Plumbing trade?

[ttmadness]

To me it seems getting a trade is a decent pathway to go down so I am considering doing plumbing. I'd like to be a person who actually get things done and don't fancy being a paper pusher dealing with numbers and words.

Who here is in the trade?

What's the best way to go about getting an apprenticeship? Start with doing the courses towards getting qualified whilst simultaneously seeking an opportunity outside? I'd be interested to hear first hand what the various companies are like such as Trust Apprenticeships, that aid in setting you up as an apprentice.

Any relevant experiences and opinions shared are appreciated. Cheers guys.

[scissorhands]

I'm a sparkie who did industrial maintenance and breakdown work. I actually enjoy fault finding and repairing machinery. Installation I found boring, but outback work in OZ pays very well.

I think if you like working with tools, and mucked about in the shed as a kid, a trade is a good idea. I remember many apprentices (we had about 14 in our workshop) who's dads were not in trades, left and worked in other careers

[JimO]

i have been in the building industry since i left school at 15 in 1975, i dont think i would want to be a plumber, i know a few self employed plumbers and even though the money is good the job is dirty, fucking about in knee deep mud doing drains or grovelling about under houses or up in the roof space being cooked, handling other peoples shit stained toilets, i remember in the late 70s being on a job where the toilet in a warehouse had blocked up and the dirty pricks kept using it, it was full up to the top with crap, the apprentice plumber was made to clean it out while his boss laughed at him. Of course now days you would tell the boss to get fucked but back them the boss was god, i would vote for electrical over plumbing, painting would suck arse, the building trade has changed a lot over the years but if they ever rebuild Christchurch there will be many years work there to ensure a need for tradesmen

[SMOKEU]

I've done a pre trade plumbing, gasfitting and drainlaying course at polytech. It was a complete waste of time and money. Over half of the course content had nothing to do with those trades - it was basically a sheetmetal and iron welding course with a little bit of pipework thrown into the mix. The trouble is, that kind of stuff has to be done for the entire duration of the apprenticeship in order to get trade cert. It may be different in other parts of the country, but the amount of bullshit involved in that course (at least in Christchurch, anyway) makes it not worth doing.

The other thing that you have to remember is that the government has invested millions of $ to get people into trades by funding training institutions. This may sound good, but since so many people sign up for these free/very cheap courses, the majority of people who pass these pre trade courses don't manage to get a job out of it because there are so few jobs available. Good luck getting an apprenticeship without a pre trade course, unless you know the right person who owes you a favour. A big favour.

[JimO]

i agree with mr smoke u, if your dad has a mate who is a plumber that wants a apprentice that would be the best way to go

[Swoop]

If you are able to get an employer to sign you up for an apprenticeship, so much the better.
A pre-trade polytech scheme is designed to give you experience in most areas of the trade, so remember that pipes are carrying gas or water, as well as sheetmetal work on roofs, drainlaying, etc, etc.
Going to the electrical trade requires good maths but has its own benefits and drawbacks.

[ttmadness]

Is it really near on impossible like that to get apprenticeship?

Pre-trade certificates are that much a load of shite?

How are you supposed to do it then? I don't know any plumbers well unfortunately.

SMOKEU- I'm planning to do it at Unitec, and by fuck it is far from free. Expensive. The way I see it- you have to do that stuff anyway and the work is all cross credited over to the National Certificate when you become qualified.

[SMOKEU]

Is it really that hard to get an apprenticeship?



If you don't have the right qualifications, then any job is extremely hard to get unless you strike the jackpot. Even finding a job scrubbing toilets in a cheap motel isn't easy to get. A pre trade certificate means phuck all. Trust me, I've been looking for a job for the past 3 months, I've applied at over 40 places for jobs and still haven't even managed to land an interview with an employer.

[jamessmith]

Pre trade courses are a good idea IF you are serious about the trade. Alot of young school leavers looking for an easy ride do these courses, and when they come onto the job site and realise that a trade (building in my case) really is a bit of hard yakka, they decide its not for them. At great cost to them or the goverment.
My advice would be do the pre course. Ring everybody in the phone book. Offer your free labour, Go in with the right "Ill listen, Learn, Wont complain and Ill do anything attitude" and Ill bet youll get an apprentiship. Plumbers and sparkies do get paid more than builders, I reckon sparkie is probably the "nicer".

[JimO]

back in my day if you had a thick son who was wasting his time at school you got him a job with the builder/plumber/bricklayer/plasterer down the road, now you need a degree to hammer nails in.

[Usarka]

back in my day if you had a thick son who was wasting his time at school you got him a job with the builder/plumber/bricklayer/plasterer down the road, now you need a degree to hammer nails in.

That's because all those thick kids grew up to be the fuckers that built all the leaky homes!

[Edbear]

To me it seems getting a trade is a pretty salutary pathway to go down so I am considering doing plumbing.

Who here is in the trade?

What's the best way to go about getting an apprenticeship? Start with doing the courses towards getting qualified whilst simultaneously seeking an opportunity outside? I'd be interested to hear first hand what the various companies are like such as Trust Apprenticeships, that aid in setting you up as an apprentice.

Any relevant experiences and opinions shared are appreciated. Cheers guys.

Call Rudy on 09-550 6202, he owns www.europlumbing.co.nz

[speights_bud]

I finished my trade in Precision Machining and Toolmaking about 6 months ago, to get myself into the apprentiship i stgarted by working for free during school hours in a work experience program, worked for a company Suvic re-building engine heads etc and got bored doing that but kept working hard then transferred into another job at a precision machining shop, worked my ass off for 6months and worked all my school holidays i could for them then on my last day asked where to from here i want an apprentiship and i like what im doing here. Boss said yes and still working there 4 1/2 years later

After talking to a few of the guys i found out later that the company i am working for particularly picks out people who havent done any pre-trade courses as they prefer to 'mould' and train yuou into the habits and style/quality machinery that they require.

So i suggest if you can get yourself into some voluntary work if you have to just to get the ball rolling and get yourself in there to make a good impression

[JimO]

That's because all those thick kids grew up to be the fuckers that built all the leaky homes!

i knew someone would come back with that, i think you will find that those leaky homes were designed by draughtsmen and architects who went to uni and made far more money per hr that the guy who built them and you have to build what the council has approved on the plan

[speights_bud]

I've done a pre trade plumbing, gasfitting and drainlaying course at polytech. It was a complete waste of time and money. Over half of the course content had nothing to do with those trades - it was basically a sheetmetal and iron welding course with a little bit of pipework thrown into the mix. The trouble is, that kind of stuff has to be done for the entire duration of the apprenticeship in order to get trade cert. It may be different in other parts of the country, but the amount of bullshit involved in that course (at least in Christchurch, anyway) makes it not worth doing.

The other thing that you have to remember is that the government has invested millions of $ to get people into trades by funding training institutions. This may sound good, but since so many people sign up for these free/very cheap courses, the majority of people who pass these pre trade courses don't manage to get a job out of it because there are so few jobs available. Good luck getting an apprenticeship without a pre trade course, unless you know the right person who owes you a favour. A big favour.

From my experience of block courses etc i've been on half the problem is that the People or tutors who run the courses are old retired fellas with sure plenty of experience but have been out of the trade for 20-30 years and are seriously out dated on the technology that we are now using, especially with CNC machines and tooling etc

[ttmadness]

Thanks for the replies so far.

What I like about the idea of doing a trade is that you are actually someone who is 'getting real stuff done' for people and able to see and be proud of your work, rather than an office drone or paper pusher- juggling words and numbers for some corporation.

Any other suggestions and opinions are appreciated. Has anyone gone through Unitec for trades?

[neels]

My bro was a plumber, had trouble getting an apprenticeship until he had done a short pre course at polytech, after that he was fine. He mainly did new houses so there wasn't much digging around in shit.

I think it's easier for employers if you've done something, if you've passed a course then you at least know which end of a hammer to hold.

I think things have changed a bit now, you can get your apprenticeship through an organisation and 'belong' to them and get assigned an employer, which gives you somewhere to go back to if you don't think things are going as they should

A couple of linkys
http://www.bcito.org.nz/
http://www.modern-apprenticeships.govt.nz/

[ttmadness]

Thanks mate.

Does anyone know if those apprenticeship companies are any good?

[Swoop]

Does anyone know if those apprenticeship companies are any good?
Moden apprenticeship coordinators are like dating agencies, trying to match up suitable applicants for an employer offering an apprenticeship.

A few companies are hiring new staff as they see an increased demand due to Chch workload.

You might be better off to phone the plumbing ITO and confirm that a pre-trade course done at Unitec will be cross-credited to their system.

[SMOKEU]

I've worked for plenty of plumbers before and you really don't want to work in the new houses or big construction sites as they are shit to work on.

Maintenance plumbing is a lot nicer to do.

[ttmadness]

Is it true that plumbers earn more than electricians? I think being an electrician would be sweet and would be more applicable to everyday life too but obviously pay is a factor.

[Swoop]

Have you phoned the ITO yet?:msn-wink:

[ynot slow]

Attitude is everything,talking to a plumber who was thinking of training a guy,his idea was a kid with a good work ethic and no polytech would be first choice over a polytech groomed guy who had a dodgy report on attendance,attitude,but could pass the course.

Too many kids do a tech course from school to get the $1000 course fees to buy a car,they turn up(sometimes to course,ffs only 6hours some days),and because the classes are open to everyone,even idiots unable to complete forms qualify at end.

As stated go to each company,have a word with the boss and offer to work for gas money and lunch you never know,and best part is no student loan if your hired.

[firefighter]

Has anyone gone through Unitec for trades?

A mate of mine decided to career change to building (he just always wanted to do it) and did the fulltime year course at Unitec.

He learnt a shit-load and found it pretty useful on the building site, in saying that they actually build a house as a part of their course. Obviously not everything he found useful but the right attitude you can top the course pretty easy, as there are a lot of losers that do the courses, don't turn up or do the assignments etc.

He also worked for free as a hammer hand and ended up being paid in pretty expensive new tools, new tyres for his van etc......worked out pretty well for him as he landed a job out of it well before the end of his course.

Unitec is the place to do it in Auckland for sure and I recommend it for trades. It's just where you go for trades.