Apprenticeship Advice

[reubsrover]

I'll cut the chase, I'm studying teaching (secondary( and should be finished all of my requirements for my degree by mid next year. I'm not sure I actually want to teach and am considering other options including apprenticeships in mechanics, cabinet making or any other hands on field.

I guess I'm after thoughts. I just can't bear the thought of being stuck in a classroom not doing anything with my hands. Ideally it would be a skill I could take into the classroom later and teach.

So I haven't done much research, how long would it take, pros and cons, (likely completed in Victoria) any other advice.

Thanks

[newhue]

I've been colouring in houses for 20 years and I'm still not sure if a like it.

It has good and bad.
Like plenty of sunshine and fresh air, but the weather can also impact on you income a lot. Rain or perhaps sun related issues can slow you down.
I get to move around a bit and see other parts of town, but travelling for 1 hour each way can be laborious at times.
The best part of a trade is it's flexibility. I schedule clients in around holidays, and kids requirements; they are none the wiser of my availability. Your not attached to your clients so to speak like many other professions.
The worst part is WH&S. It's impossible to comply with a mobile work site with perhaps less than 15 people. They know it, you know it, just if someone gets seriously hurt you are loosing your house. Accept that as part of life, or keep it to a very small and close by, or no staff at all show.

I feel, or at least with some trades, there public perception is lousy. Painters, plasters, tilers, floor sanders all have low respect with the public. They certainly could lift their game, but with there trade being bastardised by TV shows and hardware shops it doesn't help. I have had plenty of doctors, skin specialists and the like with poor people skills and lousy service, but they are still held in reasonably high regard.

You will need to work for yourself and aim at the high end of town if you want to make any money. On wages is typical of wages, and aiming at middle class is too competitive and has plenty of rouges cutting corners to make ends meet.

Look at plumbing or electrical. They are licence and TV shows and Bunnings can't knee cap you much. Plus people are a bit scared with electricity, or poo in the water. Or choose another obscure trade like fridge mechanic, something people are generally unfamiliar with.
Trades like mechanics, painting, tiling, and so on suffer from people doing it themselves who get a result good or bad, but don't want to pay for yours. Or they go into business as you competition.

Trades in general are 4, but are coming down to 3 or even 2.5 I think. Another devaluing of your chose shill. But good for the apprentice who can mature more quickly good or bad.

hope this helps in some way with your decision.

[weeds]

if you can get an apprentisehip......they are hard to come by these days

apprenticeships seem to be self paced these days, if you pick it up quick you can get through it a bit quicker

i have been hassling my work to start thinking about new apprentices to replace the two that are nearing completeion.......i pushed for the current two as i believe a company our size should be helping the industry

back in 87 i was offered three apprenticeships......plenty on offer, sadly these days not so many (not that i have been looking)

i really wanted to be a diesel fitter...but was offered three fitter and turner apprenticeships..if i had my time over i would have went one of the licenced trades, electrician, plumber or gas fitter.....the other trade that i would consider is refridgeration mechanic

[mick88]

A trade is a very good stepping stone in life and there are so many people out there that have completed an apprenticeship and it's lead them into something bigger and better, most often their own business.
Back in the early seventies when I left school there were plenty of apprenticeships on offer in all sorts of trades, motor mechanics, scale technitions, automotive machinists, boilermaking, fitting and machining, plumbing, electrical, carpentry etc.
Sadly that doesn't happen now and so there are a lot of kids that are no doubt compelled to go on in the education system to achieve a degree whereas they may have been very suited to a trade apprenticeship.
I chose fitting and machining and found it an interesting trade, often calling for accuracy and precision work, constantly doing mathematical calculations in your head all day long and learnt electric and gas welding skills as well. I only stayed in the trade for seven years then moved on into another field, but it was a great part of my working life and taught me a lot of skills to take through life and there is probally not a day goes by that I am not utilising one of them either working on the Landy or just tinkering in the shed.

Good Luck with your endeavours!

Cheers, Mick.

[UncleHo]

There is also the option of joining the defence forces and doing a trade that way,get full pay that way, after you have served the length you signed up for you can leave or stay in and make it a full time career,I have a friend that went in in the 60's to avoid the Nasho call-up,served 40years travelled a lot even married to a serving member and retired as a Major with a nice golden handshake.

Just a thought on a possible option.


cheers

[Hoges]

FWIW: If you are mechanically minded, then an aircraft maintenance engineer fixing helicopters is a good job. Small general aviation firms can be somewhat "iffy" ...try for rotary wing apprenticeship with the large commercial firms. The average age of experienced techs is such that many will retire in the next 10 yrs.. now's the time... life experience prior to an apprenticeship is often well regarded...

[Epic_Dragon]

trades are a good thing to have :) any trade! im a spray painter though am injured and cannot do it now. still get called on for assistance! even with folks who 'think they are s painter' you will find they tend to then take it to the pros to fix their stuff ups LOL!

people are always going to need a tradie of some sort, cars are always going to crash/need maintenance, toilets/sinks are always going to block, electrical stuff is always going to be needed. so in a nutshell, any trade is a great idea. they are hard work. and stupidly low incomes some of them. which i think needs to be amended. but rewarding and you will always have that trade to fall back on :)
aircraft engineering is great to get into! i got offered that when was still at school after work experience, and kicking myself now that i turned it down!

[weeds]

There is also the option of joining the defence forces and doing a trade that way,get full pay that way, after you have served the length you signed up for you can leave or stay in and make it a full time career,I have a friend that went in in the 60's to avoid the Nasho call-up,served 40years travelled a lot even married to a serving member and retired as a Major with a nice golden handshake.

Just a thought on a possible option.


cheers

trainee wage.........i certainly didn't get paid too well as an apprentice

no days the ARMY does traineeships and the starting age is not restricted to <18 therefore pay is probably better than the average apprentice

good option.........as much as the military and i didn't see eye to eye most of the time i had a ball. i reckon th elevel of training has dropped now that its gone away from the apprentice scheme

[reubsrover]

Thanks for all the tips and advice, keep the suggestions coming. I've got nearly a year to consider options before teaching is complete, as I mentioned, ideally if I take up a trade I'd be able to later teach it in a classroom setting as this would give me greater flexibility as a teacher.

What other trades are similar to my interest areas, mechanics, wood work...?

I've always wanted to work in outback Oz, have traveled up there a few times completed two teaching placements in the outback (middle of WA and Katherine, NT) and I just love the vastness.

So with that in mind nursing would probably be not a bad skill to have but what else is desperately needed in small communities in the middle of nowhere?

[Petetheprinta]

I did my apprenticeship as a humble lithographic printer in the late 60's. I have tried many things since but always had a trade to fall back on. There have been good and bad times within the trade, whole swathes of sub trades within the printing industry disappeared with the advent of computers. Happily I taught myself to keep up with the changes and was never without work.

I started my own business in the late 80's employed 15 people and made a very good living. I sold up at age 60 and retired. I look back and often think that (workwise) my apprenticeship was the best thing I could do. I heartily recommend an apprenticeship to anyone so inclined.
Cheers.

[WingsOfToa]

I started off as an apprentice jeweller for the 1st year, hated it, got an apprenticeship as a carpenter, did that for 12yrs then started my own building company. Made lots of money, put on a manager, and decided to be a scuba dive instructor. Got sick of teaching, went back to building, got sick of building, studied my MD, am now a psychotherapist with alternative healing, rather than drugging people, have my own business and work only a few days a week to whatever schedule I want.
A trade is good, if thats what you want. But negatives are still as a mechanic, you will be stuck indoors with fumes, unless your a mobiler. Chippy you could be indoors or out, good money (I paid my guys 120 an hour), negatives are the same old repetitive jobs if you build houses. Different if you take on lots of jobs, decks,bathrooms etc, help break up the monotony. Weather is an issue. A cabinet maker is still stuck inside doing the same old stuff and not sure if MDF still contains formaldahyde? But you are in contact with poisons. (Later on in life you'll think about it). I had an asbestos scare 10years back from using old fibro, negative luckily..
Whatever we do, there is a big chance it will fall into the BORING category at one stage in your life. Hell, I taught scuba, in the warm waters of Whitsunday for so long surrounded by pretty backpackers, sharks,dolphins,whales, and turtles and it still wore thin.

Guess what im trying to say is, any higher ed you have will be great in the long run, but the grass will always be greener on the otherside...

[mike_beecham]

Mate,
What are your teaching methods? I am a teacher and l 'work with my hands' every day. I started in the classroom and got a bit bored.

I am now the Head of VCAL (the pathway for students wanting to be tradesman and not go to Uni). We have a workshop. Are always doing 'projects' and getting out and working in the community. We do a lot of work for Parks Victoria. Land Care. Local Shire.

I also teach agriculture and other practically based subjects in the same vein. Teaching is all about what your make of it - get some experience, quals and get into it. To be honest - l have found there is more funding in the private sector for programs like mine. I have many mates "slogging it out" in the state system trying to get $400 for some safety gear for kids.

In terms of teaching in remote areas (NT/WA) - partic in Indigenous Communities/Missions - these schools need teachers qualified to teach English as Second Language (TESOL - Cert 4 qual @ Holmesglen) and Mathematics. Being able to teach one of these plus another methods is of great benefit to.


On a side note, we desparately need more quality men in schools teaching and working with young people. (Nothing against the ladies....i'm just saying!!!)

More than happy to chat further if you like.


Michael