Apprentice expectations

[PetrosA]

I think I'd look at how the apprentice is performing as a money maker in comparison to the other apprentices and at some level in comparison to the other journeymen. Being on time, knowledge, how they relate to customers etc. are all just qualities of the value of an employee as your tool for making money. You probably have a good grasp of your journeymen by now. Observe the interaction of the apprentices with the better journeymen. Are they treating work as a learning experience? Are they helping or hindering? Do they seem to have an inborn desire to produce quality work?

I also think it helps to establish a reputation as an employer. For instance, if you have 10 guys working as apprentices, let them know that you're going to weed out 3 or 4 of them in a few weeks. Then give the others a raise. That sets you up as a demanding employer. Then make it a standard practice that after X number of months after a new group is hired, 30% or 40% know they're going to get let go. They need to understand that it's not only about showing up for work and putting in your 40 hours. The target is to earn their respect and have a bunch of MacGyvers working for you.

 

[Jim W in Tampa]

starting pay in my area is slightly above minimum wage; I'm talking less than a dollar.


pay for a j-man is $12.50-$15.00.


average pay for a good helper is $9.00.

Your pay scale is very low. Will assume cost of living is low as well.
What most helpers do not understand is that there speed is often half of a guy with a few years behind him and they will need directions for everything new. Most will get a small raise in 6 months or a year, if not then something is wrong and they need to move on.
Have seen men with years behind them and care less about ever moving up a notch. Some have even told me they don't want to be a foreman. Simply put they only want to get there 8 hours in, careless about if job has a deadline. Is still a use for them if they can do job assigned in reasonable time and quality. You pay men like that as little as you can because they are easily replaced. Men that can run jobs alone , run a crew,are hard to find and you pay what it takes to keep them.

 

[paul]

starting pay in my area is slightly above minimum wage; I'm talking less than a dollar.


pay for a j-man is $12.50-$15.00.

OUCH! I get more than that on the state fishing team. (Unemployment)

 

[brentp]

Well I had a little meeting with everyone on the jobsite. I told them that when they come to me asking for a raise, be prepared to answer a few simple code questions. There has been a steady flow of guys asking me where they can "get one of them there Code books".

Should have done this years ago.

Brent

 

[paul]

Well I had a little meeting with everyone on the jobsite. I told them that when they come to me asking for a raise, be prepared to answer a few simple code questions. There has been a steady flow of guys asking me where they can "get one of them there Code books".

Should have done this years ago.

Brent

Is that an open or closed book quiz?

 

[SiddMartin]

I have had a new apprentice w/ me past couple days.... doesn't know how to tapcon, or what a spade bit is... really clueless on a lot of things...

..whipped out my hot gloves to pull a feed into a live panel, he was in room about 5' away and said "whoa, what are those?>?"