Apprenticeships!

[Chaffinch]

I'm so angry, after nearly 3 years of "fighting" I finally got approval to take on 10 apprentices. I advertised on the National Apprenticeship Data Base, in the local news paper, and advised schools and colleges in the local area.

We decided to pay minimum wage, not minimum apprentice wage, which is much lower. The course lasts for 2 years and is for 16 to 18 year olds, at the end of which they would hold a quallification that can be used anywhere in the world, and if we took them on at 18+ they would receive a salary of £21,995pa

The positions were advertised at the end of April, with a closing date of 1st June. I have only had 13 applicants!

What is wrong with youngsters today? or am I expecting too much?

[scotman]

Long shot but perhaps with the the increase in piracy in the Indian Ocean and the Far East etc going to sea is not as attractive as it was.

[Chaffinch]

lol Scotsman, you could be right. I think work is not as attractive as it was for kids today.............god I'm getting old.

[woofgang]

showing my age Chaffinch, my DH did an apprenticeship when he went to sea as an officer cadet.

[wolf63]

I'm 47 - am I too old to apply?

Do you need to train a couple of ships cats? I have to 'volunteers' for you.

Have you approached the Job Centre Plus people?

Tried press ganging recruits - I hope that is the correct phrase.

[scotman]

If I were a lad again I might consider it. I do have an O Grade in Marine Navigation.

[Euphemia]

Opportunity apart, is there no sense of adventure?

[Chaffinch]

Scots and both wolfs, you start Monday, I've got a lovely uniform for all of you, forget your age phewwwww

[Chaffinch]

Euph, seems not MacDonnals is much more fun........................not

[woofgang]

Chaffinch if you mean me I'll pass thanks...:-) been there done that bought the tee shirt it ended up as a brass polishing rag....I have a steering ticket, have done bridge brass chart corrections, weather reports, completed outturn figure forms and updated tankwashing charts. I have been helicoptered on and off ships and ridden up and down the side of in ballast supertankers in a pilot ladder (scary...not 'arf) It was all huge fun at the time.

[yelenots]

A couple of years ago my eldest son looked into doing this sort of course |(in Fleetwood) where you got a degree at the end of it. He approached approx 20 different shipping companies to get sponsorshop with no success - only got replies from 2 or 3 of them. Things we looking good when we heard from the RFA but then they wanted an 'A' in GCSE Science and he got a 'B' - so that was the end of that !
Cant believe you didnt get many applicants :(

[Chaffinch]

Yelnots, I'm so disheartened, I genuinely thought I'd get loads of applicants, now I feel like a fool for pushing this so hard...............................lesson learned

[woofgang]

Not to rub it in chaffinch, but did you do any research into what the takeup might be before starting to push for apprenticeships?

[Chaffinch]

woofgang, yes I did research, and I based it on the amount of people I get applying for positions, when I'm not even advertising. The last apprenticship I advertised was for an apprentice diver, one position and I got 134 applicants!Though we did ask for 18 to 23 year olds, not 16 to 18 year olds, so a bit more mature.

I certainly will not be running apprentiships again, and will go for cadets, with the required 3 A levels, which does work. I'll leave the unquallied to others!

[dave50]

It's because kids are brainwashed in school these days that the only way to get on in life is to go to university. Never mind that most courses have been devalued so much they are almost worthless.

[Chaffinch]

Agree Dave, they then work in MacDonnalds!

[tamborine]

Graduates with huge debts cant find work; or only take low paid work to avoid repaying loans - as neice with £18k debt. The whole uni system stinks of exploitation.

[feona]

You must have advertised your apprentice well