Please Help

[Sammy The Prim]

Hi,

My name is Sam, I'm 19 year old and I am very passionate about building. I love putting things together from scratch and seeing it become a useful thing.
I have definetly decided that I want to commence a Carpentry Apprenticeship but I have no guidance and need some badly but people can never give me a straight answer.
I have a few questions.

1) Some people complete a pre-apprenticeship before beginning their apprenticeship, what are ALL the benefits of doing so?

2) On the TAFE web-site on the Certificate III Building and Construction section it says that you must hold a Certificate II (pre-app) before you can begin a Certificate III. You can start an apprenticeship without a pre-app but would you start the Cert III straight away or what?

3) Apprenticeships are competency based, how would this work though to get your Cert III faster, work longer days? and/or attend tafe more frequently?

4)What are some of the potential complications associated with working for a ?????? employer?

5) If you gain employment as an Apprentice for a well known and large company does this make you more favourable once you complete your trade? I'd imagine so, simply because you have a better referee, am I right? Because if I am right then I wont settle for anything less than the best.

6) When an employer is recruiting apprentices what attributes of the jobseeker makes them more favourable? e.g maybe, finished year 12 instead of just year 10? Went to a good private school? Good grades? A little bit older, like 20 instead of 16?


7) I plan to enroll in a pre-app at Holmesglen Tafe, do I have to have the money for the course or is there some sort of government initiative which will pay for it or atleast pay for some of it?

8) I am aware that apprentices can get centrelink as well, I am currently on youth allowance and getting $330 a fortnight but lets just say I earned $450 in that fort night from a casual job then they would calculate how much to pay me according to their policy, they'd pay me about $120 if thats how much earnings I delare, how does this work for apprentices? exactly the same?


I can't imagine who would be bothered answering all my questions but any help at all would be greatly appreciated, a self written step by step guide to beginning an apprenticeship would be good.
I am so keen to become the best carpenter around, I really need help, I know I'm just some person on the internet but please think of me as a real person desperate for advice.

Thank you
Regards
Sam

[johnc]

Smaller employers may give you a lot more variety in your work and a wider range of skills. Employers are after someone who will put there head down, bum up and get on with it. They also want someone who listens and can follow instructions.

Your main problen is to get a place, don't be to fussy, cast your net wide and if you are lucky enough to be offered more than one postion choose the one you think is best for you. Skills are enhanced through your entire working life, you will not come out the best of anything, but you should finish your training as a competent tradesman with an ability to learn new skills.

An employer will probably not be that worried about which school you went to, or if you have finished year 12. He will have his own prejudices based on his own experiences, so keep an open mind, let him know you are interested in the building trades and show a level of humility in deference to his experience and position and you should be right.

Go the Centrelink to find what you might be entitled to, but I doubt its anything, on the rest of it speak to TAFE, you need to focus your questions to those that deal with that side of things.

[Ed Reiss]

Hi Sam...welcome to the club.

Don't have any answers for you as I live in the US, but surely there will be some that will be of assistance.