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Where are all the Electricians?

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  • 06-10-2018 8:07am
    #1
    denismc
    Registered Users Posts: 1,438 ✭✭✭


    Where are all the electricians gone?, I am trying to get a sparks to do a few hours work but after contacting half a dozen I could only find one guy who said he will call in 2 weeks time. The others said they are too busy or some don't even bother to reply at all.
    I remember years ago the longest you would wait for an electrician was a couple of days.
    So did all the electricians die out with the "Celtic Tiger" or is it a case of there's not many young people taking up the trade?, or maybe some jobs are just too small.
    Just wondering have other people similar experiences?


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    #2
    OldMrBrennan83
    Closed Accounts Posts: 26,658 ✭✭✭✭OldMrBrennan83


    denismc wrote: »
    Where are all the electricians gone?, I am trying to get a sparks to do a few hours work but after contacting half a dozen I could only find one guy who said he will call in 2 weeks time. The others said they are too busy or some don't even bother to reply at all.
    I remember years ago the longest you would wait for an electrician was a couple of days.
    So did all the electricians die out with the "Celtic Tiger" or is it a case of there's not many young people taking up the trade?, or maybe some jobs are just too small.
    Just wondering have other people similar experiences?

    The boom is back so they don't want your small jobs, it's big contracts or nothing. Every trade is the same.


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    #3
    enricoh
    Registered Users Posts: 4,869 ✭✭✭enricoh


    Patww79 wrote: »
    The boom is back so they don't want your small jobs, it's big contracts or nothing. Every trade is the same.

    True, I don't get it though, relying on a builder to get paid wouldn't be my cup of tea. Id prefer 4hrs here and 3hrs there, paid as usual walk out the door


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    #4
    Sleeper12
    Registered Users Posts: 16,969 ✭✭✭✭Sleeper12


    enricoh wrote:
    True, I don't get it though, relying on a builder to get paid wouldn't be my cup of tea. Id prefer 4hrs here and 3hrs there, paid as usual walk out the door


    I'm plumber not electrician but the same thing in our trade. During the last boom I kept my prices reasonable (not low) & kept away from the building. I had friends that got huge. Twenty /thirty staff. No time to do any real work themselves. When the crash happened these guys had no work. They relied on builders so much that when there was no builders there was no work. As for me I had my steady client list & the last 10 years were actually my busiest 10 years.

    Slow and steady wins the race


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    #5
    2011
    Moderators, Home & Garden Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators, Regional East Moderators Posts: 12,558 Mod ✭✭✭✭2011


    denismc wrote: »
    Where are all the electricians gone?

    During the recession many left the country. Now that things are picking up again many of those that have considered returning have been put off by the cost of property / rent / everything.

    Additionally there was a time when an electrical apprenticeship was hard got and those that landed one were considered to be on their way to gaining a great qualification. Not so much nowadays, we now live in a society where (in my opinion) the vast majority believe that everybody needs a third level qualification in order to obtain a descent job. This has resulted in a severe drop in the number of electrical apprentices. My personal view is that this is b0ll0cks, but none the less we have a abundance of people with arts degrees that can't find work that uses their qualification. At the same time we have no shortage of people looking for electricians that are prepared to pay through the nose for them.

    So now we have less people training to be electricians at the same time that many of our best electricians are abroad, or considering emigrating. There is also a significant number of electricians that have up-skilled and no longer work on their tools.

    I am trying to get a sparks to do a few hours work but after contacting half a dozen I could only find one guy who said he will call in 2 weeks time.

    See above + this work only pays if you charge high rates which many are simply not prepared to pay.


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    #6
    anheneti
    Registered Users Posts: 183 ✭✭anheneti


    I know of a lot of guys who have left the trades, not just electricians...
    I trained as a plumber and couldn’t see myself ever returning to the job.


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    #7
    Thammer
    Closed Accounts Posts: 55 ✭✭Thammer


    anheneti wrote: »
    I know of a lot of guys who have left the trades, not just electricians...
    I trained as a plumber and couldn’t see myself ever returning to the job.

    Why?


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    #8
    anheneti
    Registered Users Posts: 183 ✭✭anheneti


    Thammer wrote: »
    Why?

    Job security mainly,
    No sick pay, I was out for 2 months with a shoulder injury, I returned to work on Monday morning and was let go Tuesday.
    One company used to tell lads on Thursday evenings they were finished the following day.
    I left because the next project was 120 miles from home


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    #9
    Thammer
    Closed Accounts Posts: 55 ✭✭Thammer


    anheneti wrote: »
    Job security mainly,
    No sick pay, I was out for 2 months with a shoulder injury, I returned to work on Monday morning and was let go Tuesday.
    One company used to tell lads on Thursday evenings they were finished the following day.
    I left because the next project was 120 miles from home

    That's kinda work is the dregs

    Always was,don't know how anyone can stick living from job to job


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    #10
    anheneti
    Registered Users Posts: 183 ✭✭anheneti


    Thammer wrote: »
    That's kinda work is the dregs

    Always was,don't know how anyone can stick living from job to job

    At one stage it was all that was available, I agree with you though


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    #11
    Sleeper12
    Registered Users Posts: 16,969 ✭✭✭✭Sleeper12


    Thammer wrote:
    Why?


    Some plumbers in parts of the country are being paid less than a labourer in Dublin.

    Dublin is great. Even working for a company you'll never have to travel a hundred miles like previous poster but outside of the cities work can be hit & miss


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    #12
    2011
    Moderators, Home & Garden Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators, Regional East Moderators Posts: 12,558 Mod ✭✭✭✭2011


    Thammer wrote: »
    Why?

    It’s not possible to work on your tools as a sparks until 65.
    Even at 45 many electricians feel too old to be on their tools. For that reason many develop an exit plan well in advance. An apprenticeship is a great building block for further education (certainly better than an arts degree)


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    #13
    aido79
    Moderators, Regional Abroad Moderators Posts: 5,374 Mod ✭✭✭✭aido79


    A little off topic but I am returning to Ireland from Australia next year to complete a degree in Electrical engineering and am wondering if it is worth going through the process of becoming an REC to pick up some work in my spare time(evenings and weekends) doing the small jobs that the full-time REC's don't seem to be interested in doing.


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    #14
    Hitman3000
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,596 ✭✭✭Hitman3000


    2011 wrote:
    It’s not possible to work on your tools as a sparks until 65. Even at 45 many electricians feel too are to be on their tools. For that reason many develop an exit plan well in advance. An apprenticeship is a great building block for further education (certainly better than an arts degree)


    You have just described exactly what my brother did. Sparks for 20 odd years ( damn good one, yes I'm bias but justified). He's out of the trade at 47.


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