticket to have,opens up alot of opportunities.Its sought after in the Arb world and somthing to fall back on if you need to.

[Ella]

There was never an opportunity for me to work here beyond my apprenticeship. The estate takes on a newbie every 2 years or so and the old one moves on. I had just expected that i would have a date for when i would finish, but as i have completed the course more quickly than expected, they do not know.

I am not old enough to get a class 1 licence, but i have just sent off for a provisional 7.5 ton, so the ball is rolling on that one

[Rupe]

If you have finished the course early, couldn't they still keep you on until the two years has run out. Even if its at the same wage but as long as you have the option to move as soon as you find something i.e. dont have to give a months notice. They cant just chuck you out surely?

[Ella]

Trouble is, because im working on an estate im under agricultural minimum wages. my contract states my wage, and if, by law im entitled to more then is would seem that it is void. I dont want to cause anyone a problem, and its well known that they only take on apprentices for cheap labour, and £8/hour isnt cheap so they wont keep me on. like i said i get a bit of notice on the flat, but im not really sure where i stand on the job front - cant seem to get any straight answers from anyone.

[Stephen Blair]

I would want an answer from the apprenticeship scheme, it is easier for someone to say, ' i dont know ' than commit to giving you an answer, someone isnt doing the job they are paid to do.

You have taken the first step, preparing for the inevitable the best you can from what experience you have, and that is to ask.

I would speak to your employer, and politely ask when they plan on starting a new person, is it when you finish or when the 2 years is up?

Find out WHY they take on apprentices, is it for giving something back or cheaper labour. If it is for the latter, negotiate a deal where they pay you minimum wage and you pay them rent accordingly to balance it out to what it was before.

Now this is the advice i am giving you from the side of me that is a parent, BUT as someone who has been in charge of their future since i was 19, learned the hard way from being spontanious, hard headed, stubborn and adventerous. Tell them all to shove it, load up your stuff and go and see the world, and the world includes on your own doorstep. Life is hard, its tough and relying on others usually takes a long time or never at all.

i have had many a sleepless night worrying, panicking about stuff when i first left home, i never knew how to pay a bill when i got my first place, ignored all the council tax stuff and thought chucking it in the bin got rid of the problem:laugh1:Go forth and take the world by the kahoonas and make your own future:thumbup:

[Lyndon]

I would want an answer from the apprenticeship scheme, it is easier for someone to say, ' i dont know ' than commit to giving you an answer, someone isnt doing the job they are paid to do.

You have taken the first step, preparing for the inevitable the best you can from what experience you have, and that is to ask.

I would speak to your employer, and politely ask when they plan on starting a new person, is it when you finish or when the 2 years is up?

Find out WHY they take on apprentices, is it for giving something back or cheaper labour. If it is for the latter, negotiate a deal where they pay you minimum wage and you pay them rent accordingly to balance it out to what it was before.

Now this is the advice i am giving you from the side of me that is a parent, BUT as someone who has been in charge of their future since i was 19, learned the hard way from being spontanious, hard headed, stubborn and adventerous. Tell them all to shove it, load up your stuff and go and see the world, and the world includes on your own doorstep. Life is hard, its tough and relying on others usually takes a long time or never at all.

i have had many a sleepless night worrying, panicking about stuff when i first left home, i never knew how to pay a bill when i got my first place, ignored all the council tax stuff and thought chucking it in the bin got rid of the problem:laugh1:Go forth and take the world by the kahoonas and make your own future:thumbup:

 

how are you supposed to deal with council tax then?

[Stephen Blair]

how are you supposed to deal with council tax then?

 

well would you believe, you have to pay them:001_huh:who knew:laugh1:

and 10 x £33 is £330, and they wanted it on the 23rd of december, 1 day before the party season, i think not:lol:

And getting drunk for 3 weeks, going to tenerife and then a 6 month bender still doesnt cancel it out:001_rolleyes:

[Rupe]

Trouble is, because im working on an estate im under agricultural minimum wages. my contract states my wage, and if, by law im entitled to more then is would seem that it is void. I dont want to cause anyone a problem, and its well known that they only take on apprentices for cheap labour, and £8/hour isnt cheap so they wont keep me on. like i said i get a bit of notice on the flat, but im not really sure where i stand on the job front - cant seem to get any straight answers from anyone.

 

Yes, what I meant was some kind of compromise, a verbal agreement. You stay on at the same wage without asking for a raise (even though you are worht it and entitled) and you look for other work upto an agreed point in time afte rwhich you have to leave.

 

Then they get you for a bit longer on a good rate and you knwo here you stand with regard to timescales. YOu would hav eto be free to leave at a weeks notice, but they cant throwyou out until the alloted time is up.

 

Its seems unfair if they thought they were going to have you for tow years that they might chucj you out early as you have done well and finished the course early.

[Rupe]

My spelling is perfect but I type too fast!

[Ella]

I would want an answer from the apprenticeship scheme, it is easier for someone to say, ' i dont know ' than commit to giving you an answer, someone isnt doing the job they are paid to do.

You have taken the first step, preparing for the inevitable the best you can from what experience you have, and that is to ask.

I would speak to your employer, and politely ask when they plan on starting a new person, is it when you finish or when the 2 years is up?

Find out WHY they take on apprentices, is it for giving something back or cheaper labour. If it is for the latter, negotiate a deal where they pay you minimum wage and you pay them rent accordingly to balance it out to what it was before.

Now this is the advice i am giving you from the side of me that is a parent, BUT as someone who has been in charge of their future since i was 19, learned the hard way from being spontanious, hard headed, stubborn and adventerous. Tell them all to shove it, load up your stuff and go and see the world, and the world includes on your own doorstep. Life is hard, its tough and relying on others usually takes a long time or never at all.

i have had many a sleepless night worrying, panicking about stuff when i first left home, i never knew how to pay a bill when i got my first place, ignored all the council tax stuff and thought chucking it in the bin got rid of the problem:laugh1:Go forth and take the world by the kahoonas and make your own future:thumbup:

 

The college are not easy to get answers off. I have bloke come out supposedly every 3 months to check how things are going on. Hes a pen pusher, knows nothing about the industry and deals with lots of students on different courses so dosent really have any answers, although i think his intentions are good. Im only at the college very occasionally especially since i finished the first half of the course. I am constantly pestering various people at the college just trying to work out what is actually going on. To be honest im unsure as to whether they know any more than me with regards to when the course ends. The last answer I got was "one day you could just find out you've finished" This is not surprising from the college - I first asked them to book me on a RTT loader course over a year ago. Do I have the ticket yet? No.

 

I started my job 3 months late because my predeccesor dropped out a few months early, with very little notice, and it took some time for them to find me to replace him. They plan on taking on the new apprentice at the time of year which coincides with the course starting (I also started my course late) so that they are back in sync with the college. This will therefore be before my 2 years are up, but probably after I have completed the course.

 

I know that the sole reason they take on apprentices is for cheap labour. While I have learned alot whilst working here there has definately been no focus on training me. It seems the attitude is if they can do it quicker themselves then they will do it themselves. For example I didnt learn to back up a trailer with any real accuracy until 6 months into my course. I got the hang of it when both of the other workers were ill and I was on my own for a week or so. Coincidence? I think not. As far as compensating for the wage with rent goes, thats a good idea, and I will suggest it if needs be, although ideally I would like to be looking for a job in the spring, when people are more likely to be looking to take someone on.

 

Ella