Apprenticeships

malky39

I am currently in the process of trying to find an Electrical apprenticeship of which it is not proving very successful, i know its not the best time to be looking, i am 25 have been at university got my degree and have worked in retail for 7 years and have come up with a few point that i feel are not good for people in my situation. These are
1. Its easier to get funding for training or get onto schemes for new careers when you are unemployed. So am i suppose to quit my current job so i do what i would relly want to do.
2. I know companies get more money for younger people they take on which means many companies dismiss you straight away when your over 19. Surely this is age discrimination.
3. It seem to be the older you get the easier it is to get into university and the harder it is to get an apprenticeship.
4, A more localised issue why do counicils set up and get praise from MPs for schemes that say they will guarantee apprentice jobs for all school leavers applying to the scheme but will not allow anyone else to apply to them e,g people who are actually looking for the work cannot get in but younger people some who just dont care can just get in wheather they want to do it or not.
5. Why when at school if you do remotely well in class are you always directed towards going to university and never told about other options such as apprenticeships.
Yes i am getting a rant out but i feel that the system if very unfair towards old people and those who have jobs but want to change careers.
Before anyone says i have been proactive in my job search and have sent out many i.e over 100 cvs to companies looking for work

Zazen999

6 - in the current climate, construction companies aren't recruiting
7 - to do an apprenticeship, you need to be employed
8 - money is tight, so people who help to fund training are stretched to the limit
9 - nobody wants to be the party/council who leave school leavers on the scrapheap, so they are encouraged to sign up for training even though they have no interest, they just want the EMA allowance [it gets them off the stats] but there are no entry standards so as long as you are of a certain age you are almost guaranteed a placement

Oldernotwiser

malky39 wrote: »

1. Its easier to get funding for training or get onto schemes for new careers when you are unemployed. So am i suppose to quit my current job so i do what i would relly want to do.

At your age you would have to be unemployed for a long time before you could get any help.

I suggest that you enrolfor a level 2 evening course at your local college to show employers that you are both committed and already have some basic skills in this area.

C_Mababejive

I agree with the OP and think that all your points are valid and well observed.

I can only think of two possibilities...

Get a portfolio together to present and sell yourself in the very best light and send it to all the major electrical contracting companies. Even if they dont respond or offer anything,they may well keep you on file for the future

In the mean time...see if you can get on a real,recognised electrical training course i.e NVQ based or similar. I dont mean the scamster pay thousands and learn to be an electrician rubbish.

Best of luck

hellokitty08

Unfortunatly for you your timing is really bad. At the moment there is very little to no money to fund training for apprentices aged 25+, meaning if an employer took you on, they would have to pay for your apprenticeship training. Its difficult enough to get an employer to take you on when the funding is in place.

I whole heartedly agree about the advice given in school, however I have been informed that all school now have to promote apprenticeships. (wont hold my breath) More bums they have on seats the more money they get.

In this climate (economic) its going to be really, really difficult to get any funding at all for your training as your educated to a higher level already. I doubt this would improve even if you were unemployed. There have been massive cuts in fudning adult education. Just hope that some thing changes after the election.

malky39

Thanks for the replys and all the valid points, i am considering going to a local collage to do and electrical installation course, i do already have 6 months experience of the trade but am sure it can hurt to get more. I would never join on of the pay thousands and become an electrician as i know that qualifications are all well and good but without the on job experience you will never be classed as time served and there for not have much luck getting jobs.

C_Mababejive

malky39 wrote: »

Thanks for the replys and all the valid points, i am considering going to a local collage to do and electrical installation course, i do already have 6 months experience of the trade but am sure it can hurt to get more. I would never join on of the pay thousands and become an electrician as i know that qualifications are all well and good but without the on job experience you will never be classed as time served and there for not have much luck getting jobs.

But...if you get right bits of paper and registrations,you can always become self employed..small scale to start with.

malky39

C_Mababejive wrote: »

But...if you get right bits of paper and registrations,you can always become self employed..small scale to start with.

I guess that is true but i would prefer to go the traditional route, so this would be the last resort. On the side of funding i would be prepared to fund any courses myself if an employer would provide me with the paid work experience so the employer would only be out for pocket for wages

hellokitty08

In our team meeting yesterday we were talking about the cost of the course being valued by our local lsc as around £16k! Obvioulsy individual colleges will charge varying rates. We were also told at the present we have no funding or subsidesed rates available to people aged 25+, however there might be some coming in soon.

Oldernotwiser

hellokitty08 wrote: »

I whole heartedly agree about the advice given in school, however I have been informed that all school now have to promote apprenticeships. (wont hold my breath) More bums they have on seats the more money they get.

No much point promoting apprenticeships when they don't exist! As an example, when I last worked in careers,there were only 3 plumbing apprenticeships in the whole county and this was before the recession..

In addition,employers were normally taking people who'd done at leasta year of college first as this weeded out the no hopers and ensured that candidates had some basic skills to build on.

hellokitty08

Oldernotwiser wrote: »

No much point promoting apprenticeships when they don't exist! As an example, when I last worked in careers,there were only 3 plumbing apprenticeships in the whole county and this was before the recession..

In addition,employers were normally taking people who'd done at leasta year of college first as this weeded out the no hopers and ensured that candidates had some basic skills to build on.

Actually, I regularly get data that show advertised apprenticeship opprotunities that have had no applicants, so sometimes we have the opposite problem!