Apprentice troubles

[_AmyBaxter]

Thanks Bobh fingers crossed!

[Andymacp]

I do try and treat anyone as I like to be treated. I pay more than minimum wage, he's pickup up and dropped of at home most days, I take him out climbing on my own time at weekends. I've even put one boy up at my own home for a few months so he could save up for his own place.

There's certainly no bullying or taking advantage going. Not that I should have to justify my actions, but I feel I have to.

[lakeyboy]

I started off as the boy never used a saw or hedge cutter let alone climbing up a ladder to cut or top a hedge!! I started off on 40 a day cash, took 6 months of watching before my boss let me pick a saw up.

He was taught by his father in law and they both teach me, 4 years ago I started from the bottom and now look at me!

Good apprentices are out there!!

[Andy Collins]

There are good and bad at all levels as well. I'm not taking sides really. Some youngsters can't and won't be told, won't listen, turn up late and do want to be on the phone all day. I wouldn't give this type the time of day either, whether apprentice or time served.

[agg221]

Sadly my apprentice (different industry) left a few weeks back. Nothing we did, or could have done - he always wanted to join the Navy but they turned him down on eyesight grounds, but suddenly decided to make him an offer which he understandably took.

 

There are several factors which are important I think, most of which have been covered by Andy, Amy and Felixthelogchopper - mutual respect probably being the key one (I have seen a lot of engineering doctorate students whose first aim is to leave their placement, rather than get a job there at the end, on account of the treatment they have received, then talking to the employer they make negative comments about the commitment of the student).

 

One additional point though - this is a stage where people are finding out what they want to do with their lives. Some have a burning desire to do something, only to try it and find they don't like it. Others drift into something and find it is really for them and stay forever. Then there are the ones who really don't have a clue and were never going to get there anyway. It is very hard to pick the winners out early. One thing we have done is to talk to the local colleges early (about this time of year) and allow people to apply - then down-select the ones who are promising for interview and offer a small number a week's work experience, following which they can decide if it is for them. This has helped weed out a few who really weren't up to it or interested enough, and a couple who thought it was what they wanted and found it wasn't.

 

Alec

[Daniël Bos]

We invite people for an interview, when they arrive I'll be busy doing some menial task (moving a few barrows of logs, shovelling some chip, that sort of thing) and tell them I'll be with them as soon as I've finished. My wife will phone me just then, I tell the prospective I have to take that call and I'll be back in a minute.

This is when they can choose to progress to the actual interview...

 

If when I return 2 minutes later, the task I was doing has not been finished the interview is cancelled. It sorts out the "can-do's" from the "it's-not-fair I-dunno-how's" right quick and without hassle.

[_AmyBaxter]

I've got to admit some kids are difficult and they need to be taught ,know this myself as I'm a volunteer for the army cadets. The problem is each individual is different have different strengths and weakeness. Some may learn with harsh criticism while others may not. I think this needs to be considered before taking on apprenticeships. Work should be enjoyable, which I always say if you have a happy workforce you see better performance. I can take banter I mean I don't take anything offensive. But it took a number of customers to say to me ' you don't have get some stick don't you" I mean a customers from a days work notice it too. So i can agree that some kids are hard work, but some workers and bosses don't have the full respect for youngsters. They have the same attitude towards each and everyone of us.

[Hodge]

I would get a text saying "you got my money?" No please or greeting etc. total disrespect towards me yet a few weeks before I treated the lads to a pub lunch after a good earning job, he forgets things like that. He now has no work, I get texts of "got any work?" He just does not get it.

 

 

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[HGBMX]

If you lived down here Amy I'd probably offer you a good job because girls generally don't grow macho egos like dumb blokes do.

 

 

I'm the best groundie in the world Alasdair but I don't have a big ego about it 😄😄

[Andy Collins]

Err, don't really agree, when I was an apprentice in the motor trade I got the pee ripped out of me for at least a year, it was great, it's called character building, so long as its light harted banter and not bullying. I offered a 19 year old an apprentiship on £6.20 an hour and on the job learning through myerscough college, saw tickets the lot, he said it didn't pay enough??. He carried on helping me on and off and while he worked hard he didn't listen or use his brain, I told him he wouldn't even get a job McDonald's the way he was going, I then got accused of bullying him? Load of crap. These kids have no idea, since schools banned corporal punishment the country has gone to the dogs. I treated the lad nice and got **** on, I play bad cop and I'm a bully??

 

 

 

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You don't have to agree, it's a discussion. My point is that it is a two way street, respect works both ways. The days of ripping the pee out of youngsters are long gone, bullying is frowned upon (and rightly so). IMO, if you can't communicate properly with someone, why should they bother to communicate properly with you. (This is not directed at any individual poster here, it a generalisation). Too many of us "oldies" think we've explained what we want, but it's rarely interpreted the same way by others. Many bosses walk around with their heads up their backsides, too wrapped up in what they're doing to really take note of how their decisions are affecting staff and morale. Is creates stresses on staff who then resent everything about the company they work for.

If your company has a high turnover of staff, look to see why. If apprentices keep "letting you down" what is the underlying reason, bad staff, or bad management?