looking to work for free to gain experience in plumbing

[Norcon]

Guy offering to work for free and being turned down?? He was only looking for some plumbing experience ffs.
And if he becomes so good that he can steal your work then they deserve it as they will have already have made YOU a fortune.
Things must be bad!
I'm left wondering if any of you guys who condemned the OP actually does any plumbing.

How many of you when you were starting out could have offered your services for free never mind have to suffer the humiliation of being told to go and stuff your self. You're not wanted!

 

[mickyg]

I'd take someone on for free. especially next week. Any takers

 

[Agile]

I guess what I am trying to say is that as someone took their time to teach you, I am just finding it very hard to understand why people dont teach others. Or have people forgotten how hard it is???

This is at no point taking a dig at Agile

I think too many people are stuck up their own a**es and seem to forget that once upon a time someone gave up valuable time to teach them.

How many of you when you were starting out could have offered your services for free never mind have to suffer the humiliation of being told to go and stuff your self. You're not wanted!

I appreciate that not all the comments above were specifically directed at me but I suspect some were !

The simple fact is that I have never learnt anything about boilers by going out with anyone else. The reality is that I never expected any help and I was at first very disapointed by the lack of technical knowledge that everyone in the industry seemed to have.

I learned the basics from a refresher three day course before I did the ACS for the first time after being registered by personal interview previously. Everything else I have mostly learnt by my own experience and a bit more by going on a few makers courses. But then my previous engineering experience with the BBC gave me a very good background.

I have taken on several trainees on an initially unpaid basis. When they are well capable I have sent them to paid jobs on my behalf. Thats the time when they happily give out their numbers to the customers, one even gave them his own business cards!

At least two friends of mine have then gone on to call my ex-trainees directly to do work for them. In one case the friend then "complained" to me that he was taking a long time to complete the job and asked if he really knew what he was doing!

Its that kind of thing that should make potential trainers very careful of whom they invite to do training with them. Its not such a problem in London as the place is so large. But in a small market town thats different. I do feel annoyed when friends call my ex trainees instead of calling me! Another friend used a Polish unreg to fit her new boiler ( with a copper condensate pipe! ) Probably because they expect them to be cheaper?

Tony

 

[kitch0978]

I understand tony why some people would not want to take on someone, once bitten twice shy etc.....but it is a forum where people come for advise and banter is ok but just to let them hit a brick wall of negativity is not the way ahead in my opinion, he might be a complete tosser.......or a future boiler fixing wizard ( like yourself) and very loyal and hard working.... wat are you OP?

 

[assured heating]

Go onto the Scewfix site there is a bloke on there called Dick Puller he's looking for some help

 

[transam]

As for trainees poaching ones customers , its always a danger , but than again this has always occured , alot of biasi u.k service agents engage in this practice when doing in-warranty work , advertising , 6or 7 sheets of A3 advertising was or uesd to be the norm ' left on every job !
We have just taken on a trainee , he is paid .

 

[Pinkynomic]

Im in the midlands area and could be persuaded, whats your experience, age, location in dudley and tell me what experience you require.

Cheers

Mart

 

[transam]

good for you Pinkynomic , I hope it go's well !!

 

[tamz]

Taking on guys to work for nothing would be like leaving a kid alone in a sweety shop. Sooner or later they're going to have some.

The trouble with many older career change guys is they already have the financial commitments and have spent a lot of money on courses. First chance the get to recoup some of that cash and get on the road to the promised so called big money, they will take it.

If i want to train someone i will pay them to learn. I have no problem at all with taking some school leaver on to train them up. Difference is they usually have no financial commitments and are not so keen to bite the hand. As for Govies? homers, foreigners, call them what you will, i encourage them to do a bit. I even pass them the small jobs i'm too busy for or can't be bothered doing, sinks, new rads even bathroom suites. Even tell them how much to charge. It learns them to think for themselves quicker. If they f**k up it's on their time at their expense. Nothing like making an a&$e of something in your own time to teach you not to do it that way

I have put 3 guys through their APPRENTICESHIP (big difference). First one was excellent and now works for himself. I've no problem at all with that. Second one was a waste of space. Last i saw of him he was into the big money with the drugs Third one still here and is a good lad who's time is nearly out and will do well. When his time is out in the summer, and hopefully he will stay with me, i'll take on another lad.

One thing i would never do is give experience to a career changer.
Call me old fashioned but i believe a trade is for life. Not when you get to 25 - 30 or whatever and think the plumbing/heating game will pay the bills better and it will be more exciting than the call centre. You should have thought of that when you were 16.

I have sent them to paid jobs on my behalf. Thats the time when they happily give out their numbers to the customers, one even gave them his own business cards!

Tony he wouldn't have been able to work for the next 3 months at least if he had did that to me.

 

[Happyplumber]

Tamz i totally agree with you

These adult trainees think we as businesses owe them a favour,if you have paid the college then pay me to teach you as well,I dont run a charity .Nor do i wish to employ adult trainees

apprentices is definitely the way to go some one who from 16 will learn the trade how water works properly then move onto heating and eventually boiler repairs

They can be moulded and dont have the financial commitment to go and learn and start getting on the quick rich campaign because they have paid horrendous amount of money to go on quick rich scheme which is what alot of them thought plumbing was

We are tradesman and want proper tradesman in this trade ,why is it you cant go on quick course to become fooking lawyer or dentist or doctor or an aircraft engineer
With electrics and plumbing we suppose to smile while they shove it right up us!!!!

 

[tamz]

Happy

We are not alone in this thinking

 

[tamz]

Never thought of being a dentist

Hear there is good money in it

If i can be up to the elbows in a sh!%%y drain i could surely put up with some rotting teeth

 

[sooey]

Happy

We are not alone in this thinking

He doesn't sound very f'ckin happy to me.

 

[tamz]

That's because the trade is totally unregulated and is full of CCC diks who don't know their a*$e from their elbow and are ruining the trade.

Just read £250 for a bathroom swap FFS

 

[Agile]

That's because the trade is totally unregulated and is full of CCC diks who don't know their a*$e from their elbow and are ruining the trade.

Those words must have been copied direct from Dick Puller !

Oddly, I find its the more mature career changers who are most trustworthy and the most serious students.

Now the real wammee ! The cards this guy had printed had OUR business name on them but HIS name and telephone number!

Tony