Apprenticeships

[TheApprentice]

I live in Northamptonshire and I am 18 years old. I am attending full time college doing City & Guilds Electrical Installation.
The course finishes in July and I have sent out approximately 100 letters to various electrical contractors & comapnies to try to find myself an apprenticeship. So far - nothing.
Is anyone taking on apprentices any more?
Does anyone in Northamptonshire need a very keen and hardworking 18 year old. I am not looking for fantastic money. Just a good electrical apprenticeship.
Any advice anyone?

 

[The Wholesaler]

from 100 letters you've had no response? what does ur letter say? every spark i speak to is always looking for an apprentice.

 

[Gaz the Sparky]

I have just compleated my 4 year apprenticeship. I contacted a company called JTL (just goggle JTL) They are a training provider you have to take a simple test to get onto there books they then help you find an employer who will take you on for the apprenticship. They provide all the training for your apprenticeship.

 

[Adam_151]

My experiences with JTL were different, did all their test and stuff, and they never found me anything, the only leads I did have (that all lead to nothing in the end ) I ended up finding myself

 

[acs2006]

TheApprentice, my advice to u is to forget about an apprenticeship - all that means is an employer can pay u less and take u for a mug.

finish ur C&G then apply for jobs with electrical firms. specifically ones who are JIB (joint industries board) registered. what this means is that if you have the correct level of qualification and the employer is JIB registered he has to pay u the minimum wage according to the JIB (who are basically an organisation who make sure ppl like you get a fair wage and that ppl dont try and take u for a mug)

i think the JIB wages structure for this year is £6.36 - £12.91 per hour. if ur entitled to it you might as well take it pal!!!! whereas if u work for someone as an apprentice you will be classed as stage 1 to start with and you may only get a wage in the region of £3.60 - £4.25.

if you want to know more type 'Joint Industries Board (JIB)' into google.

hope that helps

 

[RF Lighting]

As I understand it from our lads that are at college, you can't complete your apprenticeship without some on the job experience so you can fill out your field evidence record part of your portfolio. Also I wouldn't personally employ someone who has no on the job experience as an electrician on qualified electrician wages, at best I would employ him as an electricians mate.

 

[dingbat]

And I would never employ anybody who is illiterate and/or innumerate... as far too many posters looking for work appear to be. Text-speak is simply lazy and a far greater indication of your character than you might think.

 

[baldelectrician]

TheApprentice, my advice to u is to forget about an apprenticeship - all that means is an employer can pay u less and take u for a mug.

acs- think you may be missing a MAJOR point here. JIB have a record of all spark training. If I were taking on an electricain I would call JIB (in Scotland [SJIB]) with the National Insurance number of the person, before they get a start

NO apprenticeship = No JOB (or a snowball in hell chance)

This is why the appenticeship is the ONLY real route for a person under 22.

 

[acs2006]

ok fair play. just going on advice ive had passed along.... i know a few ppl who have gone for the way that i had suggested to me...but i could of been badly adviced. i guess its a bit of research he'll have to do...he sounds keen enough so shouldnt be a problem for him.

 

[baldelectrician]

acs

The money thing isn't the be all of an apprenticeship- better to earn peanuts learning well than earn more money but learn less. take a long term view.
It's VERY hard to get an apprenticeship - I even get kids offering to work for less than min wage AND their parents offering to pay their wages while they are at college.

I get over 100 enquiries a year about apprenticeships.

 

[acs2006]

that supprises me....over 100 offers...who says sparkies are in short supply eh? just out of interest...whats your view on taking on an apprentice? is it something you dont get involved with due to various risks of having an inexperienced person on site? or are there other reasons? if you dont mind me askig?

 

[Jim2287]

If you have sent 100 letters then i would suggest looking at fixing up your personal statement or something, cant believe no one wants an apprentice .... or perhaps it could be you sent these letters out at the same time and the dont want you since you applied to everyone in the area ( if u catch my drift)

the college course now includes AM2, so having a job is advisable even if its not insisted on, since the experience in college is so little you would be lucky to pass the AM2 to get JIB ... which you now cant pass with out the AM2

 

[baldelectrician]

I have had a bad experience with 1 lad.
Took him on (through the books etc) and he broke his wrist in November (not work related!) - so I duly paid him sick pay (7 weeks over xmas and new year). I even gave him holiday pay AND a christmas (cash) bonus, only to be told he have had a call from someone else and he was off, without working notice.
Turned out this worked out for the best as I found out a couple of things after the event. [he walked out infront of a woman driver who was in a ford KA going uphill at less than 20mph - she stopped within 4 feet of clipping his arm. He was going to sue her - no win no fee until I told him I would not support him (as a witness) as the accident was entirely HIS fault. (don't fancy an employee with a taste for no win no fee )]
There are other things I won't go into on a forum, but all in all a lucky escape.

Now I have 2-3 part timers (each earning <£80 per week- so no SSP entitlement) and will have same until August 2006. Then I will decide to take 1 or 2 on permanantly- depending on business needs.

Have told them all they will all get a fair chance at an apprenticeship and one WILL definately get a registered apprenticeship August 2007.

 

[TheApprentice]

Gentlemen
I thank you all for your advice and given that I am neither illiterate or innumerate, I ought to be able to find something.
I have in fact had replies from approximately 14 of the 100 or so that I sent out but every one had the same response. 'We wish you well in your career but unfortunately we are not looking for anyone at the moment.'

I sent out a covering letter outlining the college course and my reasons for wanting this kind of career along with a copy of my CV.

Admittedly the CV is little short on electrical experience but I do hold down a job in customer support when I am not in college.
Anyway thanks once again, I will contact JIB/JTL

 

[dingbat]

...given that I am neither illiterate or innumerate...

Sorry, that wasn't aimed at you, but at all the applicants who send in CVs that look like they were typed on their mobile phones!