Forum Replies Created
It looks like I 've got some rusty old minds thinking, good.
Aprentices have a right to be paid – but no more or less than anyone else who is studying or in training. As I said previously, at least they DO get paid something, TAFE or Uni students get squat – they usually have to spung off their parents or get a part time job. Some very fortunate students get a measley allowance from Austudy – but only if their parents are on the breadline, otherwise they nothing. Apprentices wages, regardless of how small they , are not means tested in this manner.
HECS is a deferred payment system that is garnished from a graduate's wages until it is paid off in full, which can be as high as $30k. It increases in lione with the CPI. Nothing is free.
On the subject of degrees, I have an construction engineering degree and a postgrad diploma in project management. But so what? A degree is only a foot in the door, it doesn't mean you're qualified to make lots of money or important decisions. Only experience and reputation will get you that.
Oneplumber, you can have all the degrees you want, even one for wiping your backside, but it mean anything without related work experience, high level skills and an excellent reputation. I wouldn't employ someone just because they have a degree, the first thing I look at is their experience and references. The degree would maybe come in handy if some govt agency requires a particular person to have a degree.
my point exactly, they get what they're worth. I notice that some tradies are whinging that they were poorly paid as apprentices, at least they got something.
I know that Scott, I was making the point that at least apprentices actually are paid whilst they study and learn their trade, whereas other student get sweet F.A.
masterrel, crashy & oneplumber
I wouldn't have expected any other reply from the likes of you. Its like waiving a red flag, any opinions, be they positive or negative and guys like you will jump head first to defend your so-called reputations whether your're right or wrong, very predictable.
I work in the construction industry so my hours are anything but 9-5. You're not the only ones who claim to do irregular hours. I also owned a business for about 10 years and know the ins and outs of small business. In this free market, you guys can try and charge anything you want, whether to get get it is another matter.
I think apprentices are actually fortunate to get paid anything at all. When I was studying and workng to gain the required work experience to graduate, I was paid the grand total of ZERO dollars and was forced to live with my parents until I graduated. So welcome to the real word where everything is not laid out for you on a silver platter.
Why are you complaining anyway, that's the career path you have chosen, or maybe you had no choice because of your lack of sufficient brains cells to do anything else. Still it looks like your all making a good living.
And I don't hear anyone still claiming to be a battler?
What's this nonsense about being charged $120 for a 2am callout – I was charged $230 for a Saturday night callout at 7pm. The guy lived 15 minutes away, he was actually in the area doing another job and spent a grand total of 15 mins at my place fixing an electrical problem. I knew I would have to pay around this amount, so it wasn't a surprise to me.
But lets put this in perspective, he probably did say half a dozen jobs that evening x $230 per job = $1,380 for a night's work. Yes, I know he has to pay for his overheads, say 30% (which are tax deductible anyway, he'll probably get back 40%), which leaves him about $1,000 with a large portion tax and GST free for cash jobs. That's pretty good for 6 hours work.
I don't want to hear anymore from these tradies whinging about how they are battlers, beacuse they're not. They're C.U.B.s (cashed up bogans).
By the way, I have no problem with someone, who ever it is, making good legitimate money, I applaud it and encorage it. But please, spare me the struggling working class battler bullshit, beacause it'ssimply not true.
