Training

[Robster_1981]

Sorry to drag up an old thread!
I'm one of these fast trackers and i'm trying to find work with a Plumber in Manchester. I've had very little luck so far and any that are willing to take me on will only pay £150ish a week and with a mortgage to pay, that is just not enough, and i'm only 25

It has to be put into a little perspective. I can't speak for everyone, but i'm not going into it expecting to earn £40k a year. Just wanted to change to something I would take satisfaction from and earn a comfortable wage.

I am happy to work for a lowish wage for a year or two (£7+/hr), but i am coming to the conclusion that i might not get the opportunity to do this, so i'm considering 'going it alone' doing small jobs such as washing machines, outside taps, sinks, bathrooms etc and maybe stuff like tiling and flooring etc (not plumbing related i know, but needs must)


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lynda, moderator

please note forum rule 20, your post has been split

 

[breezer]

lowish wage for a year or two (£7+/hr)

sorry mate, give up now, you are not going to find it

Look at the big picture.

Say you want £7/hr, person training you will want say £11/hr, that means they must have 40 hr wk / job that is £720 for labour alone.

Small companies can't afford it, and big companies cant be bothered

 

[Robster_1981]

sorry mate, give up now, you are not going to find it

There has to be a way into the trade? i'm only 25!!!
Not everyone makes the right choices when they are 16. re-training is not easy, i accept that, but surely it's possible??

I see your point tho, and i accept that its going to be damn hard to do, but how can labourers ask £6.50/hour, but somebody who just wants to learn can barely earn minimum wage, it's ludacris!

edit: just read that back and it sounds like i'm furious...i'm not, i'm just trying to make sense of it

 

[breezer]

only real way in is an aprenticeship, but i bet the money is even less, which is no use to you.

Other thing i didnt mention that if you go it alone is (well more than 1 thing

Insurance
transport
advertising
tools
paperwork
stuck*
Tax
Vat
Bank charges
no holiday pay
no sick pay
Oh and if any money left, pay

I dont think you have sat and looked at the really big picture.

I am not saying dont go self employed, its just it is not a quick decision.

*Stuck, if you do go s/e and you get stuck, who will you call and how will you pay?

I work sor A.N.Other, i want to go SE but i already know i cant afford to, even though i really do want to, there is no money in what I want to do for the small man

p.s doesnt sound to me like you are furious, just trying to get a decent living

 

[bab]

Hang in there mate its not that much to ask if u r as keen as u sound. I think Breezer view on £11 an /hr is cool .as most are chargin £25 + +vat so the extra £7 for a pair a hands on two man jobs aint daft. Are BG not takin on any more. 3 yrs ago they were going mad 4 good lads keen to learn. My left hand man & i have no trouble in drawing £1800 + aweek & turning work down constantly.

 

[breezer]

yes you may bring in £1800 /wk, good luck to you, but not every one is in the same boat.

I did wonder about if the OP should apply to join BG, perhaps he could solder them all together?

 

[Robster_1981]

Bab - thanks for the encouragement, and i have applied to BG and awaiting a response (fingers crossed!)

Breezer - Believe me, i have spent a long time considering this. I come from a Finance background, and left that behind over a year ago (i've heard all the 'should have stayed in that' comments), but i'm hell bent on getting a trade and/or working for myself.

I know all about the tax implications, and a good chunk about possible costs etc. I am going to need a few more power tools, but i have a lot of the basic plumbing hand tools already.

A mate of mine is a s/e joiner and has given me a lot of advice on being s/e and my dad is a qualified plumber (although is a time served pipe fitter) so he is my back up, if i get really in the sh*t

 

[breezer]

I wish you all the best.

BG service engineers are expected to do 10 calls / day @40 mins /call.

no, i dont work for bg, its what the bg engineers that come here tell me, and some have left to go s/e

 

[bab]

Just read ma post back & had no intension to sound flash Out of the £1800. the left hand man takes 500 & £1300 - expeni's may leave a grand to play with but after 26yrs at it i dont know anything else other than its probably the best it gona get the way the paper work & regs r go'in.

 

[Robster_1981]

I wish you all the best.

BG service engineers are expected to do 10 calls / day @40 mins /call.

no, i dont work for bg, its what the bg engineers that come here tell me, and some have left to go s/e

Thanks mate

I've heard they are on some form of bonus scheme
All i want from them is the training, although thats not what i put on the application

 

[ollski]

I wish you all the best.

BG service engineers are expected to do 10 calls / day @40 mins /call.

no, i dont work for bg, its what the bg engineers that come here tell me, and some have left to go s/e

Thanks mate

I've heard they are on some form of bonus scheme

prepare for a disappointment!

All i want from them is the training, although thats not what i put on the application

Preapre yourself to pay back some pretty hefty training costs aswell!!
I think those big recruitment drives on the gas side are over except possibly London and that is scaled down.

 

[fitz1]

at first enthusiasm drives you.then experience takes over. i have found that the more i work , the less i seem to have.dont know why. good luck.

 

[ChrisR]

Chap down the road from me was selling info systems, then took a wad at 40 and got out.
Said he didn't need to earn for a year or so , so did a fast-track course. Asked me to let him know if I needed a hand etc. A suitable job came up and I thought he could do it, but he's booked for 3 weeks, at £320 per day, after doing plumbing for 3 months.

 

[Agile]

You say that all you want to do is learn. But then you want to get paid as well.

You want someone to pay you while you learn, not at a token wage but at a full plumbers mate rate. Then after a year you will be going out and stealing all his customers?

What about all those students at Uni? They are all learning for three years and they get no pay at all?

 

[Robster_1981]

You say that all you want to do is learn. But then you want to get paid as well.

You want someone to pay you while you learn, not at a token wage but at a full plumbers mate rate. Then after a year you will be going out and stealing all his customers?

What about all those students at Uni? They are all learning for three years and they get no pay at all?

When i said learn, i meant pick up hands on experience. the study side of things, i'm more than happy to do in my spare time. I'm just making a valid point that if a labourer can get £6.50/hr, and i will be doing the same (ok, at first i'll be a bit slow).

And, just for the record, i've been to uni and done 3 years working as an Assistant Accountant, but got more and more sick of it. Plumbing is not a get out clause. it's something i've wanted to do for years, but because i wasn't bad academically, i was persuaded that was the better route.

If i could afford to work for nothing to get the trade, i gladly would, but unfortunately, i cant