Apprenticeship Electrician help

Starfox

Hi guys,

I have a few questions hopefully someone can help answer for me. I am 30 years old and I am looking to start an electrician apprenticeship. I am not in anyway put off by starting one at my age or the low pay for the first year or so.

I recently had an interview that was successful and got a 3 month trial that starts immediately for a company that installs CCTV, Alarms, intercoms and other security systems. The path to becoming qualified in this business is termed by the director giving me the interview as an 'apprenticeship' but when i asked him about it he told me 'its not the same as a standard electrician apprenticeship, and you wont be able to take a qualification away to a new or different job but instead rather experience' and when i asked about the pay in comparison to a qualified electrician i was just told that fully qualified its 'its a little less' but again no details,.. so this is something that is giving me a headache.

If i was 20 and getting into this line of work i could go for it but because im 30 and not getting any younger I want a safety net. So my questions are, in this line of business, eg installing cctv, alarms ect can you get an actual trade qualification from it or is it just this company in particular i got the trial for that doesnt seem to have one?

And would it just be worth it to hold off until I find work and get myself an apprenticeship as an electrician through the standard FAS/SOLAS route?

Thanks for any advice guys

Aint Eazy Being Cheezy

Unless he's registering you as an apprentice with FAS you'll never get your craft certificate thus you won't be a qualified electrician. He's also not allowed pay you apprentice wages, you'd need to be paid minimum wage, or above.

Tbh it sounds dodgy. Wait for a better offer.

Starfox

The Cunning Linguist wrote: »

Unless he's registering you as an apprentice with FAS you'll never get your craft certificate thus you won't be a qualified electrician. He's also not allowed pay you apprentice wages, you'd need to be paid minimum wage, or above.

Tbh it sounds dodgy. Wait for a better offer.

What are apprenticeship wages?

Aint Eazy Being Cheezy

Phase 2 €242.58
Phase 4 €363.87
Phase 6 €525.72
4th Year €647.01
Includes:

Aircraft Mechanics
Electrical
Electrical Instrumentation
Refrigeration & Air-conditioning
Instrumentation
Electronic Security Systems

Starfox

That first year pay is hard to look at lol, especially if im looking for work in dublin

Aint Eazy Being Cheezy

I don't know what the waiting list is like for phase 2 these days, it was roughly a year when I went for mine. If you're really lucky you might get called after 6 months, then you're up to the next pay grade. I wouldn't bank on that though.

Starfox

The Cunning Linguist wrote: »

I don't know what the waiting list is like for phase 2 these days, it was roughly a year when I went for mine. If you're really lucky you might get called after 6 months, then you're up to the next pay grade. I wouldn't bank on that though.

What is the pay rate before you get to phase 2

Aint Eazy Being Cheezy

Starfox wrote: »

What is the pay rate before you get to phase 2

Same as. €242. You get that from day 1, up until you complete phase 2.

HoggyRS

went back when I was 23 to serve my time and the first year was a killer on that rate paying rent and car etc but once your through It money is grand really, 512 a week at the moment for being in phase 4 sat around all day in a college, can't complain!

2011

Starfox wrote: »

Hi guys,

I have a few questions hopefully someone can help answer for me. I am 30 years old and I am looking to start an electrician apprenticeship. I am not in anyway put off by starting one at my age or the low pay for the first year or so.

I recently had an interview that was successful and got a 3 month trial that starts immediately for a company that installs CCTV, Alarms, intercoms and other security systems. The path to becoming qualified in this business is termed by the director giving me the interview as an 'apprenticeship' but when i asked him about it he told me 'its not the same as a standard electrician apprenticeship, and you wont be able to take a qualification away to a new or different job but instead rather experience' and when i asked about the pay in comparison to a qualified electrician i was just told that fully qualified its 'its a little less' but again no details,.. so this is something that is giving me a headache.

If i was 20 and getting into this line of work i could go for it but because im 30 and not getting any younger I want a safety net. So my questions are, in this line of business, eg installing cctv, alarms ect can you get an actual trade qualification from it or is it just this company in particular i got the trial for that doesnt seem to have one?

And would it just be worth it to hold off until I find work and get myself an apprenticeship as an electrician through the standard FAS/SOLAS route?

Thanks for any advice guys

Clearly this is not an apprenticeship, steer clear.
Low pay and a "qualification" that is not recognised is a bad move.

My advice would be to contact Fás and see what a real apprenticeship is.