Plumbers NZ is New Zealand's largest online plumbing, gas and drainage resource. Plumbing exam help, plumbing news, directory and free quotes.

Author Topic: Who can afford to be an apprentice?  (Read 3965 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Offline Jaxcat

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1008
  • Karma: +40/-4
Who can afford to be an apprentice?
« on: December 22, 2011, 02:56:22 PM »
Well - news from the ITO - fees are increasing - For a 48 month plumbing and gasfitting apprenticeship you will be charged (from 1 April 2012) - $10580.00 (that is $2645 per year, $220.42 per month or $50.87 per week) - and that's not all folks - the ITO are now not going to fund "other health and safety related courses" which in plain speak is, I imagine, the Working at Heights and Confined Spaces.  This will fall to the employer no doubt at a cost of several hundred dollars.  AND just for a bit of extra cost - from 1 January 2012 all text books and standards will NO LONGER be included within the annual fee, but can be purchased through the ITO at discounted rates.

Now more than ever is the time for employers to ditch the ITO and head straight to the Polytecs for a direct contract.  Cut the dragons head off.  This astronomical increase is criminal - and at a time when the service levels have plummeted.  Oh yes, much is being made of the RECORD numbers of apprentices getting through this year, but at least 160 of them have been notifed that they won't be getting their national certificates until they  either do some more assessments or gather evidence from their workplace.  All employers and apprentices who are affected by this need to send a bill to the ITO for the time involved.  We've paid once to have our apprentices trained and we shouldn't have to pay twice.  Also WHO is responsible for dropping the ball,  WHO hasn't kept an eye on the assessment and ensure it met with NZQA's requirements?  WHO failed to provide NZQA with the answers on several occasions when they were investigating the situation at MIT?  Who is going to fall on their sword and take responsibility and accountability?  Are the ITO Board putting safe guards in place to ensure this doesn't happen again?   Shame, shame, shame on them - and how will this helpt the skills shortage?  Not a bit.  Stroke of genius to send out such shitty news two days before we break up for Christmas though.  Shrewdness at its best.


Linkback: https://www.plumbers.nz/apprenticeships/78/who-can-afford-to-be-an-apprentice/931/
Have you learned lessons only of those who admired you, and were tender with you, and stood aside for you?  Have you not learned great lessons from those who braced themselves against you, and disputed the passage with you?  (Walt Whitman 1819-1891)  American Poet

Offline robbo

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1259
  • Karma: +83/-7
Re: Who can afford to be an apprentice?
« Reply #1 on: December 22, 2011, 05:37:54 PM »
hi guys/Jax, i hope that you will advise prospective apprentices to do something more rewarding,cheers

Offline Wal

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 572
  • Karma: +83/-0
Re: Who can afford to be an apprentice?
« Reply #2 on: December 22, 2011, 05:56:43 PM »
Hi everyone

Well it just gets better and better doesn't it.  The courses Jax is referring to are all the OSH courses so you will be looking at about $1,000.00 for the three courses plus text books and standards at $500.00 easy so all up now you will be looking at $12,000.00 plus.  It wasn't that long ago that it was $6,000 and back then we used to get training now we are paying $12,000.00 for assessments.

I'm with Jax on this one, it's time for us to look for alternatives where apprentices actually get trained. I personally feel we should actually bring back proper courses and correspondence and if any says "give them time" I don't know what I'll do. How many times do we have to reinvent the wheel?

Where is the Board that controls the ITO. Who's taking responsibility and who is being held accountable. Remember this is another charitable organisation with a Board. How many of these Board members are on the other failing Boards?  Where is the so called voice of the industry that claim to support 60% of the industry. This is the time they are needed.

If you want to get involved in the rebuilding of our training let me know as this stupidity has to stop and stop now.

Wal

Offline champz

  • Jr. Member
  • **
  • Posts: 4
  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Who can afford to be an apprentice?
« Reply #3 on: January 04, 2012, 10:22:13 PM »
I'm an apprentice currently doing my apprenticeship through masterlink and the ito. Since the ito changed there system for apprentices, we now have to go to a week long block course every 3 months where all our written corrospondance is done on block course where previously it were done at home. So we are missing out on important hands on practical work over looked by the tutors as a lot of the time is taken up doing 'exams'. And they seem to also have increased the amount of people of block course but not the amount of tutors, so there is hardly any time to be taught properly from one on one sessions with the tutor. Ive been in the system for 3yrs and these changes are for the worse and to me it just seems to be more about the ito making more money rather then bringing out apprentices that a fully compentent in the trade.

Offline integrated

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 412
  • Karma: +37/-2
Re: Who can afford to be an apprentice?
« Reply #4 on: January 06, 2012, 06:34:41 PM »
you really have to wonder what the point is really eh?

why would anyone consider an apprenticeship in pgd when it takes 4yrs for a kick off? then longer to get to cert status?

the ONLY benefit gained from serving an apprenticeship is earning as you learn

I did dip arch draught @ 2yrs long for similar cost...          sure the pre-requisites were greater for entry but in reality this is only 1 additional yr at school...

what frikin purpose does the ITO serve anyway? surely there has to be a way around this?  what has happened to the good old time served pathway?


Offline robbo

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1259
  • Karma: +83/-7
Re: Who can afford to be an apprentice?
« Reply #5 on: January 07, 2012, 05:10:20 PM »
hi guys/integrated, i agree and have put posts up in the past to encourage guys into an engineering degree which would cover cad as well then they could enter into employment where they will be well paid and respected, unlike our trades where we are just cash cows to run a dysfunctional Board,cheers

Offline Thunderhead

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 341
  • Karma: +37/-3
Re: Who can afford to be an apprentice?
« Reply #6 on: January 09, 2012, 05:38:06 PM »
yea 4 years to just become licensed and after four years i still cannot work for myself indenpendantly...i mean this friken trade aint rocket sciense...and still an aditional two needed to gain full qual and then all the headaches to go with it and the heavy hand of the board hanging over you all the time!, im sure there are a hell of a lot of other trades one can get into for a 6 year term and alot better paid as well right off the bat...i dont what idiot would want to become a plumber in this day and age...i did!.

Offline Jaxcat

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1008
  • Karma: +40/-4
Re: Who can afford to be an apprentice?
« Reply #7 on: January 09, 2012, 08:45:04 PM »
Before we all go and jump off a cliff - I don't think the "profession" is that bad - I think the apprenticeship system needs a major overhaul - I think that the ITO have lost the plot in regards to what the industry want - and I think that costs are seriously going to get out of hand come April - HOWEVER the job itself teaches young men and women a HUGE range of skills.  It is very portable and can allow the practitioner to move into specialist areas of industry - you can carry on and run your own business, become a plumbing inspector, go into repping for plumbing suppliers or companies associated with plumbing, gasfitting or drainlaying, you can specialise in drainlaying, gas appliance servicing, maintenance, new work etc.  There is a huge amount of scope.  You can save a fortune putting what you have learned into practice at your own home, and undoubtedly swap labour with other tradies when doing home improvements.  You become very popular with your family and wider circle of friends as they lure you to do freebies for them (this has the added plus of being invited to lots of BBQ's and dinners....).  It is a viable career to young people - better than training to become an unemployed lawyer!  Times are just not good at the moment, but they will get better.  We do seriously need to give feedback to the ITO and Minister about the high costs that are coming in April - these simply can't be sustained and will be a body blow to those hoping to increase practitioner numbers especially for the work in Chch (when the earthquakes slow down).

Offline robbo

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1259
  • Karma: +83/-7
Re: Who can afford to be an apprentice?
« Reply #8 on: January 10, 2012, 04:48:13 PM »
hi guys/Jax, you are right in everything that you say but when you look at the time/costs/ongoing costs(bet they don`t mention them)where is the incentive to put yourself through all the hoops that we know exist? i wish i could be more positive but having "been there ,done that" i am sorry to say that i do not recommend our trades,cheers

Offline aboutgas

  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 196
  • Karma: +23/-0
Re: Who can afford to be an apprentice?
« Reply #9 on: January 10, 2012, 08:59:07 PM »
Hi Guys

Best suggestion go to oz, do 4 year apprenticeship, pass exams, fully qualified no more bull sh*t, you also have the advantage that you are respected and trusted in your knowledge of the trade end of story

(P.S Also a hell of a lot cheaper and the training is far more teaching based then when you feel you are ready you sit the exams you are also given far more help in study guides. They want you to pass.)
Unless the moral improves the floggings will continue

Offline Jaxcat

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1008
  • Karma: +40/-4
Re: Who can afford to be an apprentice?
« Reply #10 on: January 10, 2012, 09:16:16 PM »
Ahh but Aboutgas - you just love it here too much to fly the coop back to Oz.  ;)


Share via digg Share via facebook Share via linkedin Share via twitter

Similar Topics

  Subject / Started by Replies / Views Last post
xx
When tradesmen can`t afford to buy their licence to work

Started by robbo

3 Replies
2129 Views
Last post December 17, 2012, 07:09:34 PM
by Badger
xx
Apprentice pay rates

Started by ptopnz

2 Replies
1974 Views
Last post April 03, 2013, 02:53:04 PM
by Jaxcat
xx
THOUGHTS ON APPRENTICE TRAINING

Started by Jayp

11 Replies
5291 Views
Last post September 19, 2011, 09:07:41 PM
by Jayp
xx
Taking on an apprentice in 2014

Started by Rodza1

4 Replies
2135 Views
Last post July 23, 2014, 08:25:58 PM
by Jaxcat
 
Share this topic...
In a forum
(BBCode)
In a site/blog
(HTML)