Apprenticeships

Richie15

Sorry if this is in the wrong forum. I was just wondering if anyone can give me an idea what an apprenticeship would pay. Is it more than the dole? If not, would the welfare make up the difference? I checked on the Fás website and it says you get a Fás allowance (€196/wk I think) for the off-the-job part, and it has a list of what to expect for phase 2, phase 4 and phase 6 but then on the curriculum page it says that those are the off the job phases... It's all very confusing! Only thing I can figure is that I'm wrong about the 196 part and the website doesn't mention the on-the-job part...

Anyway the reason I ask is I was checking out jobs and there's an apprenticeship I was thinking of applying for, but I'd have to move to Limerick for it, don't know if I could afford that. Any help greatly appreciated!

pieface_ie

As in a trade? First year pay is bout 200ish,that's for phase one(on the job.ie working with your company) after bout 8-12 moths you go to phase 2,which is in fas you are in a class room learning and then the worKshop in fas also,when you finish there you go back working for your employer for 6-12 months which is your phase 3,then when you end up going back to tech(class room type same as phase 2) that's phase 4.again when you finish that back to your employer for phase 5,then back to tech for phase 6,then back to employer for. Your final phase and then you qualify.

Pay scale is not so much based on what phase your in but how long your company has you registerd with fas as an apprentice.so if your company registered you on the 17-02-2010 you would be a first year up till 17-02-2011 then you would be classed as a second year and with that a increase in pay etc. Generally speaking it's roughly two phases a year,first year is phase one and two and so on.

Hope that answers your question,below are the electrical apprentice rates I've added in roughly the year beside it.

Year Gross Wage Norm
Phase 2 €197.47 (1st year)
Phase 4 €296.42 (2-3rdyear)
Phase 6 €439.51 (3rd- 4th year)
4th Year €531.49

Richie15

Well the main thing I meant was how much could I expect to get during the on-the-job phases, would it be about the same as the off-the-job part, depending on the year? It's heavy vehicle mechanics I was thinking of, by the way, or, failing that, car mechanics.

pieface_ie

well forget about the on the job pay and off the job pay,its all based on what year you are regardless of if your on the job or off the job phase.Does that make sence?

Richie15

Yeh, gotcha now, thanks!

Immanuel_CAN

pieface_ie wrote: »

Year Gross Wage Norm
Phase 2 €197.47 (1st year)
Phase 4 €296.42 (2-3rdyear)
Phase 6 €439.51 (3rd- 4th year)
4th Year €531.49

your outline of pay scales here is not accurate really, pay scales vary depending on what trade you are training, also the pay increases are not dependant on the phase you are in but rather the year, pay rates are calculated on the basis of the date from which the apprentice is registered, you may have a second or third year apprentice in phase 2...it happens believe me.

for instance when I entered into phase 4 as a bricklayer I was in my third year as a bricky and my pay rate was almost 550 a week or 14 euro an hour.

Immanuel_CAN

Richie15 wrote: »

Yeh, gotcha now, thanks!

just a bit of advice buddy, I would stay away from the HGV mechanics, unless it is an absolute passion of yours, I have a friend who left the trade because he had to work up to 60 hours a week for take home pay of 600 euro a week, he now drives a truck and earns around 900 a week.

piddler

I served my time as a plant fitter just got my papers this year and in my experenice unless your garage has a union the rate of pay is up to your employer

In Phase 1 I was on €154.87 a week
In Phase 3 This went up to €204.65
I rang fas they told me apprintice rates were between empoyer and employee
I left and went to my current employer and my wages more than doubled:D

But in the current Climate if your offered an apprintiship I'd take it at least you'd have a job and some prospescts

baz_ctr

piddler wrote: »

But in the current Climate if your offered an apprintiship I'd take it at least you'd have a job and some prospescts

that's true but you don't want to be taken advantage of either (with the wage examples you gave above) with some employers using the poor me not enough work to go around card,
if that's true why would they be hiring:rolleyes:

piddler

baz_ctr wrote: »

that's true but you don't want to be taken advantage of either (with the wage examples you gave above) with some employers using the poor me not enough work to go around card,
if that's true why would they be hiring:rolleyes:

True enough but some places have a habit of hiring apprentices and then letting them go after they are quailified, this way they have a ready supply of eager workers to do the work like servicing (They'll never tell you it was an apprintice that serviced your machine but I'll bet it probably was)

I know of a large well known plant dealer in Dublin that had a ratio of 1 quailified fitter to 8 apprintices during the boom,
An apprintice could spent weeks washing parts or grinding valves or some other mind bending job

I'm not trying to put anyone off! It's just the way it is but if theres a job going I'd take it.
It'd be still better than the dole

Richie15

Immanuel_CAN wrote: »

just a bit of advice buddy, I would stay away from the HGV mechanics, unless it is an absolute passion of yours, I have a friend who left the trade because he had to work up to 60 hours a week for take home pay of 600 euro a week, he now drives a truck and earns around 900 a week.

Yeh well it's driving I'd be into, but I'm only 20 so the chances of getting driving work are slim to none for the next 4 - 5 years. Couple of people suggested an apprenticeship, rather than just working in McDonalds. Having said that, working in McDonalds is still more than I'm doing at the moment, but that's another arguement! The point is, I'd be getting a qualification, and I'd rather something relevant if I can get it.

Anyway, the money's not that big a deal really. I'm just asking so I know if I can actually afford to do the apprenticeship. Thanks for the help everyone!

piddler wrote: »

True enough but some places have a habit of hiring apprentices and then letting them go after they are quailified

Well that wouldn't really bother me. By the time I'm finished the apprenticeship I'd be 24 or 25, easy enough to get driving work then.

piddler wrote: »

...if theres a job going I'd take it.
It'd be still better than the dole

Exactly!