Apprentiship and travel to college costs?

Topcat1982

I doubt they would pay for a taxi for an apprentice.

I think it just depends whether you think the apprenticeship is worth it (some of them really aren't) and whether he has any other job offers.

TBagpuss

3 hours is a faff bu once a week not totally unreasonable - provided of course that it is possible - i.e. that there are buses which will get him there on time.

I agree with the suggestion to check whether there are any other colleges closer to home which offer the same course, and he can then ask the employer about switching.

How long would it take by car? How much of the 3 hours hours is waiting for changes? Could he cycle part of the way to reduce the number of changes or the amount of waiting time?
Is the college in a town people may be commuting to? If so, he might be able to try to find a carshare scheme which would enable him to get a lift for less than the cost of a taxi. He could also speak to the college to see whether they can offer any help, for instance with scheduling classes.

Looking a a moped or electric bicycle might also be an option.

Reggie_Rebel

Six hours total travel time is unreasonable, especially at £2.73 an hour. Unless he's looking for a niche career then get something closer to home.

Transformers

Let's get this in perspective - he will be inconvenienced for one day a week. That time can be used to do course work, read, sleep etc so is not wasted.

Let's face it, what would he really be doing instead?

Some of us remember the days where you just got on with it and didn't expect anyone else to have to put themselves out.

During my training, I took two buses and then walked just over two miles each way in order to get to one of my placements - leaving home at 06:20 and not getting home until 19:30 - I was 18 years old.

My advice - stop mollycoddling your son... he is moving into the adult world of work and needs to adopt a 'can-do' attitude not an automatic 'it's not fair' sense of entitlement.

Again - it's only one day a week.

Transformers

Reggie_Rebel wrote: »

Six hours total travel time is unreasonable, especially at £2.73 an hour. Unless he's looking for a niche career then get something closer to home.

That's a really short term view though.

This training is a gateway to a career - surely that's worth a bit of effort.

Savvy_Sue

TBagpuss wrote: »

How long would it take by car? How much of the 3 hours hours is waiting for changes? Could he cycle part of the way to reduce the number of changes or the amount of waiting time?
Is the college in a town people may be commuting to? If so, he might be able to try to find a carshare scheme which would enable him to get a lift for less than the cost of a taxi.

Good suggestions here, and wrt cycling a bit, it doesn't have to be one end or the other: if you have a cheap-ish bike and a good lock you can leave it in the middle for a week at a time without worrying too much.

Another question, would other students / staff be traveling from near your home to this college? A postcard on various noticeboards around the college could help with that.

tillycat123

Just to say thanks again for the replies, company has agreed to go halves on taxi.

t0rt0ise

Now you need to call several taxi firms and come up with a deal. You can do better than what you were quoted before when you say it's once a week for a year.

Savvy_Sue

t0rt0ise wrote: »

Now you need to call several taxi firms and come up with a deal. You can do better than what you were quoted before when you say it's once a week for a year.

Likely to be term time only, so worth checking term dates on the college website, they may also close for half-term. You definitely don't want the taxi turning up in holidays!

BTW, you say there is no train route, but if there is a partial train route it may be worth looking into part taxi, part train.

I know my (admittedly much shorter) journey to work is often faster by train than driving.