Is construction a good apprenticeship choice?

[j4ckos mate]

we've got one daughter over the line and is very academic and driven, .
shes well on the way to a promising medical career and is driven and determined to succeed.

my son...
He's quite affable never in trouble and, is bright in his own right, but hes exams results were just not where he needed to be.
there no question of him messing around, hes just not has his interest awoken during school and college


He went back to college for a year, got a btec in Business but his math's is still miles off,
we've been discussing a trade for him,
The thinking is that hes got the ability to top up his wages, with weekend work in a few years, transferable skills etc etc
and itll be a way on to the housing ladder if he eventually picks it up and is quite handy,
(this also includes a day release one day a week at a college)

The one thing that worries me is the apprenticeship wage isn't a lot £130 a week, and he could earn more if he went full time with his butty shop work at weekend, although obviusly this isnt a long term career for him

so id be interested to know your thoughts on a fledging career in the building industry
what kind of salary will he be on? job security? etc etc?

[anonymous-user]

I was at a crossroads in my youth

Do IT or get a trade. I wanted to get a trade, my parents wanted IT and pushed me thusly

I do ok in IT but I'll not likely ever be my own boss and my mates who have trades generally and easily earn the same if not more than me

[lufbramatt]

Plumbers seem to make decent money! Have considered doing that if I get made redundant from my current job.

A mates son is a plasterer, has set up on his own now and has won some decent contracts on big office refurbs, taken him a few years to get to that point though.

[smifffymoto]

Simple way is get an apprenticeship in plumbing or electrical.Do the exams and after 3 or 4 years buy your own van and away you go self employed.

[Piha]

The you say "construction" I take it you mean big commercial projects or do you mean house building, extensions and the like? What part of the country are you situated?

If you do mean big commercial projects, then I would say no. There are financial rewards available if you are willing to work hard, be financially savvy, be responsible and take a few risks (taking on a package as a fixed sum contract etc.). It isn't easy and at times, your son will probably get problems getting paid. It would take a good few years to build his name up after an apprenticeship so be prepared for the long haul.

Working on the tools will enable your son to earn a decent wage with the right company but he should probably be flexible and willing to travel, as a lot of the work appears centred around London. To proceed past working for a company to being the boss, see the paragraph above, unless he sticks with a good company and becomes a foreman, manager, QS, project manager, contracts manager etc.

I have no idea about house bashing and extensions but I do know people that do well in this sector but again, took risks and responsibility.

[Bullett]

What does he want to do?

What are his strengths?

[Hammy98]

Thought I'd share my own experience since I was in a similar position to your son a few years ago.

I was a school leaver with average grades and like your son I didn't manage to obtain Maths at a higher level. I initially wanted to go into a trade but had my head swayed by IT and talks of the explosion of jobs, companies always hiring etc etc.

Without digressing too much on the IT side of things, I secured an apprenticeship and started off doing a basic HNC funded by the company. This then progressed to an HND later in the year.

In the tail end of last year I was offered the chance to enrol in a new program called a 'Graduate Level Apprenticeship'. This basically is the same as a regular university degree however the coursework is compressed to fit in with my work. I'm there once a week to work through my normal classes and assignments and there is a meeting each month with lecturers from the uni where they talk through my workplace journals - this awards me the credits which are missed by not attending full time.

UCAS have information regarding these on their website as well as supporting companies who take on apprentices. I believe they are called 'Degree Apprenticeships' in England and Wales.

I'd also visit the NotGoingToUni site and see whats on there, lots of information for how to get into a trade as well as apprenticeships etc.

Currently these programs are just kicking off so its mainly limited to engineering and IT. Awareness is becoming more widespread as time goes on and more course opportunities are opening up all the time. If I was your son I'd seriously look at trying to gain an engineering or IT apprenticeship with the view of it progressing to a graduate level - as its allowed me to gain a university degree without having anywhere near the exam results I needed.

[hairyben]

There's a bit more to having a trade and making loadsamoney than people seem to believe but it's a pretty safe bet. Yeah the apprentiship moneys crap which is why if he's gonna do it he should do it right now, as he'll detest it if he tries it in a few years when he's tasted better money and his mates are all loaded and have their own pads etc.

[Amirhussain]

For me doing an apprenticeship was the best choice I ever made, and the most important choice I ever made too. I was struggling with college, had more chance of scoring the winner for England in the World Cup final than going to university.

It was hard at times, and quite boring too and made me question what the heck have I done, money was crap at £2.73 an hour, but for me it’s paid off.

[WyrleyD]

My son-in-law did a building apprenticeship when he left school in the UK and it took about 5 years on and off and he had a go at all the trades, he's just turned 40. Struggled for a long time but is now doing well with his own civil engineering company and has just turned over $NZ3m year-to-date with 6 months still to go. He hated school and largely messed around in the last years so had no formal qualifications, he's obviously a bright bloke who couldn't be ars*d at school. He's worked for a couple of companies in NZ and was always moaning about how they were getting things wrong so decided to bite the bullet and go it alone and is doing very well. So, yes doing an apprenticeship can work out well in the end if you've got something about you.

[Leicester Loyal]

An apprenticeship is the best thing I ever did. I went to uni an regretted it massively. I'd get your son into a trade (or even on the railway), as there is always work available and the pay is also good.

[j4ckos mate]

Thanks for the replies current thinking is a small to medium sized builder,

Get a trade foreigners at weekend
And when he’s old enough a free van with a bit of luck.
He’s applied to the citb and also a local apprenticeship in building with a small construction company ( since turned out to be his mates dads firm)
Incould understand if he got in with a load of muppets. Bit he’s just not been stimulated and switched off,
I’ve seen it when I’m doing homework with
Him.
I think the fact it’s a blokey career he will enjoy laughs but the wages is bloody low 133 a week for one of them

[Chainsaw Rebuild]

What about the forces or even the police? Or an apprenticeship with one of the big airlines learning to fix planes. I have know mates do these things and its turned out well.

[j4ckos mate]

I did try to steer towards aircraft repairs,
but his grades were crap and not nearly enough,
were right by the airport, but if he cant pass a gcse in maths after five years in high school a tutor and another bash at college
im not comfortable living under the flight-path of anything hes fixed!

[Leicester Loyal]

j4ckos mate said:

Thanks for the replies current thinking is a small to medium sized builder,

Get a trade foreigners at weekend
And when he’s old enough a free van with a bit of luck.
He’s applied to the citb and also a local apprenticeship in building with a small construction company ( since turned out to be his mates dads firm)
Incould understand if he got in with a load of muppets. Bit he’s just not been stimulated and switched off,
I’ve seen it when I’m doing homework with
Him.
I think the fact it’s a blokey career he will enjoy laughs but the wages is bloody low 133 a week for one of them

Wages will always start off rubbish when on an apprenticeship. As a teenage he should be able to still live on £133 a week. You could always offer him some extra £££ for doing things around the house etc. Or offer to pay for his driving lessons or something.

The wage should go up after a year anyway and he should be on the minimum wage then, which is obviously still low, but a lot better than the apprenticeship first year minimum wage.

[malks222]

instead of a manual plumbing/ spark/ joiner trade, what about a construction related job that will give training/ education at the same time, eg: construction/ project management or quantity surveying??

A very common route into quantity surveying is studying for a degree on day release whilst working for a construction/ engineering firm? If he has the academic level/ would like a degree, but doesnt necessarily want to go down a manual trade/ apprenticeship, its a very good half way house.

I got a degree in quantity surveying, whilst being in full time employment, meaning zero student debt, 5 years work experience upon graduation. decent starting salary too, i think you'd be looking £10-15k as a first year QS apprentice. going up to £25-30k by graduation.

[Uggers]

That sort of money is fine for a young lad starting out and living at home.
He could have been doing a non subject degree that he hates, getting into debt each month by the same amount.

It's all about playing the long game, but I think apprenticeships were/are one of the best ways into good employment. And it's a massive shame that every successive government has failed to get more young people into them. General public attitude towards people learning a trade doesn't help, as if not getting to university=failure.

[crofty1984]

I went to uni, my brother did a welding apprenticeship.
One of us now has his own business (works bloody hard, do be fair) And does well for himself. The other earns about the same and has his soul constantly gnawed away at a desk.
Guess which is which?

[smithyithy]

Is there a specific area of construction he’s interested in OP?

I work for Kier on the Strategic Highways contract and they’re always promoting the apprentice schemes, worth a look: http://www.kier.co.uk/earlycareers/apprentices/app...

From what I hear it’s a good way route to a career, definitely a viable alternative to the more academic route

[anonymous-user]

One of my lads struggled with maths and like yours wasn’t short of trying. He has re taken maths this year after turning 17 and started a construction apprenticeship 2 weeks ago.

Went and got his cscs card, had to sit a test locally for that but passed and they told him on the same day (Saturday) and started work on the Monday.

He loves it.

It’s all I want for him is to be happy in what he does. I’ve disliked many of my own choices so I’ve left him to his and hoped it fits for him.