Best apprenticeship to do

bogman_bass

Everybody saying plumbing is easy work hasn’t carried lengths of 2” GB pipe!

Pinsnbushings

I'd be looking at electrician or a plumber, best variety of work and will give you the best chance to progress into engineering, factory, management etc.

You'd also have the option to tip away at domestic work locally alongside the farming.

Depends how much farming you want to do and how much income you can pull out of that. You will earn bigger salaries on paper in maintainence etc. Surprised nobody has mentioned that most domestic work especially the likes of Painting is all Johnny cash, which is ideal where you have a farm making returns to revenue. If I was back again I'd be getting a decent trade like that, travel for couple of years, come back here in mid twenties get a reasonable well paid job working for somebody for few years, draw down my mortgage and then tip around local at nixers and the farming.

I'm renovating a house at the minute and bar windows I havent seen 1 iota of an invoice for labour from any tradesman, all cash. Painter 130 cash per day for 9-5, add that to a farm income, how bad.

Grueller

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118442327#Comment_118442327

Painter that paints for us here has never painted the house. He puts a fresh coat on the milking parlour every year.

barneygumble99

Doesn't matter what trade you do, if you come when you say you’re coming and your good at what you do, you’ll never be short of work. I would definitely avoid mechanic though for two main reasons,

1. You’ll never be finished learning or buying tools, you could spend €200k and still not be fully kitted out.

2. People will ring you 24/7 365 and EXPECT you to fix their sh1tbox because they have work in the morning, need to do the shopping etc etc and you’ll often hear the phrase ‘I’ll catch ya later’.

I'm not a plumber, but know a good few from previous work and domestic plumbing is likewise though on the body. You wouldn't want to be doing it in your late 50s onwards. Good money mind, and as said above cash in hand is the norm, but in danger of a cashless society. Maybe by then you are employing those doing the grunt work.

What type of farming are you doing? Milking and the amount of free time is likely going to be very limited.

If I recall correctly there's a shortage of apprentices. Motor mechanic, as long as its not a life long passion, is the least likely to be paid well or suitable to fitting around farming , as will any commercial work as you'll find it tough to get away. Oh, and those running main dealers, wouldn't have the best reputation in general as being the best humanitarian 😆

The airline industry is obviously in the doldrums right now and while covid might go away climate change concerns won't. It might become more the preserve of the better off and reduce in size.

Sooo... plus one for electrician.

martinnn1997

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118442605#Comment_118442605

I'll be doing dairy farming all right, along with the help of my folks

martinnn1997

Dunedin

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118438899#Comment_118438899

Appreciate the response but just not sure how much a busy fella trying to finish a house cos five more shouting at him to come to theirs would appreciate me asking him to spend a few hours showing me.

I’m in a full tie job off farm so would ideally like a course like the one below- take a few days annual leave and that’d be that. Actually rang up them a few months ago but was told they’ve no plans to run it anytime soon.

http://www.wwetbtraining.ie/apprenticeship/craft/plastering

Water John

OP as your from Cork, the pharma industry offer a lot of well paid job opportunities. There are some specifically designed courses in CIT.

https://www.cit.ie/gmp

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118446013#Comment_118446013

I thought you were interested in an apprenticeship, my mistake.

Dunedin

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118446685#Comment_118446685

No worries.

bogman_bass

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118438012#Comment_118438012

Nobody has mentioned the early starts. If you need to be on the road for 5.30 to be on site in Dublin at 7 you aren’t going to be too inclined to be forking silage in the morning.

SuperTortoise

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118438012#Comment_118438012

This, a thousand times over.

It's alright in your 20's and 30's but pulling and dragging on sites all day catches up with you, as someone that's done it for 20 years i can say there are easier ways to earn a few bob.

Of all the traditional trades an electrician would generally be the handiest, no heavy lifting, no big outlay on tools, clean, can diversify etc etc.

Mf310

Electrician or plumbing probably best apprenticeship to do alright for all the reasons named above blocklaying be grand for a few years but theres not a hope id do a 4 year apprenticeship for it , alot of lads farming making alot of money from being an AI tech or scanning cows too , lots of options for a lad from a farm

cj maxx

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118439849#Comment_118439849

Brilliant 😄 , don't tell I'm back :)

Furze99

Don't think that being an electrician is handy work all the time. Maybe on new builds but any sort of rewiring work can involve a fair bit of hardship, not least crawling/ squeezing around attics and so on.

JohnChadwick

Deciding what to do straight after school is one of the biggest life decisions you make imo. Would really recommend something non physical to do in combination with farming. Even though there's a predicted shortage of all these trades (and there's the lure you could make a lot of euros a day) I still don't know if its worth it.

But things like bookkeeping, computer programming, cad technician are all things that offer apprenticeships and probably require the same level of brain ability as the traditional trades, could be totally wrong there now though. Anyway they'd surely leave you with a bit of energy to put into the farm.

cjpm

Cad technician is a great idea. Interesting work but nothing too difficult and you can work from home a few days a week too unlike any trade.

cjpm

Plus you’d be mad for a bit of farming after sitting at a desk for a few hours.

enricoh

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118448558#Comment_118448558

Just a heads up - If the rumours back then are true, there may be a bit of child maintenance owed!

cj maxx

Cheers, to quote Shaggy it WASN'T me 😄

enricoh

Was waiting a month before Christmas for a chimney sweep. I destroyed the place the last time so have been retired from it! He done ours and the folks- e50 each. Doubt he was there for much more than 30 minutes at each of them. Thought to myself it'd be handy for a lad that drops kids off to School, do easily 4 or 5 of them and round up kids 200-250 into the paw - job done.

No 4 Year apprenticeship, few rods n a fancy hoover - a couple of grand n that was about it.

PoorFarmer

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118449217#Comment_118449217

Had mine done by a lad before Christmas too. He reckoned there is about 3 months max in it, November, December and January and that's it. Same lad does alot of chimney inspections for insurance claims and all that stuff so he has a bit of a backup plan.

Will never again even bother doing them myself anymore when I see how handy he can manage. 2 done in less than an hour and not a speck of soot around the place

K.G.

I'll go against the grain here and suggest shuttering,especially if you think you might go full time dairy eventually. You ll make nice money if you re prepared to work and you you ll be around yards and get great experience from listening to other farmers and seeing other set ups and when it comes to developing your own setup you ll know exactly what to do and how to do it.farm building tends to quieten in the spring and get mad busy in the autumn so you can always pick up work at quieter times

Stephen_Maturin

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118449217#Comment_118449217

A dying profession, few enough doing it at the moment but you never see chimneys in new builds and there’s a decent bit of discussion atm about banning domestic open fires altogether for air quality/climate change reasons. Would be as well becoming a thatcher

Padre_Pio

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118448969#Comment_118448969

Now there's a thought. A lot of companies are hard up for CAD technicians, especially with the boom in engineering.

It wouldn't take more than 6 months to get up and running and learn GD&T. After that you could be learning on the job.

timple23

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118450753#Comment_118450753

Buy a cnc machine down the line and be able to custom cut steel/timber/plastic for people or make up small simple yokes.

kirk.

I was doing the electrical for yonks

The easy money always seemed to involve me paying people who were registered or could supply some type of certification to me

When I needed a fire cert I used to pay some guy 300 for 30 minutes work and a piece of paper , there'll be a lot of money in testing and certification going forward the way the country is heading I reckon .I see companies getting into it now. Renewables of course too.

vincenzolorenzo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118438639#Comment_118438639

The biggest thing to consider is what the lad actually likes doing himself. I always thought painting was a handy oul number and tore into a few rooms when I bought the house. Never again. Hated every bit of it. Did a bit of tiling in the kitchen after and I really liked it. Hadn't done it before and wasn't looking forward to it but I'd have no problem doing more. Different strokes for different folks

Kevhog1988

Have you considered becoming a Quantity Surveyor OP?. i did lots of different construction work both before and after College and have to say i really enjoy the QS work. I'm working from home now at the moment and work hours to suit myself within reason. Theres a big shortage of us at the moment so the money is good and plenty of companies are willing to take on young people and put them through College part time. Might be an option where you would have a few quid coming in but also getting a degree at the end of it.

I find theres a good clatter of Country/Farming lads go into the role also as its not necessarily pure office work.