Are there really that many places looking to take on apprentices at the moment? I've taken the pre-vocational route and completed the course 2-3 months ago and would have thought employers would be getting in contact with the school to find suitable apprentices. The school was at least able to find me and the other students some work experience.

I kept an eye on the paper and checked job sites frequently during the course but it seems apprenticeships are rarely advertised this way. There don't appear to be any jobs locally and I've also tried following up on various contacts people have given me. If there really are jobs out there they're certainly hard to find.

@ TuTTuRuu
Where have you been looking for work?
Workshops in FNQ are having trouble getting young uns to come and stay longer than a few months.
There is work available Mt Isa, Townsville and Mareeba that I know of.
The industry runs on word of mouth, both for getting jobs and for destroying your career.

Cheers
BH

Mostly around south east QLD though I realise I'm competing with all of the other students coming out of Aviation Australia etc. Not hearing much from the other major cities down south so I will be looking north next. It's good to know there may be some opportunities up that way.

The company I work for contacted Aviation Australia about a month ago asking if they had any classes that had finished recently, and had students without jobs that were still looking.... We were told they all either had jobs or were not interested in working in aviation..

We are in Far North QLD, and may still be looking.. PM me if your interested in details.

As blackhand has said, if your interested in coming up north, and will stick around there is plenty of work available if you get onto the right people.....

Having recently completed a similar course in south oz, I'm surprised the school up there is having to find work experience for it's students. I would have thought it would be up to the individual student to chase up work experience with companies they would like to work for??? This is the way it worked for our course, we had students traveling from Adelaide to Darwin, Townsville, Brisbane & Melbourne.
I'm sure all the students on that course who decided to stay in the industry got jobs from the places they did their work experience, some even had multiple offers of work!

@ Tutturuu. Sorry to say I gave up calling the schools for prospective apprentices. The result on my behalf of spending half an hour on the phone to the head's of department, is a total no response. Are these jobs even being offered to the kids???????

Maybe each trade school should be forced to employ a placement officer, that way at least when employers/apprentices enquire there is no waste of time on either party.

If I was you i'd be looking at one of those FNQ placements......if they were available when I came through the trade system I would have happily taken one up.


@ Bug-a-lugs. I think until our education system returns to teaching core trades as a subject...i.e Woodworking, Metal craft, Auto and the like, we are not going to see much change in the number of applicants for apprenticeships. The way we were taught trades at school really was just basic hand tools, and some fun projects to go with the boring stuff. It was all taught by REAL tradesman with 20+ years minimum in their field. Without this sampling I probably would have wound up in an office cubicle.

That and the fact many of our teachers have never left school doesn't help. Not such a bad thing at primary level but at secondary level where you have teachers telling you what its like in the workforce, but have never truly been there is a total crock!

As for the old apprentice wages argument.............thats also a crock......more money than they would get at uni.

Cheers
Jas

Sure, but you can do many uni courses part time and still work full time which is almost impossible with trade apprenticeships.

I realise there are massive logistical problems with part-time apprenticeships that probably make it impossible to offer them, but it's a factor when considering a mid life career change if the choices are 1. plod along with a degree part time or 2. throw in everything and go back to teenage wages for four years, which is difficult with mortgage/family etc. I know people do it and full marks to them :ok:, but it's a big call to make.

You miss the point.
Doing uni later in life is fine once you 'grow up' What about the KIDS that uni rejects?

Dole?
Criminality?

I quite agree and stated the same thing (at length) in post #36.

Soz worrals... i tend to reply to the last post I read, and not look back for trends.

I Disagree with your point number 2...teenage wages as an adult apprentice, based on fact.

I have had an adult apprentice.

The requirement is that you pay them the minimum ADULT wage once they are over 25 yo.

In this state, for a first year, the Government pays their school fee's, and also gives the employer a $150 wage top up, reducing by $50 per year. The state government also tops up their wage in 6 monthly payments. Added to this, if they have a family they normally qualify for the Health Care card, and associated tax breaks.

The incentives for a mature adult to enter into an apprenticeship are there. Whilst they probably fall short of what they could earn in their current field, it is not all work for nothing.

I recently employed a new painter whom is not qualified. I am paying him similar money to what I would spend on someone fully qualified. (about $3 per hour difference) In the middle of that, I have asked him to go and get his qualification. Doing so will address the weak points in his knowledge
Going down this path the guy has enough documented industry experience to reduce his apprenticeship to 12 months. The gov will pay his schooling and workcare, and also give me $150 a week towards his wages. He will also get 2x $800 tool allowance to spend on spray guns....tax free.

Realistically, I could drop his wage once he signs, but I won't do that. I need this guy for my workshop as much as he needs me to get qualified. Any employer taking on an adult apprentice will recognise that, as much as they will recognise that if they try to screw the employee, that employee's life in industry will be enough for them to counter the employer


Cheers
Jas

PS....ok who's head is going circular after that?

Are there still apprenticeship out there?

Who is worth talking too?

Sorry jas24kk, I didn't see your response until now. :O
Fair enough, I was basing my POV on one particular trade (electrician) so it's obviously not the case across the board.
Can you speed up all apprencticeships like that?
Thanks for the info.

Not exaxctly sure worrals, but it is certainly the case with those on the shortages list.

Jas

Just a note to those who are looking for an apprenticeship:

The company I work for are one of the few in the area that takes apprentices, and as it happens, there will be an apprenticship position going in Mareeba, FNQ soon for a Mechanical Apprentice.

Give Tableland Aircraft Maintenance a call if interested: 07 40924709

company i work for just hired 3 or 4 apprentii (not sure 2 on my shift at least and a couple others around the place) this is in addition to the 3rd and 4th years we already have -

the boss calls up the local TAFE here in Perth and asks for them - other than that there are a couple that have approached them from outside asking for apprenticeships

the ones that came from outside tafe picked up the phone - called reception - asked for Chief Eng, or his number and got a hold of him direct; basically did all the leg work themselves

I have been calling, emailing and walking into (the local) aviation industries and I have had a few promising responses, but nothing concrete yet. I'm a mature age with family and a lot of experience behind me. I just need to talk to the right person who doesn't jump to the wrong conclusion about me and my situation. Makes it hard if they are keen but want to see how I work first (and I'm not driving distance away).
I have no doubt I will get an app, but where and when!

HIRE ME!!!
 

To ALL potential employers,

I am currently studying Cert IV Aeroskills at Aviation Australia (Brisbane) in the Avionics field. Due to finish December 9th 2011. Will obtain Certificate of Attainment - theory component at completion. Looking for any employer to take me on as an apprentice.

As an apprentice, my dedication and willingness to learn will be an asset to your organisation.

Please let me know if there any such vacancies.

Kind regards,

James Penton

James,
WELCOME!!!! :ok:

My suggestion is to take some time out and have a GOOD read of this thread. (you probably have already you will tell me)

There are several people posting here that are clearly AME employers, and several of them seem to be in your area.

Search out those posts, and contact those people via PM. Do NOT expect them to chase you unless you at least do that much.

Cheers
Jas

hey jas
 

Thanks for your quick reply. Yes, I have already PM'ed potential employers. Just getting my name out there as much as possible. Looks like this is a busy time for applicants!!

Cheers

James

Going to wish you the best James.

Don't trust Laurence or Adam as they really aren't interested in helping students. Still very bitter over the "help" I received from them two years ago.