So i start my trial apprenticeship soon - how not to screw up?

[Studley 2436]

having a good attitude is most of what you need to learn a trade. Just by asking in the first place you showed you have a good enough attitude. Plenty of good advice been given allready.

Whatever you do go with your own best judgement about what is the right thing to do. You will be judged by your decisions no one who gave you advice or orders or whatever will be there when the shyte hits the fan so if you are going to be in trouble you might as well be there for your own decision and not someone elses.

Studley

[ozwinner]

Thank you.....

Thank you one and all.
For my tour dates visit, www.Funnybugger.com.au

Al

[Skew ChiDAMN!!]

Don't worry, i dont really get AI jokes anyway..
lycra thongs?

He's just trying to get your goat.

[ozwinner]

RufflyRustic
(an Al-message appreciator, except maybe the goat ones.... )

Hey I dont do messages. ok.

But if you was a goat I might just bend the rules.

Al

[Christopha]

Don't wear Lycra thongs, wear proper safety boots!

[Buzzer]

My advice would be after working around tradesmen/apprentices some time ago now, would be

1. Be on time
2. Don't turn up to work hungover (even if the boss does, thats his perogitive)
3. Be honest.
4. Finally, if you don't know, ask.

Good luck,
I wish I had taken up a trade when I was your age.

Cheers
Buzzer.

[craigb]

The contactor should be up front with you about how long your "trial" is going to be.

At the end of that time he should either take you on formally as an apprentice by lodging the apropriate paperwork with the apropriate authorities or terminate your trial.

Don't keep working on a vague promise that you'll be apprenticed "one day".

Once you are apprenticed he is required to release you one day per week so that you can attend TAFE.

I'm guessing that the first term of TAFE has already started for this year so you should be looking to be formally apprenticed before the start of the next term.

[Wood Butcher]

I know the pay is pretty low as one of my friends told me(1st yr apprentice too), he get paids 5.80 an hour which bring up to about $250 a week, 9K a yr. The new apprenticeship centre will help me set up the registration between me and the employer. Also does the Award sets out the agreement of everything from my work conditionsm,hours , holidays, super etc?

Hi Chris and welcome. Did you know that according to a recent study in QLD, Sparkies in their first year as a tradesman on average earn more than 1st year doctors!!

[Buzzer]

Hi Chris and welcome. Did you know that according to a recent study in QLD, Sparkies in their first year as a tradesman on average earn more than 1st year doctors!!

Sounds right to me!!

[seriph1]

Chris

Welcome welcome welcome! Much has already been said about the smarts of a young guy for asking this question in the first place, and I feel confident you will do well at whatever you turn your hand to.

I just want to affirm what the others said and reinforce these couple

Electricity can be unforgiving - extremely.
More than 2300 things don't make a light bulb - ask Thomas Edison - in other words, if electricity is to be your thing, get into it! I suggest reading A Streak Of Luck, about Edison's discovery of the light globe ..... incredible insights into how it all began way back when.

Be respectful (not sucky) of your superiors - they can save your life and will take the P155 out of you while doing so

Know you are contributing something fundamental to the very fabric of our society, through the work you will do. Be proud of that and do your best

Above all - have fun!

[TTIT]

Don't worry, i dont really get AI jokes anyway..
lycra thongs?

Thong as in G-string, wedgies. Not flip-flops.
Boy, you really have got a lot to learn

Good luck with the trial. If they send you to get a "short-circuit", find an electricity board truck and ask the guy's if you can borrow an "earth and short circuit set" - that'll leave your boss gobsmacked!

[Schtoo]

A few things.

If in doubt, DON'T!!! If you don't know what it is, how to use it or what to do with it, ask first. First thing I got told when I started my sparky apprenticeship, and it's kept me out of trouble since.

You are not a sparky, you are an extra body. When you get stuck with some crappy job just deal with it. You won't be able to dodge the crappy jobs and the worse you do them the more often you get them until you get nothing to do because you got sacked. Harsh, I know but that's the way it is. At the same time, keep busy. Once you finish something, get something else to do. Talking to someone else on the job is no problem as long as you keep doing what yer supposed to be doing. If you drop tools and have a chat, well just don't do it.

Don't expect that being half a sparky is a clean job. You will get dirty, you will tear clothes and skin, you will not enjoy all of it. Again, deal with it. It's not always nice, but it's rarely boring and the money kinda makes up for it in the end.

If the guy says yes, you will need some tools. A good pair of pliers (Marvel or Channelock for me), a couple of good insulated screwdrivers, tape measure, hammer, plaster saw, Stanley knife and some kind of tester (glow tester probably) should see you right. About $100-150 will get all of them. You shouldn't need a battery drill just yet, nor anything more expensive than your pliers. You don't want a battery drill when you first start out, trust me on that one. If you lose something, replace it the same day. It's a pain, but it's worse not having the basic tools to do some work.

Never turn up drunk or hungover. Ever. If you did it to me, I'd sack you on the spot. Electricity doesn't forgive very easily so I am sure you will understand why it's crazy to rock up to work half smashed.

You will get zapped. Don't worry yourself too much about it. Affects different people in different ways. "Assume" everything you are not 100% sure is not live (Where you can see the other end of the wire not connected to anything) is actually live. By the time you realize how much a pain that thinking is, you should be right. Keeps you on your toes too.

(In case you are wondering, when I get zapped, nothing much happens, just tingles a little bit)


Stick at it if you do start as an apprentice. It won't be all roses, but get to the end, study properly and get the ticket. If the guy you work for is a decent guy (most are) then you shouldn't have too many problems. If he is a bit shady, run. :eek:


That all I can think of right now. You shouldn't have too many problems, and certainly fewer than I had in my first year and a half.

When the boss finally found out what happened to me, he realized why the heck I wanted out. Thankfully he didn't let me quit.

Good luck, and it's not half as bad as what I made it out to be.

[ChrisApprentice]

My advice would be after working around tradesmen/apprentices some time ago now, would be

1. Be on time
2. Don't turn up to work hungover (even if the boss does, thats his perogitive)
3. Be honest.
4. Finally, if you don't know, ask.

Good luck,
I wish I had taken up a trade when I was your age.

Cheers
Buzzer.

Hi buzzer,

about the age thing, it quite dissapointing. There's this guy i know from centrelink training, he told me he's too old to get a apprenticeship now(hes about 22) amd he also said they had to pay him more coz hes older!.
The guy did an apprenticeship before in cooking, he had a bad experience the guy was fully ripping him off. Even the employer tells me he prefers and 16-18 yr old kid to a 20ish old person, because he likes to start em 'young and fresh', more easier to teach im assuming and they can contribute more to the business.

[ChrisApprentice]

lol and about turning up hang over, don't worry im not a drinker anyays!

[seriph1]

don't drink? Sorry buddy - you'll never make it - I mean how can you expect to be a butt crack flashin' tradie if you don't slam down a coldie or 20 on the job?