Apprenticeship (HIRE ME) Half price

apprentice carpenter

Hi, Im a 26 year old carpenter from D15.

I started my apprenticeship aged 16 and I need to finish it in fas. I was not always on fas's books when employed as during the good times I was making a fortune. I have all merits in Phase 1,2,4,5. My main problem is im missing 3 and cant get into college for my final exam. I did 3 but my old boss never handed it in, and TBH at the time I didnt care as I was doing chippy foreman at the time.

I need an employer to hire me for 6 months to redo phase 3 and get me into college.

I am technically a 3rd year apprentice and fas have agreed to pay an employer half my wage every week.

This means the employer pays me half and fas covers the rest.

Anyway Im a top 2nd fixer with ALL my own tools(top of the range) a LWB Transit van and my own business.

I can generate a lot of my own work so this to can help ease the burden of an employee at this time.

Im a smart, keen, hard working family man that will work hard for a Good employer. I work as fast and faster than top carpenters and do the work better in most cases.

I have worked in joinery, carpentry(predominantly) as foreman of 6 chippys and 12 apprentices for a previous employer and I own my own business.

I need my papers so if this country goes total belly up I can apply for visas to get work elsewhere.

Im sure you understand my plight, so if your a good employer to work for and your looking for a top class carpenter with great perks then send my a private message and we can discuss the details.


Cheers;)

dev100

how did you get phase 4 and phase 5 signed off? without phase 3 paperwork not being signed off. Did you look into doing the fas scheme that they find you an employer ? If you have an qualified chippy mates get one of them to sign it off and then wait for phase 6



Good luck and good hunting

apprentice carpenter

I was waiting to be called for my final exams and fas got onto me saying there was a problem.

That was over 2 years ago and I have been on raps(redundant apprentice program) ever since. Im on the other scheme too.

As for qualified chippy mates, I have asked but there are two problems there.

The first is that they would have had to employed me on the books to do it as far as I know.

The second is Fas send the phases to the employers so I would have to register that employer on PAYE tax.

Its a bit messy and if I could do it as easy as that I would. I just dont want the tax man knocking on any doors.

I worked on the tax books but off fas' here and there so the situation is very messy.

If there is a way I could get a friend to sign me off safely then im all ears.

Iv even tried to get an affidavit but fas wont accept. That employer is in New Zealand now so I hav'nt a hope in contacting him.

Cheers for the luck, Ive a feeling Im gonna need it

dev100

If it was me Id have a chat to a local Politician see if they can do anything with fas or id ask one of my mates to put me on their books and let fas pay your wages even if it is only half what it should be due to you If it wasnt costing your mate anything you could drum up your own work Im sure they wouldnt mind.

apprentice carpenter

Tried the politicians, Joe higgans is supposed to call me soon. Joan burton sent emails to them and basically told me to go to my apprentice guy who wont do anything for me. And Vladimr what ever his name is didnt reply.

Never thought of doing it the other way but I might be worth a look.:)

1chippy

took on an apprentice in the same boat lately. had missed phase three and has to do it again.
the main issues i had to do to get him signed up were:
renew insurance with him on it.
Current tax clearance cert. pretty hard to keep up to date at moment.
otherwise they made it reasonably easy.
I think you should approach your fas instructor, explain your circumstances with that much experience they may be able to get references of say main contractors that you would have worked for.

apprentice carpenter

I will have to look into that alright.

My fas instructor promised me loads of things and delivered on nothing.

Hes hopeless, I started a college course for business and a month in he told me he would sign an affidavit with me and get me into DIT. I withdrew from the course, a month later I got back onto him and he told me he couldnt do it for me and pretty much didnt even remember me.

This was after at least 15 emails, two face to face meetings 3 TDs involved and a plan to get me sorted.

He told me what I wanted to hear and Im the ejit that believed him. Never learn with these fas reps. They are very badly managed and there staff have no real incentive to help. Given thats not all of them, just the ones looking after me.

I have had a nightmare apprenticeship. I have been doing carpentry 10 years and phase 3 is stopping me from going to college.

I dont expect them to magic up jobs, but in reality Im waiting on a 3 month college course and exam. There has to be something he can do. Hes just not willing to get the thumb out and actually do his job.

Its third level education, surely it would be better for the government to get lads like myself trained so we can get visas and lighten the load untill things pick up. Pissing into the wind is more productive than asking for help from these people. Its like im talking to a monkey with no head

JoeB-

What does the employer have to do to employ apprentices?

For example, if I'm an untrained cabinet maker, with no papers, but I've been running my own cabinet making shop for 6 years,.. can I employ apprentices? I currently employ staff, but general operative type staff, who do the cabinet making too.

(Can I even call myself a cabinet maker?)


So what do FAS say?.. does the employer need to be a qualified cabinet maker, through FAS or an equivilent, before he can employ apprentices himself? Or is having a cabinet making business enough?


Cheers


PS. Is there any way I can become qualified myself? (without having to do four years.). For example, can I try to pass the third year exams or something, and go from there? I cannot become an apprentice myself as I have a business. Is there a grandfather clause or something which might allow be to be considered as qualified?

apprentice carpenter

JoeBallantine wrote: »

What does the employer have to do to employ apprentices?

For example, if I'm an untrained cabinet maker, with no papers, but I've been running my own cabinet making shop for 6 years,.. can I employ apprentices? I currently employ staff, but general operative type staff, who do the cabinet making too.

(Can I even call myself a cabinet maker?)


So what do FAS say?.. does the employer need to be a qualified cabinet maker, through FAS or an equivilent, before he can employ apprentices himself? Or is having a cabinet making business enough?


Cheers


PS. Is there any way I can become qualified myself? (without having to do four years.). For example, can I try to pass the third year exams or something, and go from there? I cannot become an apprentice myself as I have a business. Is there a grandfather clause or something which might allow be to be considered as qualified?

Nope you have to do four years. Fas are black and white. Unfortunately there is no grey area. As for calling yourself a cabinet maker....the proof is in the pudding. If your work is good then a piece of paper is not required.

Ive seen plenty of lads with papers who have no idea what theyre doing. Either your good at what you do or your not.

As for getting qualified, and Idea would be to take on a qualified carpenter/joiner and get him to sign you off. If you have one working for you then you can take on apprentices. There needs to be a qualified lad onsite 40 hours a week to train apprentices and thats the only way you can take them on. If you were to get signed off yourself then you would still have to go to phase 2 which is 6months in a training center, phase four which is 3 months in college and phase 6 again 3 months in college.

Do you really need your cert?

The reason I need mine are to broaden my options ie. For insurance/tax reasons. To be able to take on my own apprentice and to make me eligible for a work visa if things get worse.
If you already have lads working for you then obviously you have insurance and tax sorted.
By getting qualified yourself or taking on a qualified lad you may be able to cut your overheads and offer your GOs an apprenticeship if they want.

Its only a piece of paper at the end of the day and IMO the proof of your skills are in your work. But I would give my left arm to get them for myself at this stage.

1chippy

I trained through Letterfrack furniture college. I t isn,t recognised however at the same level as a fas course. for this reason an assessor was sent out to my workshop. i had to give him a list of previous employers and break down of duties and responsibilities. They were able to tell me there and then that they were happy enough to let me have an apprentice.
The only reason i can see that the fas qualification comes into effect is on gaining your points for residency in Aus. I worked there for a few years as foreman and pm. we accepted when people told us they were carpenters/ joiners or cabinet makers then gave them a two week trial. you always knew after the first day whether they would be there after the second week. Papers mean squat in my opinion, you can either do it or cant. A lot of the fas trainers i met wouldnt be capable of holding steady work in the real world .

apprentice carpenter

I agree about the trainers. They can do their job but i couldnt see a lot of them doing mine.

I didnt realise they had an assessment for the likes of yourself. I suppose thats something to be positive about.

As for the 2 week trial, I hear ye there all right. I used to do chippy foreman on a site in finglas and we had a 1 day trial. We literally went through 15 people to get 2 good lads. I know everyones a bit off on the first day but you can tell straight away by a lads body language before he lifts a tool whether they no what you want them to do.

In my experience the ones who know ask questions so they do it first time perfect. The timewasters generally dont ask questions, they just do what they think you want and thats that. This doesnt go for apprentices now as everyone has to learn and I run through it with them first and ask them questions so they are 100% comfortable of what to do. This saves re-do's later.

As for the Visa, I was refused a visa 2 years ago because I had no papers. Now I applied for myself my partner and my son so they wanted a skilled qualification.

I wasnt to bothered as it gave me a kick up the arse to start my own thing which worked.
Just still really want my papers just to fall back on just in case.

Id love to take on an apprentice which is impossible for me now:(

Fingers crossed this will work itself out soon.

cbbe

I read that you trained at letterfrack. Do you have your own business,