I totally agree that spprenticeship is the best way forward for a school leaver and I am very pleased that Dick Puller has a firm that has the resources and variety of work to give them a very good training in the industry.
However, the sad fact is that his firm is probably in the top 1% of size based on the number of employees. As far as we see 80% of plumbers and gas people are self employed or work in very small firms with less than five people.
For the sole trader the variety of work undertaken and the style of working would never give enough variety. Furthermore the typical over 40 plumber would just be seen as an old fogey by a 16 y.o. For the sole trader a mature trainee is easier to manage, more serious and likely to learn a lot IF carefully selected.
Its also amusing that virtually all plumbers will be sending their own children to uni rather than a vocational career. Few of their children would want to do plumbing either!
Tony
You actually (not that you mostly dont) have a very good point here Agile as the guy i work for employs four of us including the apprentice (who is a 17 year old credit to his famly) yet his 2 teenage sons are at college and Uni and if you ask them they want a REAL job.
They Lord about in a 6 bed house and drive in cars their dad has bought them all because of years of his hard graft doing a Non REAL job!!