Why is it so hard to get a tradesman?

[pattricia 577]

There is a shortage of skilled tradesmen therefor the qualified ones can pick their customers.

[spider1 11]

Whsts happened to all the proper trades men in sheffield . Is it because they stopped  nearly all apprenticeships 30 years ago. 

If you want one you have to make sure he is above 55 years old to be sure. 

Been trying to get a plumber and nobodys bothered anymore 

Think this shows the state of the country as a whole nobody bothered  will it ever get back to normal 

[petcharlie 10]

12 minutes ago, spider1 said:

Whsts happened to all the proper trades men in sheffield . Is it because they stopped  nearly all apprenticeships 30 years ago. 

If you want one you have to make sure he is above 55 years old to be sure. 

Been trying to get a plumber and nobodys bothered anymore 

Think this shows the state of the country as a whole nobody bothered  will it ever get back to normal 

You answered your own question top quality apprenticeships have all but gone .Training young lads in skills in engineering like fitters welders electricians went with the demise of steel and coal and engineering firms.My brother who ran a engineering business could not get them for love or money and had to resort to asking retired guys to do a couple of shifts for him to fill in.Sad but true.The few young guys that have found an apprenticeship place in engineering will soon be able to name their own price  they will be as rare as rocking horse muck.

[rudds1 102]

35 minutes ago, spider1 said:

Whsts happened to all the proper trades men in sheffield . Is it because they stopped  nearly all apprenticeships 30 years ago. 

If you want one you have to make sure he is above 55 years old to be sure. 

Been trying to get a plumber and nobodys bothered anymore 

Think this shows the state of the country as a whole nobody bothered  will it ever get back to normal 

I suspect most won’t take up  trades anymore as people don’t want to pay tradesmen prices ,how many times do you see adverts saying tradesman wanted to do this or that job but must be cheap 

[Chap BLADE 10]

The Thatcher goverment de skilled loads of jobs ,i served a five year apprenticship as an electrician and then found myself working with kids who`d done a six month government training course who were allowed to work unsupervised on sites and called electricians .

Same with my bricklayer brother ,he had a kid who was an hod carrier one minute on one site then emerged 6 months later as a bricklayer on another job.

There is no replacement for the training and knowledge learnt on a proper 5 year indentured (with deads) apprenticship that we used to go through .

[Mr Bloke 1,445]

43 minutes ago, spider1 said:

Whsts happened to all the proper trades men in sheffield . Is it because they stopped  nearly all apprenticeships 30 years ago. 

If you want one you have to make sure he is above 55 years old to be sure. 

Been trying to get a plumber and nobodys bothered anymore 

Think this shows the state of the country as a whole nobody bothered  will it ever get back to normal 

Hmmm...

... Czy próbowałeś reklamować hydraulika po polsku? (Have you tried advertising for a plumber in Polish?)

[pattricia 577]

We are short of qualified tradesmen because nobody wants to get their hands dirty.!

[vwkittie 10]

I had huge trouble finding an electrician, not for lack of them but just because they didn't want a difficult job in an old house. A lot just seem to want to work on new builds, commercial stuff and the like.

 

Loads of them would promise to call back or turn up to quote and then just not bother as well, no honesty at all, very frustrating.

 

Got lucky in the end and got a guy in who was great (and under 55!), and got our re-wire done eventually.

[*_ash_* 88]

Electrician is what I have been thinking of doing. It suits my brain, and I like that sort of thing. Problem is, to go to college you have to have a job working with a company too. Can't see much chance of someone taking on a 45 yo apprentice for one day a week (as I still have to work to pay bills)

[spilldig 190]

1 hour ago, petcharlie said:

You answered your own question top quality apprenticeships have all but gone .Training young lads in skills in engineering like fitters welders electricians went with the demise of steel and coal and engineering firms.My brother who ran a engineering business could not get them for love or money and had to resort to asking retired guys to do a couple of shifts for him to fill in.Sad but true.The few young guys that have found an apprenticeship place in engineering will soon be able to name their own price  they will be as rare as rocking horse muck.

Could  he have possibly took an apprentice on and had one of the older guys teach him ?

[geared 319]

Met Gas were always spot on when I needed them, in fact all the trades people I got from the thread on this forum were brilliant.

[petcharlie 10]

2 hours ago, spilldig said:

Could  he have possibly took an apprentice on and had one of the older guys teach him ?

He did take two on and would have taken more but for the fact 95%of the work required working away from home and I think I am right in thinking there are strict guide lines for 16year old people working away from home on sites plus attending college would not be possible due to the fact they had a lot of contracts for installation of production lines and new plant  abroad so it made things difficult for them.