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Mature Age Apprenticeships

Mature Age Apprenticeships

Old Sep 28th 2007, 12:58 am
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Default Mature Age Apprenticeships

Just wondering if anyone is in the process of or has completed a mature age apprenticeship especially if its to be a carpenter or electrician? Or if you employ one?

Pro's and con's and any useful info would be good as OH is thinking about doing one next year.

Thanks

Jo
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Old Sep 28th 2007, 1:40 am
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Default Re: Mature Age Apprenticeships

my oh had to sign up as an apprentice (he was 35 at the time) to get his electrical licence (even though he is qualified he didnt have enough hands on exp to go through tra route)

cant think of any pros TBH other than getting the trade at the end of it

cons:
you will end up doing more digging than actual electrical work

it's hot, and dirty

the wages are piss poor (he was on about $13 an hour....!)

we found the apprentice people absolutely useless, they didnt have a clue

with his electrical company they expected him to travel 3 hrs a day in his own time but still start at 7am which meant getting up at ridiculous times of the night and not getting home until 7pm - and there isnt much you can do about it

In the end he had to leave as after months of to-ing and fro-ing and speaking in circles to TAFE/ electrical licensing board / apprentice company it turned out he'd have to do the full four years at TAFE and we just couldnt live on crap money for that long, esp with a baby on the way.

sorry, i am negative on the whole thing so probbaly not the best person to reply!!

the only way you could possibly earn better money is by doing FIFO but that's the last thing my OH wants to do...
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Old Sep 28th 2007, 1:59 am
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Default Re: Mature Age Apprenticeships

Originally Posted by bridie
my oh had to sign up as an apprentice (he was 35 at the time) to get his electrical licence (even though he is qualified he didnt have enough hands on exp to go through tra route)

cant think of any pros TBH other than getting the trade at the end of it

cons:
you will end up doing more digging than actual electrical work

it's hot, and dirty

the wages are piss poor (he was on about $13 an hour....!)

we found the apprentice people absolutely useless, they didnt have a clue

with his electrical company they expected him to travel 3 hrs a day in his own time but still start at 7am which meant getting up at ridiculous times of the night and not getting home until 7pm - and there isnt much you can do about it

In the end he had to leave as after months of to-ing and fro-ing and speaking in circles to TAFE/ electrical licensing board / apprentice company it turned out he'd have to do the full four years at TAFE and we just couldnt live on crap money for that long, esp with a baby on the way.

sorry, i am negative on the whole thing so probbaly not the best person to reply!!

the only way you could possibly earn better money is by doing FIFO but that's the last thing my OH wants to do...

No thanks for that - just what we need - the full facts! We've accepted that he is going to have to do the 4 years as he has no previous experience and he doesn't want to do the trade that he is qualified in!

Sorry but whats FIFO?
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Old Sep 28th 2007, 2:04 am
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Default Re: Mature Age Apprenticeships

fly in fly out, what they do on the mines

good luck with whatever you decide to do, if i can be of any help (yes, i can do more than negative ) feel free to drop me a Pm
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Old Sep 28th 2007, 2:10 am
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Default Re: Mature Age Apprenticeships

Originally Posted by bridie
fly in fly out, what they do on the mines

good luck with whatever you decide to do, if i can be of any help (yes, i can do more than negative ) feel free to drop me a Pm

Thanks, my OH would probably love to do that!! But with 4 kids I dont think I would be too keen!
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Old Sep 28th 2007, 2:13 am
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Default Re: Mature Age Apprenticeships

Originally Posted by OzWannabee
Just wondering if anyone is in the process of or has completed a mature age apprenticeship especially if its to be a carpenter or electrician? Or if you employ one?

Pro's and con's and any useful info would be good as OH is thinking about doing one next year.

Thanks

Jo
Get ready for a poor wage.

It is so difficult going backwards, learning things you may have already done, but they won't take that in to consideration.

Takes ages to get through to the right people. You have to do all the ringing round/chasing things up as no-one seems to know anything.
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Old Sep 29th 2007, 10:47 am
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Default Re: Mature Age Apprenticeships

Hubby is just into year 3 of one (he is 40) as a plumber.

He found getting started hard, but a few firms now realise that you are getting a good deal with an old codger. Reliable, hard working, usually has more common sense than a 16 year old.

Downside is crap money, BUT the government is offering financial incentives to Mature age apprentices for the first two years (hub just missed it!).
Is also a tool allowance (800 bucks one off) and you can offset a fair amount against tax if the partner earns OK money.

He is employed by a company, who pay his wages and super, but the arrangement is through the govt body MEGT and he goes to TAFE every 4th week to study.

Unionised employees get normal wages- but these positions are like gold dust!
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Old Sep 29th 2007, 12:29 pm
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Default Re: Mature Age Apprenticeships

Originally Posted by Pomster
Hubby is just into year 3 of one (he is 40) as a plumber.

He found getting started hard, but a few firms now realise that you are getting a good deal with an old codger. Reliable, hard working, usually has more common sense than a 16 year old.

Downside is crap money, BUT the government is offering financial incentives to Mature age apprentices for the first two years (hub just missed it!).
Is also a tool allowance (800 bucks one off) and you can offset a fair amount against tax if the partner earns OK money.

He is employed by a company, who pay his wages and super, but the arrangement is through the govt body MEGT and he goes to TAFE every 4th week to study.

Unionised employees get normal wages- but these positions are like gold dust!
Thanks for that! Am I right in thinking that it doesn't cost employers any more to have a mature age apprentice than a 16 year old? When we have seen adverts for an apprentice it always says Junior (under 21) and I just wondered why?

Did your OH find it hard to get an apprenticeship? How long did it take him? And did he have to enrol in college himself?

Sorry for all the questions, we're just finding it really hard to get any info!

Thanks
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Old Sep 29th 2007, 5:43 pm
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Default Re: Mature Age Apprenticeships

This sounds great. My OH will be 40 when we get to Ozand is currently HGV driver. Will he be to old to be an apprentice plumber? His brother is a plumber on Gold Coast and sounds like better money than driving.
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Old Sep 30th 2007, 9:13 am
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Default Re: Mature Age Apprenticeships

Originally Posted by OzWannabee
Just wondering if anyone is in the process of or has completed a mature age apprenticeship especially if its to be a carpenter or electrician?
I'm thinking about doing one ...

Originally Posted by bridie
my oh had to sign up as an apprentice (he was 35 at the time) to get his electrical licence (even though he is qualified he didnt have enough hands on exp to go through tra route)

cant think of any pros TBH other than getting the trade at the end of it

cons:
you will end up doing more digging than actual electrical work

it's hot, and dirty

the wages are piss poor (he was on about $13 an hour....!)

we found the apprentice people absolutely useless, they didnt have a clue

with his electrical company they expected him to travel 3 hrs a day in his own time but still start at 7am which meant getting up at ridiculous times of the night and not getting home until 7pm - and there isnt much you can do about it

In the end he had to leave as after months of to-ing and fro-ing and speaking in circles to TAFE/ electrical licensing board / apprentice company it turned out he'd have to do the full four years at TAFE and we just couldnt live on crap money for that long, esp with a baby on the way.

sorry, i am negative on the whole thing so probbaly not the best person to reply!!

the only way you could possibly earn better money is by doing FIFO but that's the last thing my OH wants to do...
Errr, maybe not! ...

Seriously tho, I am but have to wait till a PR here.

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Old Sep 30th 2007, 10:19 am
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Default Re: Mature Age Apprenticeships

Originally Posted by OzWannabee
Thanks for that! Am I right in thinking that it doesn't cost employers any more to have a mature age apprentice than a 16 year old? When we have seen adverts for an apprentice it always says Junior (under 21) and I just wondered why?

Did your OH find it hard to get an apprenticeship? How long did it take him? And did he have to enrol in college himself?

Sorry for all the questions, we're just finding it really hard to get any info!

Thanks

Well here in Vic he did not see any age restricted vacancies, although he did go for one interview and they never got in touch...maybe they were ageist!

He did take himself off onto a pre-apprenticeship course which most employers like you to have gone through. It seems to sort out the stayers from the flighty types! This was 13 weeks and cost about 700ish bucks and he sorted that out under his own steam.
Then he enrolled with an apprenticeship org which disbanded and left all apps high and dry.
Through an ad on the govt website, he found vacancies, but had to register with centrelink (jobcentre) to get a jobseekers number. Then he could apply for the vacancies- and the employer gets some renumeration from the govt.

His employer then took him on for a 3 month probation period and after that time he was officially an apprentice.He has seen a fair few youngsters come and go within his firm...some do dodgy things/lost driving licence/slack working etc.

Good luck if your OH takes this path. It is a long drawn out process but in just under 2 years, we should be on the upward path!
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Old Oct 3rd 2007, 3:33 pm
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Default Re: Mature Age Apprenticeships

We assist with study placements for PR http://www.aiec.biz , and planning service to introduce mature candidates to prospective employers, probably starting in Vic., probably regional.

Many employers would prefer a mature international candidate because:

1. Committed via paying fees and PR pathway (50% of young Oz apps drop out)
2. Have previous work experience and work skills.
3. Life experience e.g. reliable etc. etc.
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