Apprenticeships

[ShaunW]

Hello all, 

Being from the school of if you don't ask you don't know (much to the slight embarrassment of my family most of the time) here goes.... 

My son who's 25 has been made redundant...again. Poor lad everytime he gets something the firm goes belly up after a year. We're trying to find him an apprenticeship in the motor trade but they're like hens' teeth. He's hard working and keen and if I say so myself he's a nice guy to have around. He lives in the Luton /Hitchen area (I'm nr Lincoln so can't help him much) and I wondered if anyone had heard of the slightest whiff of any work in the motor industry in that area? He's not proud and will do anything. Good basic qualifications but nothing especially related to engineering. 

That's it really. 1000/1 shots do come off so I'm trying everything and anyone I can think of. 

... Shaun 

 

 

 

 

[Pete Lewis]

I will keep my ears open, but most of the motor manufacture apart from IBC have long disappeared  like so many places

Maulden garage are classic but no idea if they have apprentice needs .

Pete

 

 

[ShaunW]

Thanks Pete. Even pushing a broom round is a start. 

I don't remember it being this hard years ago. So much of what we thought were normal career options seem like fantasy land these days. 

[Colin Lindsay]

Good luck Shaun; as the father of a 20 year old, currently at Uni, I know how uncertain the future can be. All I can do is be there and advise as much as possible. Many of the careers these days weren't even around when we started off, although how I wish I'd had a better Careers teacher.

[Anglefire]

1 hour ago, Colin Lindsay said:

I wish I'd had a better Careers teacher.

My kids are 17 and 20 (well 19 51/52) and both had frankly crap careers teachers. The advice was the usual stuff  - no imagination or thoughts for anything different  and heaven forbid they suggested anything........

[ShaunW]

3 hours ago, Colin Lindsay said:

 although how I wish I'd had a better Careers teacher.

I know that feeling. I saw a guy on TV the other day who's job was as a masseuse for a squad of cheerleaders. What the heck was that on the list! 

[Pete Lewis]

It seems the curriculum is far to wide and half is rubbish , nothing is done to prepare for the skills of adulthood and the wide world

 far too many single parents , no idea of a breadwinner , and after all these years no steerage into the world of working for a crust

Too many dizzy heights and no expectations , get a degree and stack shelves ,  to many universities and no jobs to accomadate  them afterwards, the days of apprenticeships , earn your keep and get the experience at the same time have in many cases died

Along with bang out some children and the state funds  a roof .   Ive got some grandchildren growing up into this messed up life 

I wonder where it if ever ends up, live in hope 

Dinosaur mode pete

Well its the cats got me up to early again!!!

[AidanT]

It's such a hard world nowadays. My son (now 26) picked daffodils as his first job after getting his degree  He's now got a job much more in line with his degree and aspirations thank god. Unfortunately I now live nearer you in Newark rather than in Bedfordshire but I wish him well in finding that elusive role

Aidan

[Dick Twitchen]

1 hour ago, Pete Lewis said:

nothing is done to prepare for the skills of adulthood and the wide world

Unfortunately much of the younger generation, fueled by the media and in some cases academia, seem to believe that 'expectation and entitlement' is the name of the game.  By the same token, in my Naval experience, even those who find a profession/calling do not believe in sticking with it ('expectation and entitlement') if the rewards are not immediately forthcoming despite them only still learning the ropes.  My son (38) much happier and possibly more financially secure having chosen to be a sailmaker working for himself than going to Uni and then ......?

Dick 

[hugh]

my youngest got "cherry picked" off an electrical course at college for an apprenticeship at a specialist gearbox manufacturer, let him finish the electrical side, put him through the mechanical side, several promotions later he's doing well and they are offering a degree part time on full pay at 25, guess he's one of the lucky ones, the eldest is a waster, but wont go into that

[Colin Lindsay]

7 hours ago, Pete Lewis said:

Along with bang out some children and the state funds  a roof .  

If it was only that.... not wanting to hi-jack Shaun's very important thread by diverting off at a tangent BUT: my wife's two work colleagues have both quit their jobs after hearing that their benefits were to be cut. They wanted reduced hours but that wasn't possible; apparently with reduced hours their pay would have been topped up again by benefits but because THEY applied, and weren't reduced by their employer, they didn't count. There was also a danger that BOTH their husbands were going to lose their free Motability cars (which they got for having bad backs and being unable to work) if their wives pays' exceeded a certain level. Free cars, free Insurance, free parking, and benefits that pay more than work... it's not surprising more people stay at home these days. It pays!

[ShaunW]

To those that think benefits is a lifestyle choice full of perks it isn't. Payments are below subsistence levels by all measures and housing benefits don't cover private rents as they're based on theoretical council rents. It's OK for a month or two but it's not a life, when the fridge breaks or the kids need shoes there's simply no extra. It's miserable, and having had to do it once for a year due to illness (ie me looking after my ancient mother and an ill missus at same time!) I can assure you they're not living the life of Riley. Me and the missus used to get £105 for us and the boy and we had to top up the rent by 100/month. So £75 a week for ALL bills (water gas electric tvlicence car(?) life insurance you can't cancel easily, house insurance phone etc) and most weeks we had £30 to provide 3x7x3 meals... That's 63 with no snacks or drinks. Bills were bigger too because the house was heated all day. All especially sickening as I'd paid a tax and ni for over 30yrs nonstop. 

I also don't recognise the idea that kids are idle and have a sense of entitlement either. The ones I know work rubbish jobs with no contracts for minimum wage and are desperate to have even half the chances we did. 

[dave.vitesse]

One of the local research establishments, West Berkshire, has an Apprenticeship system in place. I believe they take between 50 and 100 places each year. It's either 3 or 5 years period, can't remember which.The place is privately run but paid for by UK Gov. As you would image there is heavy competition to get in. It's a rare thing these days to see a proper Apprenticeship system. 

Dave  

[Colin Lindsay]

On 7/16/2018 at 7:38 PM, ShaunW said:

To those that think benefits is a lifestyle choice full of perks it isn't.

So why do do many people do it? It can't be just ME that knows so many people that have never worked, or gave up their jobs as benefits paid more than going out to work...

As my 91 year old mother says: they neither worked, nor wanted.

[ShaunW]

Complex reasons Colin. Not everyone is blessed with the same reasoning, mental capacity, and role models we have. Do you know any people doing it with a triple digit IQ? 

The numbers are small despite the Daily Mail's attempt to tell us it's an epidemic. Far far more people evade tax than claim a few quid so they're well down the list of villains in my book. 

With jobs being scarce, do we need them in the work force anyway? Probably not. There's always background employment even in booming economies so thankfully they take up that role. 

 

[Pete Lewis]

Apprenticeship days to remember, one of the first tasks was sweeping the training school workshop mastering a broom without catching the swarf and get it all in the shovel , 

Whilst cleaning my parrot house I realized those techniques are still with me 56 years on ,  some things you never forget

Then theres the send down to the tool stores for a long weight , and such like gags you could pull on new starters

Pete

 

[Colin Lindsay]

A bubble for a spirit level or a tin of tartan paint....

I started work at 14, 4pm - 6pm and Saturdays / school holidays for four years whilst still at school; thankfully Uni got me away from that environment. I still remember the terrible jobs they gave me. While everyone else sat about and joked over tea or ciggies I was washing windows or cleaning old store rooms, or even outdoors cutting grass. I spent two weeks clearing out an old store of files and records - open the Lever arch folder, shake contents into bin for incineration, dispose of file cover. THEN the Area Manager found out and went ballistic, as for tax and other important reasons they all had to be kept for seven years or more. Thankfully, at the bottom of the food chain, they couldn't blame me....

 

[Gully]

There's a banner up along the Luton airport perimeter road stating that GKN Engineering is looking for staff - might be worth a look online.

Gully

[Colin Lindsay]

On 7/18/2018 at 5:28 PM, ShaunW said:

Complex reasons Colin. Not everyone is blessed with the same reasoning, mental capacity, and role models we have. Do you know any people doing it with a triple digit IQ? 

The numbers are small despite the Daily Mail's attempt to tell us it's an epidemic. Far far more people evade tax than claim a few quid so they're well down the list of villains in my book. 

With jobs being scarce, do we need them in the work force anyway? Probably not. There's always background employment even in booming economies so thankfully they take up that role. 

 

Shaun, you have a lovely attitude; if your son has inherited it, he'll go far.

Me, I'm just a grumpy pensioner.... 

[Anglefire]

10 hours ago, Colin Lindsay said:

Far far more people evade tax than claim a few quid

Very true - but they can quantify the benefits bill - it's hard to accurately quantify the tax evasion so they bother less. 

[NonMember]

10 hours ago, Anglefire said:

Very true - but they can quantify the benefits bill - it's hard to accurately quantify the tax evasion so they bother less. 

How refreshingly generous. My assumption was rather more cynical.

[ShaunW]

On 7/19/2018 at 6:52 PM, Gully said:

There's a banner up along the Luton airport perimeter road stating that GKN Engineering is looking for staff - might be worth a look online.

Gully

Thanks for that. 

[ShaunW]

Just to close this thread... He's only gone and bl**dy done it !!  ?

Starts in 2 weeks at a place called John Newman Bodyworks nr Sandy. It took 3 seperate interviews and beating about 40 other applicants for 1 position apparently.

So happy, such a relief, it's a long time since we had much good news. It's a modest thing to be excited about really when years ago it would have been fairly normal but for him (and me) it's a huge deal and he can start to think about the future now rather than just going from one dead-end job to another.

thanks to all for you leads and advice.

ok, i'm off to have a little dance around in the kitchen

 

 

[Paulfc]

Congratulations and best wishes to him!

[Pete Lewis]

thats brilliant.  dont fall over in the kitchen  getting your feet in a knot

happy for him hope it all works out well for the future 

 

 

Pete