Can’t find a trainee

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crankedup

Original Poster:

25,764 posts

242 months

Friday 23rd February 2018
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Our lad took his TVR back to Blackpool a few weeks back for some gearbox and technical set-up work. The tech man is ex TVR factory and what he doesn’t know about the cars is not worth knowing. Great fella full of expert knowledge all thing TVR. Chatting with him it transpires that in six years he is retiring, prompted our reply are you training anybody to carry the business on ? he is one man and his garage. I wish he replies, tried and tried but youngsters just are not interested in getting thier hands dirty. Had a number starting and leave soon after suggesting it’s too dirty and greasy!
Surprising to my mind that a fantastic business will cease owing to this one reason?
It’s news but not drawn from the usual media. You may wish to discuss in general terms.

poo at Paul's

14,116 posts

174 months

Friday 23rd February 2018
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He needs to look harder, it is one of the more common "apprenticeship" schemes with lots of support from tech colleges and schools. But you have to do it properly, ie let them carry on studying, do their assessments etc.
If he is quite Old skool, he may not be doing it that way, just hoping he can pick up someone who will invest their time in his business with some potential to have a job when he retires, at least until all the TVRs fall apart finally!!

He needs to see it from the young person's view, they need proper training and qualifications so that if his work dries up as he retires, they can go onto something else.

Brigand

2,544 posts

168 months

Friday 23rd February 2018
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I agree with Paul, he needs to look into apprenticeships, there's certainly no shortage of them these days. I work for a national apprenticeship company and there's a huge amount of young lads and lasses coming in to us, as well as an increasing amount of older people too now the apprenticeship rules have changed. I've no idea about mechanical engineering apprenticeships, but if the schemes are anything like the IT one's I deal with then OP's mechanic could even profit by taking on an apprentice - you pay up front to get one but then get your money back incrementally along with more money on top once they successfully complete.

Oakey

27,523 posts

215 months

Friday 23rd February 2018
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Which place in Blackpool is this btw?

mx5nut

5,404 posts

81 months

Friday 23rd February 2018
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crankedup said:
Had a number starting and leave soon after
However well he came across to you, the common denominator in all these cases where staff didn't want to stay was him as a boss.

deckster

9,630 posts

254 months

Friday 23rd February 2018
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mx5nut said:
crankedup said:
Had a number starting and leave soon after
However well he came across to you, the common denominator in all these cases where staff didn't want to stay was him as a boss.
Plus of course the fact that his well-established business is one man and a garage, which would in fact imply that business is in fact not all that great. Back street garages are ten-a-penny and it's not obvious to me why somebody young and ambitious would want to tie themselves to something that even the OP admits is 'old skool', which is typically short-hand for badly run and dying on its arse.


kurt535

3,559 posts

116 months

Friday 23rd February 2018
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a one man band subscribing to an apprenticeship system? no hope whatsoever. It is really not his worthwhile if he only has 6 years to run as well.

Byker28i

58,826 posts

216 months

Friday 23rd February 2018
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Plenty of people looking to Apprentice schemes as an alternative to running up huge debts through University.
We've put a few through it IT over the last 3 years

esxste

3,665 posts

105 months

Friday 23rd February 2018
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Maybe the bit being cut off there is "it's too dirty and greasy... for the money".

If they can go earn more working for Costa Coffee and not come home covered in grease and oil every day, why wouldn't they?


Yipper

5,964 posts

89 months

Friday 23rd February 2018
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It is always hard for good indy garages of high-end cars to find and hold new staff. By their nature, the owners are usually gifted mechanics and problem-solvers, and finding someone "as good as them" who wants to be your slave is difficult. New hires with good skills tend to have egos and they don't wanna be bossed around and they end up clashing their personalities or running off to start their own competing business. It is a common problem.

alsaautomotive

684 posts

199 months

Friday 23rd February 2018
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kurt535 said:
a one man band subscribing to an apprenticeship system? no hope whatsoever. It is really not his worthwhile if he only has 6 years to run as well.
This! We've had exactly the same problem. Tried to find a trainee through the usual channels and none, repeat none of the college ones we've trialled wanted to actually work. One even missing Wednesday on his first week & when I rang him he said 'I needed a rest day'. Verbatim........really!

thainy77

3,347 posts

197 months

Friday 23rd February 2018
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Yipper said:
It is always hard for good indy garages of high-end cars to find and hold new staff. By their nature, the owners are usually gifted mechanics and problem-solvers, and finding someone "as good as them" who wants to be your slave is difficult. New hires with good skills tend to have egos and they don't wanna be bossed around and they end up clashing their personalities or running off to start their own competing business. It is a common problem.
tumbleweed

Yes totally correct, gifted mechanics/business owners expect a trainee to come in and be just as competent of a mechanic as they are after they have spent decades learning the trade. They all, without exception, treat these trainees like slaves, it’s their core business model, treat the staff like st so they don’t go elsewhere.

Oh, and high end you say, yes i can imagine every apprentice dreaming of working for the likes of Kia or Hyundai, Ferrari you say, no sir, not for me, i20’s are where it’s at.

I’m surprised they don’t do everything they can to keep hold of these trainee mechanics that can come straight off an apprenticeship so that they don’t start up their own thriving business, you know, just to avoid the competition.

I’m sure garage owners across the land fret over this very dilemma every night.


Edited by thainy77 on Friday 23 February 18:09

kurt535

3,559 posts

116 months

Sunday 25th February 2018
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alsaautomotive said:
kurt535 said:
a one man band subscribing to an apprenticeship system? no hope whatsoever. It is really not his worthwhile if he only has 6 years to run as well.
This! We've had exactly the same problem. Tried to find a trainee through the usual channels and none, repeat none of the college ones we've trialled wanted to actually work. One even missing Wednesday on his first week & when I rang him he said 'I needed a rest day'. Verbatim........really!
have to concur; apprenticeship system is terribly flawed; the amount of decent opportunities out there are severely limited; they have been a good scam by the govt to raise the 'age of participation' and hide 'NEET' numbers.

additionally, the colleges will be as supportive as a chocolate fireguard when there is an issue and the paperwork for a one person band will be ridiculous over the course of the college engagement part plus, the person offering the apprenticeship has to be judged as fit and able to teach learning up to and including level 3 AND they will also have to evidence their workshop meets all current HSE criteria especially where young people work.

due to the above, its why in reality only large companies can take on apprentices, or it favours where a family hires their own child/nephew/niece.

for my money, the best apprenticeships out there in the truest sense are ran by the Armed services - caveat they don't work for every child!




DurianIceCream

999 posts

93 months

Sunday 25th February 2018
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thainy77 said:
Oh, and high end you say, yes i can imagine every apprentice dreaming of working for the likes of Kia or Hyundai, Ferrari you say, no sir, not for me, i20’s are where it’s at.
I don't see a problem with working for a mass market car company. A trade is a valuable qualification, whichever route you take to get it.

I think I'd rank a mass market dealership over one-man garage to learn the trade, unless it was an exceptional one man garage. You also have the risk that your apprenticeship is reliant on a single person.

crankedup

Original Poster:

25,764 posts

242 months

Sunday 25th February 2018
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I’m not going to get overly involved but just felt it was a good subject for a natter. The posts are split between his doing it wrong to it being a common problem.
The garage is definitely old skool, mechanical strip downs and repair, not reach on the shelf for a box to bolt on. He repaired my lads cerbera gearbox which had stripped a number of internal components. Fuel injectors cleaned and balanced out so that each injector worked with precision. Whilst the car was in the guy set the car up properly which resulted in a chalk and cheese driving experience. All this technical knowledge waiting to be passed on, seems such a waste if it doesn’t happen.

Dindoit

1,645 posts

93 months

Sunday 25th February 2018
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Whilst the anecdote reads like an opportunity to have a dig at the youth of today, it's worth noting that it’s virtually pointless learning the ins and outs of fixing an analogue TVR in an automotive world which is increasingly digital and disposable.

Too Drunk to Funk

804 posts

76 months

Sunday 25th February 2018
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Surely he can sell the business rather than find someone to take over. The 2 apprentices I've known often got the crappy end of the stick work wise and left after finding their employers wouldn't up their wages after they qualified.

crankedup

Original Poster:

25,764 posts

242 months

Sunday 25th February 2018
quotequote all
Dindoit said:
Whilst the anecdote reads like an opportunity to have a dig at the youth of today, it's worth noting that it’s virtually pointless learning the ins and outs of fixing an analogue TVR in an automotive world which is increasingly digital and disposable.
Couldn’t disagree more and surprised to read this on a motor enthusiasts forum tbh.
The classic car market in the U.K. is as strong as ever and growing, yet small enough to not worry the Government into derailing the movement. Whilst it’s true that enthusiasts like to fix thier own classics it’s not always the case and the classic car movement supports its own industry to the tune of multi millions each year.
Certainly it’s not a dig at the youth of today, more a lament.

Edited by crankedup on Sunday 25th February 14:50

bitchstewie

50,777 posts

209 months

Sunday 25th February 2018
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Do you know what "package" he's offering?

crankedup

Original Poster:

25,764 posts

242 months

Sunday 25th February 2018
quotequote all
Too Drunk to Funk said:
Surely he can sell the business rather than find someone to take over. The 2 apprentices I've known often got the crappy end of the stick work wise and left after finding their employers wouldn't up their wages after they qualified.
Yes agreed, like I say I have no involvement other than already outlined. Apparently the garage is well respected in the TVR classic circles and often recommended to owners for a visit to fix.
His garage next door to a coach builder / repair spraying business and again next door a car trimmer business, all TVR.