Career path

[JD450A]

Better than smoking spliffs in the park (although I know what I'd of preferred at 14 or 15). 20 quid for a nights work I honestly don't think is terrible for a kid. Obviously it's no career like you say

Great stepping stone to becoming a merchant.... Learn what's in the chicken balls. Then advance to procurement supplying presumably cat at discount prices..... The unit cost is low (price of a Hessian bag and a net) and the selling cost is higher... Boom profit.

The lad could be the next Alan sugar

 

[Quattromike]

Better than smoking spliffs in the park (although I know what I'd of preferred at 14 or 15). 20 quid for a nights work I honestly don't think is terrible for a kid. Obviously it's no career like you say

I don't know all the circumstances, but my way of thinking is if you can stick it for a few weeks or months then it all goes into the bank of experience which he can draw from in the future. If there's something else he can do straight away then fine but if you leave a job because you can't see yourself doing that work for too long only to sit at home then that could be construed as the wrong mentality you are teaching him.
I still remember the days of school holidays or weekends where I'd be out picking stones in the ploo'd parks or lifting neeps for the sheep on frosty days. I'm not a farmer or have close farmer family but was out earning only my feed for the day, not because it couldn't be afforded at home but because it's a life lesson

 

[Lancs Lad]

I don't know all the circumstances, but my way of thinking is if you can stick it for a few weeks or months then it all goes into the bank of experience which he can draw from in the future. If there's something else he can do straight away then fine but if you leave a job because you can't see yourself doing that work for too long only to sit at home then that could be construed as the wrong mentality you are teaching him.
I still remember the days of school holidays or weekends where I'd be out picking stones in the ploo'd parks or lifting neeps for the sheep on frosty days. I'm not a farmer or have close farmer family but was out earning only my feed for the day, not because it couldn't be afforded at home but because it's a life lesson

Agreed...well remember barrowing MOT and tarmac day in day out in the pouring rain at about 14 whilst boss sat in the cabbed mini...u just cracked on.

 

[pettsy]

Apprenticeships only seem to work if there is a reasonable amount of skill involved and at the end of it you get a qualification that you need by law to do the job like gas fitters, etc thereby restricting the competion and you should be able to earn good money the rest of your life.

I did a 4yr apprenticeship to get my plumbing and gas nvqs. Similar to plant I guess, but now anyone can pretty much turn up and do the “training” to pass the tests.

Last time I was in doing my 5yr Gas ACS refresher, there was an ex-navy guy doing every course he could with a grant. Bloke had never even soldered a pipe yet on paper would be more qualified than me at the end of the week! Plenty of folk just see pound signs, but actually end up making it a fight to the bottom as they just want to undercut all the time.

 

[Grahams]

I did a 4yr apprenticeship to get my plumbing and gas nvqs. Similar to plant I guess, but now anyone can pretty much turn up and do the “training” to pass the tests.

Last time I was in doing my 5yr Gas ACS refresher, there was an ex-navy guy doing every course he could with a grant. Bloke had never even soldered a pipe yet on paper would be more qualified than me at the end of the week! Plenty of folk just see pound signs, but actually end up making it a fight to the bottom as they just want to undercut all the time.

That is pretty poor. I thought you had to be highly skilled to mess about with gas, for obvious reasons. If it is just a weeks course I wonder why it is so difficult to get our gas boiler serviced.

 

[Bri963]

an' he only went in for a sweet and sour chicken and egg fried rice

Close Gra, he went in to pick up my takeaway. Bugger was cold by the time I got it.

 

[Bri963]

20 quid cash in his claw. Probably not the worst deal in the world. If he could up the snacks to a bit of a free meal at end of shift then I think its a good deal for an unskilled kid.

Unskilled? You should see him on his XBox. He is doing other work now, so isn’t sat on his backside.

 

[Bri963]

There is no career progression in a Chinese takeaway unless you have slitty eyes, and no chance of pride in a job well done either. Couldn’t you find your lad some trade work to have a crack at?

He’s going to college in a couple of weeks, Doob. He’s been out with me a few times and isn’t too bad on the Kubota, but not interested in doing this sort of work for a living. Came in to work with me a year or two back, picked up welding quicker than I did but again not interested. Might change in time.

 

[Chase Building]

He’s going to college in a couple of weeks, Doob. He’s been out with me a few times and isn’t too bad on the Kubota, but not interested in doing this sort of work for a living. Came in to work with me a year or two back, picked up welding quicker than I did but again not interested. Might change in time.

I had no intention of a life on the tools at that age, but a few years sat behind a desk for a multinational made me miss summers working with my dad when I was a kid.

 

[Bri963]

How could he not want to do this for a living? Note Carrydozer conversion of blade.

 

[Brendan]

That is pretty poor. I thought you had to be highly skilled to mess about with gas, for obvious reasons. If it is just a weeks course I wonder why it is so difficult to get our gas boiler serviced.

Have heard of a few with zero plumbing experience getting gas tickets, although not sure if it's just servicing rather than commissioning new kit

 

[GazCro]

Have heard of a few with zero plumbing experience getting gas tickets, although not sure if it's just servicing rather than commissioning new kit

Is there not a basic ticket or was there proposal of one to allow kitchen fitters to fit hobs/cookers? Makes a total mockery of the job if so

 

[pettsy]

I believe it was bought in fairly recently that you needed either nvq’s or “ relevant industry experience” to be able to do what is called ACS and then register with Gas Safe. There’s what get called “ meter monkeys” that just swap gas meters, I think they can do a more direct course to fast track but can’t do any other gas work.

 

[Brendan]

I believe it was bought in fairly recently that you needed either nvq’s or “ relevant industry experience” to be able to do what is called ACS and then register with Gas Safe. There’s what get called “ meter monkeys” that just swap gas meters, I think they can do a more direct course to fast track but can’t do any other gas work.

Not sure I'm sure there was a version for boiler servicing as heard of someone best part of ten years ago going straight into boilers with no previous plumbing

 

[V8Druid]

He’s going to college in a couple of weeks, Doob. .......... but again not interested. Might change in time.

Josh regrets not taking more interest in learning from me when the opportunity was there and had a whole workshop to 'play' in .... as a teenager he too was exceptional on an Xbox .. amazing dexterity, but no interest in 'things practical' ...
achieved a 1st Hon.s in marine biology and a masters .... now works for the land reg. in Plymouth - totally unrelated to his academic qual.s and loves getting his hands dirty now, at any opportunity ... he's learning and enjoying taking on practical 'challenges' .... in his 30s

 

[pettsy]

Not sure I'm sure there was a version for boiler servicing as heard of someone best part of ten years ago going straight into boilers with no previous plumbing

Officially, shouldn’t be able to, but like any trade there’s fast-track courses if you’re willing to pay!

I guess it’s the equivalent of someone turning up on site with tickets for every machine but hasn’t operated any outside of the training center!

 

[Smiffy]

Has anyone on here done a level 6 in construction site management. More specifically the part time distancing learning one.
Im looking at heading towards a site agent kind of roll but unsure what to do about it and which is the best course to look at. The problem is it needs to fit in around existing work.

 

[Old Operator]

Going back to the original post, the small civils or landscape company is a good idea, also some jobbing builders often run an elderly mini digger & dumper etc. Just a thought if such a man needs some labour he may let you get some time & instruction on the mini say in the dinner break. This way you are able to give things a try, see what it is all about & if you would like such a life - without spending your own hard earnt savings. This kind of guy is more likely to pay in cash on a daily basis as needed. Do expect to do a lot of labouring / barrow pushing mixing mortar etc. Keep eyes open on how he marks out jobs & uses a laser level to find levels etc. Also if there is an experienced machine driver on site see if he will show you the daily maintenance needed on a small machine. Have you passed the car test, as own transport is often pretty essential in this game. At 13 I can remember cleaning thousands of Victorian bricks for a builder extending an old property one summer. I did get a go on a little dumper but was nervous of hand starting it!.

 

[Jimoz]

Has anyone on here done a level 6 in construction site management. More specifically the part time distancing learning one.
Im looking at heading towards a site agent kind of roll but unsure what to do about it and which is the best course to look at. The problem is it needs to fit in around existing work.

No but I see the ssts/smts courses are mostly remote zoom now. 100% pass rate apparently. What is level 6?

 

[Smiffy]

No but I see the ssts/smts courses are mostly remote zoom now. 100% pass rate apparently. What is level 6?

I'm doing sssts next week and hopefully smsts in the new year through work.
Level 6 is equivalent to A bachelor's degree and qualify's you for a black cscs card
It also seems you can go straight into it without previous qualifications