Kids getting into the industry (advice)

[Alexmac]

Evening all.

I have a neighbours grand son coming over to see me tomorrow because he desperately wants to become an excavator operator, he only has his mother and neither know what direction to take. He’s just leaving school and is about to start a bricklaying course at collage.
So he’s looking for a push in the right direction, the thing is I grew up operating with my old man and then took over the business so I’m not exactly sure how he would go about it.

Would companies be willing to take him on as an apprentice and train him up to get his tickets etc? How does it work now a days?
Are there courses he can take that are better suited? I took a 3 year course in bricklaying and felt like it was a bit of a waste for me, I would have rather done a civil’s course.

Cheers
Alex.

 

[Monkeybusiness]

Might be worth him enquiring about apprenticeships and then approaching local plant hire firms once he has the info. If he proactively seeks out a role it could work in his favour.
Alternative is to throw a load of money at the best course he can find, get a ticket to operate whatever plant he has been taught after a week/10 days etc and then play the agency game. He’ll need thick skin and I don’t agree with this route by the way, but bringing young staff on has been desperately neglected in the industry.
What part of the country by the way?

 

[Brendan]

Depends on his age if he is 16 don't think many places will take on till 18 and then there is the while transport thing as well

Might be better off getting a trade first, at least it would be something to fall back on.

 

[JD450A]

He needs to do a NVQ 2 In Plant Operations, and Preferably a NVQ 3 in Plant engineering really if it's truly what he wants. He'd be better off finding a technical college as I did that does both as a full time course. Admittedly not as nice as earning coin but if he finds the right place then he could have Blue card CPCS and some hours of driving by the time he's 18.

 

[fred]

If your inclined to help out, maybe start with sat job. There is also school hols shortly as well.

Kids have to stay until 18 unless they get an apprenticeship.

In terms of a trades and wages

Plumber > sparkey > chippy > bricky > groundworker

A lot of ‘builders’ are also Chippy’s I find, not a coincidence.

 

[Smiffy]

If he attends a college that offers plant courses the tickets should be heavily subsidised
There is a college somewhere in the southeast dedicated to construction machinery
It has residential facilities so students can live in but can't remember what it's called

 

[JD450A]

If he attends a college that offers plant courses the tickets should be heavily subsidised
There is a college somewhere in the southeast dedicated to construction machinery
It has residential facilities so students can live in but can't remember what it's called

Duchy college callington offers the same.
.. But you need to beat the tickets out of them!

 

[Gunners]

Surely the CITB would be a good place to ask for advice? Its their role to get people into the industry and despite what we think of them in terms of generating red tape and taking vast sums of money to seemingly do not a lot - they must know the colleges that offer what Rory is talking about. Its a shame his school cant help but as we all know, they are only interested if you want to go to uni these days. Anyone bucking the trend needs to do it on their own.
Good luck to him, we need more young people in this game and if they can be taught right from the get go, he'll be earning twice or three times what his mates do that go the uni route in 5 years.

 

[Jimoz]

Had a call from a council funded employment set up today.
3500 grant ONTOP of normal apprenticeship grant if you recruit someone who meets their criteria.
Some not so good criteria - mental/physical disability, ex con
Some fine - 16-18 NEET, 6 months unemployed
Must reside in county where I am.
considering recruiting an apprentice myself

 

[Andy Gaffer]

I asked my local collage who do a construction course to see if any students may be looking for work at the end of there course, not sure to what level they train them to but I'd assume it gives the a taster of what the may expect, sent my requirements to one of the tutors, never heard from them again.
If the people training the students don't give s**t how are the staff of the future going to turn out?
I had a guy quit a few weeks ago with out any notice after 2 1/2 years, came to site to give the keys to the machine before I got there to the site manager, would not answer the phone or respond to a text, appears that he told everyone else except me, always kept him in work, insurance,dumper and roller tickets paid for, weekly paid and that's the thanks you get.
The contractor I'm working for supplied a chap from the agency,'' experienced groundworkers labourer '' had to ask how to mix compo then asked how to wash the mixer out, kin useless.
I'm seriously thinking of pulling the pin and working for somebody else as the motivation of looking for somebody else which is any good is dwindling.
Alex I hope your neighbours grandson grabs the opportunity with both hands as the current and future ''workers'' have zero concept of what's expected of them, time keeping, standard of work, responsibility, thinking ahead, respect for the kit, and then expect to be paid mega money.

 

[Rob 210]

Where are you based Alex,because i saw last week Breheny's were advertising for apprentice plant operators

 

[fred]

I asked my local collage who do a construction course to see if any students may be looking for work at the end of there course, not sure to what level they train them to but I'd assume it gives the a taster of what the may expect, sent my requirements to one of the tutors, never heard from them again.
If the people training the students don't give s**t how are the staff of the future going to turn out?
I had a guy quit a few weeks ago with out any notice after 2 1/2 years, came to site to give the keys to the machine before I got there to the site manager, would not answer the phone or respond to a text, appears that he told everyone else except me, always kept him in work, insurance,dumper and roller tickets paid for, weekly paid and that's the thanks you get.
The contractor I'm working for supplied a chap from the agency,'' experienced groundworkers labourer '' had to ask how to mix compo then asked how to wash the mixer out, kin useless.
I'm seriously thinking of pulling the pin and working for somebody else as the motivation of looking for somebody else which is any good is dwindling.
Alex I hope your neighbours grandson grabs the opportunity with both hands as the current and future ''workers'' have zero concept of what's expected of them, time keeping, standard of work, responsibility, thinking ahead, respect for the kit, and then expect to be paid mega money.

your bang on here.

agency = wasters no one else would employ 99% of the time.

 

[Old Operator]

Years ago our local college used to do an 'introduction to construction course' This involved some woodwork including formwork & casting in concrete, some basic bricklaying & slabbing. I would say it was a good basis to get a start & hit the ground running. I would say at say 18 & preferably after passing the car test, a short mini excavator operating course would be a good way in to operating. The machine is not too big - & not a huge expense to the hirer/end user if it is not being operated to its full potential at first! It has a blade to get the feel of dozing & levelling, as well as the excavator arm. The 3C was often the first machine - but not so common & in many ways the mini digger better.
I started as a 'yardboy' at 16 - spent much time cleaning / servicing / oil changes / re tracking, BUT when I went out on a machine knew little of what went on at the site end - marking out, use of a level etc. I sort of took the mechanical route in - though I was aiming at operating. I was said to be a 'garage hand' & not being sent to tech as a fitter. I believe the late Trax used to start lads on an NPORS course as much cheaper than CITB - then aim them at work with smaller firms / his own jobs first

 

[JD450A]

I believe the late Trax used to start lads on an NPORS course as much cheaper than CITB - then aim them at work with smaller firms / his own jobs first

Tim's Lads would start out with a written letter to the hirer stating they where being trained on XYZ, had been initially supervised by him and that he was happy to deem them Competent to drive XYZ. After a couple months he'd get them NPORS.

 

[Old Operator]

Thinking on all this - perhaps if poss a summer job with a small 'Joe Bloggs' builder that runs or hires in a mini digger - with the understanding that some basic instruction or 'chance' in part return for some labour. This will allow the lad to see if being on site & indeed driving a machine is all its cracked up to be. Also will see laser level / setting out. I doubt operating would attract me now! - look what has gone over my time - Navvy Dragline/Faceshovel, Scrapers towed & motor, Track Shovel, & the 180 deg '3c' is on the wane - only run by owner drivers because of transport issues. There are few small dozers to learn on - most are D6 sized & 'rakes' for what ADT's tip out. There seems now little more than 360's from 0.5 to 50 tonne. (same skills) Dumpers, ADT's, Biggish hystat dozers.
I gather that all 'Tech' college is free up to age 24 - I would urge him to get some of this while free to him. Either the Mech side & arc welding (a place near me - Reasheath College south Cheshire -did a good basic course on horticultural / small ag plant repairs) or The introduction to civils side that I said above. I was lucky enough to learn to arc weld for free in depth of 1990 slump, taught myself much from books / net on hyds, small engines etc. Recently rebuilt a 'basket case' rotavator that was going for scrap. The mech side is much more to me than operating now. I say to this youngster that there are quicker & better ways to get above skills than I took

 

[diggerjones]

Yes reasheath is a good college, i went there in the 80s. Doing agricultural course.
Where are you from old operater?

 

[Old Operator]

I am from Telford, saw it all from the start, in my youth there was only Wellington or Oakengates if you wanted more than the local shop.
Did not learn at Reasheath - heard good things of it though. (learned my welding at Wolves skill centre - just as it finished)

 

[Quattromike]

I was fortunate enough to be out in the fields being put on the seat of the tractor to steer it down the park while those big enough wer either loading in the neeps or stones or what ever the job was on that day long before I could reach the pedals to stop the thing. Being careful when going over a rut in the park not to break your arm as the lack of power steering meant the steering wheel went out with a whip. Even using the ole 50b to dig out nice big burial pits for the fallen stock every now and then. Spending evenings in the shed stripping down and rebuilding whatever bit of kit had succumbed to the pressure of doing something it probably wasn’t built for as the right bit of kit cost too much. My parents weren’t farmers but there was farmers in the family we were farmed out to. By the time it came to leaving the school I’d already driven everything in the shed and been in the guts of most of it so had a good idea of what was going on and what I enjoyed doing. School leavers of today are brain washed into thinking university is the only path and haven’t a clue what else goes on in the world. Not everyone is university material but can be good with their hands or practical skills and the teachers don’t know how to encourage them to progress. In fact practical people normally get fed up with the class work and just want to get on with some real work and are unteachable.
IMHO any young person looking to get into excavator operating should be looking for experience with the manual option first, perhaps a small scale building contractor doing a bit of setting out and whatever other experiences can be gleaned to understand what it is they will be doing when they sit on the seat of the bit of plant they will be driving.

 

[Old Operator]

Agree totally Quottromike - They axed the £ 30 per week college allowance - Law only requires 16 & 17 yr old to do 30 days per yr of training (eg day release or block course) BUT child tax allowance stops with work / day release - However it continues if youngster carries on full time till 18. This means that many kids are forced into colleges full time by parents to keep this income going. & perhaps is a 'gateway benefit' to other goodies?. Was better when post 16 was truly optional - no disaffected youths there. I just thought if he got to try the digger a bit it might cod him on to work well for the builder & behave

 

[Lancs Lad]

When children begin to consider their future jobs early, it is a great help to them in keeping pace with the changes in the industry. Knowing the reason Why AI skills matter for Gen Z careers is vital as a lot of the future jobs will be done using technology-driven tools and decisions. Moreover, the kids are trained in problem-solving, digital confidence, and adaptability from the very early stage. Teaching these skills little by little makes the young learners ready for the ever-changing industries without putting any restriction on their creativity or curiosity.

How old are your kids?
And aren't they pissed you are still up at 3:30am?