The best qualified had an MSc and the worst had just three ( useless ) GCSEs Amusingly the latter was pretty useless but very polite and helpful and customers loved him.
Tony
Tony, if I may be familiar, don't be dismissive of polite, helpful but useless, those three qualities can take you far. Add well-intentioned and ambitious and you're on your way.
Just writing this it came to me; imagine a scenario where your trainee was in business competing with you and the customers had to choose between a thoroughly competent bloke who they had no feeling for or someone that pleased them. I wonder....
I waited outside a job one time for a potential customer to show up, she was late, I had never met her. Eventually she shows up and apologises so I say "That's OK, I was listening to The Archers". "Oh, you listen do you" she says. "Yes" I said "that Caroline's headed for a fall by messing around with Brian Aldridge."
From her face I could see that I had the job and we hadn't even crossed the front gate yet. Funny what will get the customer to choose a workman or contractor.
Pulled up for a survey in my car at the time, a Renault Espace when they were still new, seats out, tools in back. The customer looks at the car and the rest of the quote was a waste of time because that's the vehicle he wanted and didn't have. No matter what the figure I quoted, I was not going to get the job. Just people.
The guys on here, whether they work for someone or generate their own work probably know far more than me, I often feel awed by the knowledge posted here. I know however I made a living for 30 years by being friendly, helpful, honest and reasonably competent.