Where’s the incentive?

[onthehoof]

Bit of a rant
Lad doing apprenticeship with Claas, just coming up to end of 2nd year out of 3, he turned 20 last month and received a letter last week stating that his hourly rate was going up from £6.80/hr to £6.83 an increase of 3p
Now we keep hearing that theres a shortage of Ag mechanics currently so where’s the incentive to encourage them into this line of work, OK so he gets a fair bit of overtime at 1.5 times normal rate and double on Sundays which he will gladly do BUT he has to buy all his own tools - spent £3k so far , he has to use his car to get to work and home 44miles/ no fuel allowance even though he has a works van, and Claas are charging farmers £90/hour for his work, and assuming they are getting a government grant to go towards his wages.
His younger sister just finished A levels and currently working in Maccys for nearly £10/hr, he’ll probably be under some farmer’s combine on Tuesday in 40c heat

 

[Yale]

This is why the country is fecked!

 

[B R C]

And is his younger sister going to university at £20k a year? One more year and he’ll (hopefully) be on a proper wage with no debt?

 

[goldeneagle]

Not saying it’s right but sounds similar to my apprenticeship, getting a lot of money thrown you at a young age sounds great but can result in high expectations in later life which can be expensive/difficult to maintain.
If you have never been skint then you will never learn how to budget. As bad as it sounds low pay rates teach this attribute and at least with an apprenticeship there is light at the end of tunnel.
When I served apprenticeship car park was full of bangers, as I neared end of time 2nd year apprentices where rocking up in new cars provided by parents which had a corresponding action with a lot of them not interested in learning as money was never an issue. Owner also looked at car park and arrived at conclusion his pay rates were acceptable based on this…..

Tools are an investment which are easier to justify when you are young I found. Buy decent and will last a lifetime.

 

[Wood field]

we used to get a percentage of the tradesman rate as an apprentice, but that was all the old EITB 4/5 year long job
Scary to think as a first year in 1980 I took home £28 a week and had college plus 2 night schools
As said above, stick with it and he will soon be on full tradesman wage ( or should be)

 

[happycows]

Bit of a rant
Lad doing apprenticeship with Claas, just coming up to end of 2nd year out of 3, he turned 20 last month and received a letter last week stating that his hourly rate was going up from £6.80/hr to £6.83 an increase of 3p
Now we keep hearing that theres a shortage of Ag mechanics currently so where’s the incentive to encourage them into this line of work, OK so he gets a fair bit of overtime at 1.5 times normal rate and double on Sundays which he will gladly do BUT he has to buy all his own tools - spent £3k so far , he has to use his car to get to work and home 44miles/ no fuel allowance even though he has a works van, and Claas are charging farmers £90/hour for his work, and assuming they are getting a government grant to go towards his wages.
His younger sister just finished A levels and currently working in Maccys for nearly £10/hr, he’ll probably be under some farmer’s combine on Tuesday in 40c heat

Tell him to stick with it. He’s still young, I agree it’s not enough but as soon as he’s qualified he will be calling the shots.
My son trained as a electrician and dairy engineer. Remember they are probably at college a day a week. Possibly not got his own van yet? Which must be a pain.

I have no doubt that he will reap all his rewards in another 2/3 years and have a job for life if he wants it.

 

[ollie989898]

It's call fudge you capitalism and it is gradually dawning on everyone that we are all getting fudged by it. Trickle down economics doesn't work.

 

[ewald]

I agree with most of the above, but what is the 3p an hour pay rise about?
Better to give nothing than such a trivial amount - it is the sort of attitude that antagonises staff

 

[nick...]

That wage is really taking the pee.if he sticks it out and gets qualified he should leave and charge a good rate.plenty of demand for a man with a van.i like claas but that’s just wrong paying peanuts and they wonder why they can’t get staff
nick…

 

[ollie989898]

That wage is really taking the pee.if he sticks it out and gets qualified he should leave and charge a good rate.plenty of demand for a man with a van.i like claas but that’s just wrong paying peanuts and they wonder why they can’t get staff
nick…

I agree it is criminal really. These industries doing this are doing themselves no favours in the long run. Plenty of labourers for building sites offered way more than £10 and with modest training in some cases.

 

[Hilly]

It's call fudge you capitalism and it is gradually dawning on everyone that we are all getting fudged by it. Trickle down economics doesn't work.

Whats the alternative ? Socialism doesn’t work . How many apprentices do you employe and do You pay them a increases rate ?

 

[DrWazzock]

I’ve worked on machinery all my life in an amateur capacity.
He should be on at least £15 per hour by now if there’s any justice.
Fitters, mechanics, technicians, parts people all keep this country running. They are knowledgeable professionals who contribute a damn sight more to this country then many on several times their wages.
Keep at it though. It might seem like a thankless task but in the end hopefully it will come good and there’s the satisfaction of knowing you can do stuff that others can’t.

 

[Hilly]

I agree it is criminal really. These industries doing this are doing themselves no favours in the long run. Plenty of labourers for building sites offered way more than £10 and with modest training in some cases.

Labourer will be on shyt money for ever a brain dead job , an apprentice works on low money as they are A young and B training , once passed training money goes up and goes ip again with experience .

 

[Yale]

I agree it is criminal really. These industries doing this are doing themselves no favours in the long run. Plenty of labourers for building sites offered way more than £10 and with modest training in some cases.

Most wouldn’t get out of bed for less than £100 a day labouring on a building site 10 years ago.

And that’s not particularly skilled!

 

[DrWazzock]

Labourer will be on shyt money for ever a brain dead job , an apprentice works on low money as they are A young and B training , once passed training money goes up and goes ip again with experience .

Nowt wrong with encouraging a but of self worth by paying a bit more to folk who work hard in difficult circumstances though is there?

 

[Drillman]

By my calculations by time he’s paid for some tools, run a car and paid his mum some bed and board there’s nothing left…..

I know it’s an apprenticeship but if he’s a useful lad he ought to be on a bit more.

 

[Tractorstant]

Has he raised this with Claas? That would be the best lesson for him, to negotiate.

They are paying the minimum wage as identified by the Ag Wages board which will not mean they retain/recruit staff to service all of these 100's of combines they are pushing out.

 

[Kidds]

His raise amounts to 2 second class stamps a week. That is taking the pee

 

[Doing it for the kids]

I wonder if this was an automated letter, which makes it worse

 

[Drillman]

A very wise and wealthy person once said to me

‘if you only have your labour to offer go to the highest bidder’