[deepinthewoods]

has anyone had any experience of providing an apprenticeship for someone?

[Bionic]

Sorry ditw I can't help but are you thinking of doing it? If so I think its a fantastic idea. There aren't enough apprenticeships around these days

[deepinthewoods]

yes im just about in a position to offer 2.

[Alistair]

I am in the process of looking into it at the moment, I've found that the local chamber of commerce and 6th form colleges have been no end of help, there being funding from both of them, I'm still not entirely sure it's for me and I might keep the staff on temporary contracts, the apprentiship scheme feels like the right thing but the commitment worries me, dunno - knowing me I'll faf about for another 6 months before I make a decision

[the great composto]

i have a modern apprentice who started jan 3rd and another one starting on 18th march - what did you want to know?

[deepinthewoods]

everything.

what sort of level of commitment/time are you having to provide, ie training?
is it worth it to you as a buisness?
whats the quality of the applicants?
how bad is the paperwork?


im sure ill think of more...

[the great composto]

everything.

what sort of level of commitment/time are you having to provide, ie training?
is it worth it to you as a buisness?
whats the quality of the applicants?
how bad is the paperwork?


im sure ill think of more...

I have one apprentice as a customer support assistant and the other as a sales assistant - the biggest thing is my commitment to treat them as apprentices and give them as much training as I can.
I have done mine through a training agency so the agency get the 1500 funding and take over the administration for a year - bargain because paperwork is negligible.

The apprentice is expected to do their course work in their own time and the assessments take place in the workplace during work hours.

I was expecting a big training commitment to start with and that is what I have - it does slow me down during the day a bit because I know I could do it quicker myself but that wasnt the point.

I pay them a little over the apprentice wage (3.50 / hr) but i will increase that as they become more productive in thier roles.

It is worth it to the business just to get 35 hours of labour at a reasonable price which I wouldnt do any other way (any one else still needs a degree of training).

I have found them very willing to work and very willing to listen and very grateful for an opportunity that fits with their own personal vocation.

So...........  it sounds like winners all round  - bit of an overhead in training for me but worth it.  I have done this stuff before outside of the apprentice scheme and all of the trainees that have been through the company have succeeded in their careers extremely well.

I am proud of the fact that I gave them a start.

One thing though - i have to accept that they will be ready to move on to better & higher paid jobs than I could afford to give them after 3-4 years & quite rightly so.

[deepinthewoods]

thanks, food for thought. im waiting on emails from various governemntal bodies atm.

[Berkshire Boy]

Dave I'm a carpenter like you and I think you will find the training side of it quite time consuming. I took on a first year college student a few years ago and in our business you spend a lot of time teaching. I didn't feel he learnt much a college. To be honest he wasn't cut out for it and we parted company after a year and he's now a plasterer. I think people expect carpentry to be easy and don't realise what a large area it is. I wouldn't do it again it wasn't good for me and cost me a few bob for little return

[deepinthewoods]

hmmmm,  yes i did think that. my field is pretty specialised tho, and ive trained a few people before with some success.

[Berkshire Boy]

As yours is more specialised it will be easier to train them and presumably quicker as long as they have an aptitude for it. A lot depends on how good a teacher you are, it wasn't really my thing and would rather do it myself but as you have done it before might be worth a go.
 
I wish more people would go back to proper apprenticeships, my 17 year old son is in his first year at college doing mechanics but it is nearly impossible to get him in a garage anywhere round here. I have resorted to offering his services for nothing just to get his foot in the door.

[deepinthewoods]

this is the point. gotta try open it up for the kids i reckon.

[the great composto]

this is the point. gotta try open it up for the kids i reckon.

bang on  - those I have are never going to get the chance any other way. 

[plumseverywhere]

I feel it is a wonderful opportunity. A chance for young people to learn a skill from a craftsman who feels passionate about his trade rather than to try and glean knowledge from books or en masse in a college.
My Dad started his engineering career in an apprenticeship (whilst studying an evening college course simultaneously)  and it certainly set him on his way, he still at the age of 70, talks of the Swiss man who taught him all he knows 

[deepinthewoods]

well i recieved all the bumpf from the dwp last night and had a good read but to be honest im none the wiser. nothing in any of it to suggest what my level of commitment is, all seems very disjointed and unprofessional.

and the emails grammar and spelling was seriously poor! not a good first impression. and definitely not confidence inspiring. i shall have to dig deeper.