Fas workers.

cloptrop · 03-03-2012 01:22AM #1

I started my apprenticeship in 2005 .In an apprenticeship you do 7 phases .
Phase 1 -on site
Phase 2 - in fas
Phase 3 -on site
Phase 4-in fas
Phase 5 -on site
Phase 6 -in fas
Phase 7 -onsite.
Each onsite phase should last 6 months and fas phases last between 12 and 22 weeks about.
The onsite phases because of the waiting lists for fas phases took in some cases two years.
After doing about 7 years of an apprenticeship that was meant to last 4 years I was made redundant. I never failed an exam in fas. I started my apprenticeship without a girlfriend, I now have 3 children. All i needed to do was my phase 7 on site for 12 weeks. Fas were very helpful and after a while of threatening to cancel my apprenticeship if I didnt find work I was told I could do a phase 7 equivelency exam for 4 weeks in Galway. I left my family and went and lived in Galway for 4 weeks and passed.
I thought I was qualified took up a job in the North for 12 weeks.
Came home realised i still havnt got my official papers. Was told you hae to reapply to be qualified I may still not be qualified.
I cant do a gas fas course until Im qualified. I cant start my own plumbing business until im qualified. Im basically unemployable until Im qualified.
Im 8 years doing an apprenticeship. I worked on **** money through the boom as an apprentice and now I cant earn even a standard wage .
Whenever I go into fas they sit on their phones for 10 minutes to their friends while they leave me waiting at the counter. Nobody in the place moves faster than snails pace.
Im worried fas may be done away with before I get qualified and all my years plumbing will count for nothing.
Im touching 29 now and im still an apprentice plumber .
8 years fas come on get the ****in finger out.

westendgirlie · 03-03-2012 01:27AM

When did you finish up in Galway?

sgb · 03-03-2012 01:30AM

I got a dripping tap, you can come fix it, cash in hand

ShooterSF · 03-03-2012 01:35AM

Out of curiosity why can't you start your plumbing business without qualifications? If you know how to do it and you are going down the self employed route then a piece of paper is worthless, no? Undercut rivals at a promotional startup price. Fix **** and watch word of mouth do more than a piece of paper would ever do for you.

cloptrop · 03-03-2012 01:35AM

westendgirlie wrote: »

When did you finish up in Galway?

About a year ago

sgb wrote: »

I got a dripping tap, you can come fix it, cash in hand

Thats a doctor you need to go to

cloptrop · 03-03-2012 01:36AM

ShooterSF wrote: »

Out of curiosity why can't you start your plumbing business without qualifications? If you know how to do it and you are going down the self employed route then a piece of paper is worthless, no? Undercut rivals at a promotional startup price. Fix **** and watch word of mouth do more than a piece of paper would ever do for you.

To work on gas now there is all sorts of regulations you need the papers or else something like ten years experience and proof of your work

Sauve · 03-03-2012 01:36AM

Have you tried sending a copy of this to Fás?

cloptrop · 03-03-2012 01:39AM

Yes, they dont care , make excuses , blame other departments for sending results to wrong places,
I have taught myself a bit of guitar between phonecalls.

Immaculate Pasta · 03-03-2012 01:39AM

OP - You sound like you're making a fás about nothing to be honest :cool:

Sauve · 03-03-2012 01:42AM

cloptrop wrote: »

I have taught myself a bit of guitar between phonecalls.

Which bit?

cloptrop · 03-03-2012 01:43AM

Sauve wrote: »

Which bit?

The bit that makes the babies

Sauve · 03-03-2012 01:44AM

So you've been fapping between phonecalls to Fás?

ShooterSF · 03-03-2012 01:45AM

cloptrop wrote: »

To work on gas now there is all sorts of regulations you need the papers or else something like ten years experience and proof of your work

Hypothetically but how would they know *wink* *wink*

.. unless there was a giant gas explosion that killed you and everyone it the house... but then they couldn't charge you. So you know, every cloud and all that

Johnny Foreigner · 03-03-2012 01:46AM

cloptrop wrote: »

I started my apprenticeship in 2005 .In an apprenticeship you do 7 phases .
Phase 1 -on site
Phase 2 - in fas
Phase 3 -on site
Phase 4-in fas
Phase 5 -on site
Phase 6 -in fas
Phase 7 -onsite.
Each onsite phase should last 6 months and fas phases last between 12 and 22 weeks about.
The onsite phases because of the waiting lists for fas phases took in some cases two years.
After doing about 7 years of an apprenticeship that was meant to last 4 years I was made redundant. I never failed an exam in fas. I started my apprenticeship without a girlfriend, I now have 3 children. All i needed to do was my phase 7 on site for 12 weeks. Fas were very helpful and after a while of threatening to cancel my apprenticeship if I didnt find work I was told I could do a phase 7 equivelency exam for 4 weeks in Galway. I left my family and went and lived in Galway for 4 weeks and passed.
I thought I was qualified took up a job in the North for 12 weeks.
Came home realised i still havnt got my official papers. Was told you hae to reapply to be qualified I may still not be qualified.
I cant do a gas fas course until Im qualified. I cant start my own plumbing business until im qualified. Im basically unemployable until Im qualified.
Im 8 years doing an apprenticeship. I worked on **** money through the boom as an apprentice and now I cant earn even a standard wage .
Whenever I go into fas they sit on their phones for 10 minutes to their friends while they leave me waiting at the counter. Nobody in the place moves faster than snails pace.
Im worried fas may be done away with before I get qualified and all my years plumbing will count for nothing.
Im touching 29 now and im still an apprentice plumber .
8 years fas come on get the ****in finger out.

You worked on poor money through the boom? More fool you.
You have learned a hard lesson in life; don't get involved with FAS.
29 and still an Apprentice Plumber? You don't catch on quick.
You should have not bothered doing the apprenticeship and just gone out and earned.

cloptrop · 03-03-2012 01:47AM

Sauve wrote: »

So you've been fapping between phonecalls to Fás?

Fapping does not make babies , and neither does having sex standing up I heard.

ShooterSF wrote: »

Hypothetically but how would they know *wink* *wink*

.. unless there was a giant gas explosion that killed you and everyone it the house... but then they couldn't charge you. So you know, every cloud and all that

You need to issue certificates of comformance and all this stuff to people now , its not something you can or should do on the sly.

Frank Black · 03-03-2012 01:48AM

cloptrop wrote: »

I started my apprenticeship without a girlfriend, I now have 3 children.

So your point is that apprenticeships make you horny and fertile?

Or am I missing something?

cloptrop · 03-03-2012 01:49AM

Johnny Foreigner wrote: »

You worked on poor money through the boom? More fool you.
You have learned a hard lesson in life; don't get involved with FAS.
29 and still an Apprentice Plumber? You don't catch on quick.
You should have not bothered doing the apprenticeship and just gone out and earned.

You sound like a fas worker.

starbelgrade · 03-03-2012 01:50AM

Johnny Foreigner wrote: »

You worked on poor money through the boom? More fool you.
You have learned a hard lesson in life; don't get involved with FAS.
29 and still an Apprentice Plumber? You don't catch on quick.
You should have not bothered doing the apprenticeship and just gone out and earned.

Are you always this bitter?

Oh, sorry, I just spotted the username Johnny Foreigner, aka, Mr. Bitter Puss.

cloptrop · 03-03-2012 01:51AM

black francis wrote: »

So your point is that apprenticeships make you horny and fertile?

Or am I missing something?

At the start yes but they leave you feeling dirty and used.

OMARS_COMING_ · 03-03-2012 01:58AM

Similar situation.

Finished work today,FAS were paying me a wage the past 9 months to complete my phase 5 and 7 on the job.

All phases finished now blah blah blah.Need a few weeks work to get my papers,no work out there.

I dont care that much,i was annoyed but to be honest.What can i do?

Fas a terrible crowd to deal with it,just forget about your trade now and get a proper job - these apprenticeships are the most over rated jobs out there.

westendgirlie · 03-03-2012 02:03AM

The only person to talk to is your assigned training adviser. Don't waste your time talking to anyone else as they don't know your case.

Scan and email the letter they sent you offering Ph7 college placement. If it looked the same as 2, 4 & 6 acceptance letters then there would be the place at the bottom you had to sign. This makes up part of your official contract with FAS.

cloptrop · 03-03-2012 02:08AM

westendgirlie wrote: »

The only person to talk to is your assigned training adviser. Don't waste your time talking to anyone else as they don't know your case.

Scan and email the letter they sent you offering Ph7 college placement. If it looked the same as 2, 4 & 6 acceptance letters then there would be the place at the bottom you had to sign. This makes up part of your official contract with FAS.

Ive moved house 3 times since then and Im not a letter keeper.
Im waiting for my course advisor to send off my details yet again to a board of independant people that sign me off or not. I did this last year and everything managed to get lost somewhere. I was only told it was lost a couple of months ago after a million phonecalls. And learning about 15 acoustic guitar classics.

Immaculate Pasta · 03-03-2012 02:11AM

Johnny Foreigner wrote: »

You worked on poor money through the boom? More fool you.

:eek:

Johnny Foreigner wrote: »

You have learned a hard lesson in life; don't get involved with FAS.

:cool:

Johnny Foreigner wrote: »

29 and still an Apprentice Plumber? You don't catch on quick.

Johnny Foreigner wrote: »

You should have not bothered doing the apprenticeship and just gone out and earned.

A true roller-coaster of a post. Congrats Johnny Foreigner. Honest and to the point. You may get a lot of flack from posters but at least you're entertaining. Please keep posting

westendgirlie · 03-03-2012 02:12AM

Well fingers crossed it gets sorted soon.

In the meantime, keep on strumming

OMARS_COMING_ · 03-03-2012 02:17AM

Time needed served,4 years = 208 weeks,including all fas phases.

You also need phases 1-7 completed.I had this conversation with a fas officer a few weeks ago.

There is a way you can get your papers without completing the 208 weeks though.It involves a series of tests/workshops or whatever you want to call it,that involve (from what the fas officer told me) some pretty hard and complicated tasks,but i dont see how they can ask you to do something thats not in the tasks for each phase anyway? idk

As stated above,try speak to your training adviser,but take what he/she says with a pinch of salt i say.From my experience they arent a great help at all.I was told there was no schemes or courses available,i ended up getting a 9 month fully paid work placement with a goverment body that suited me perfect just from a conversation with a fas pay section employee.

There are thousands of apprentices in the same situation out there,all lost souls,but then again we all need the experience,if they were to hand out everyone their qualification it would lose its value/worth and it wouldnt be working for,maybe im wrong just an idea.

TheZohanS · 03-03-2012 02:18AM

cloptrop wrote: »

Ive moved house 3 times since then and Im not a letter keeper.
Im waiting for my course advisor to send off my details yet again to a board of independant people that sign me off or not. I did this last year and everything managed to get lost somewhere. I was only told it was lost a couple of months ago after a million phonecalls. And learning about 15 acoustic guitar classics.

Keep the chin up mate, at least you didn't revert to the scumbag thing and deal drugs.

cloptrop · 03-03-2012 02:23AM

OMARS_COMING_ wrote: »

Time needed served,4 years = 208 weeks,including all fas phases.

You also need phases 1-7 completed.I had this conversation with a fas officer a few weeks ago.

There is a way you can get your papers without completing the 208 weeks though.It involves a series of tests/workshops or whatever you want to call it,that involve (from what the fas officer told me) some pretty hard and complicated tasks,but i dont see how they can ask you to do something thats not in the tasks for each phase anyway? idk

As stated above,try speak to your training adviser,but take what he/she says with a pinch of salt i say.From my experience they arent a great help at all.I was told there was no schemes or courses available,i ended up getting a 9 month fully paid work placement with a goverment body that suited me perfect just from a conversation with a fas pay section employee.

There are thousands of apprentices in the same situation out there,all lost souls.

208 weeks well done man, pahase 1-6 all done , phase 7 equivalency done <this is the 4 weeks of tests I was talking about> 10 weeks work after this phase 7 course thing .
The funny thing is I had 2 years college in marketing done and got a certificate in it. I wasnt great at interviews at the time I was a bit shy or young I suppose but I couldnt get a job at it so I started an apprenticeship.
Do I start another line of work now or am I entitled to do nixers and collect the dole? One nixer a week and the dole would be minimum wage , its looking attractive at this stage.

Wintergreen · 03-03-2012 02:31AM

I was in a similar position to the OP but to be honest in these cases there are going to issues between government departments FAS cant give you your trade certificate until FETEC approve it.

I too had finished all seven phases of the electrical apprenticeship (FAS got me a 3 month placement to complete phase 7 for which I will always be very grateful!) and was expecting my certificate only to be told that although I had finished all 7 phases I had not 4 years service completed and wasnt actually finished my apprenticeship. I needed 9 more weeks on site experience which at the time was very hard to come by, I kept asking to be signed off but FAS told me FETAC wouldnt agree to that.

In fairness to FETEC (whom I never spoke to) from there perspective signing me off would be like giving a degree to someone who had sat 3.9 years of a course and didnt sit there final exams. At the end of the day I had'nt met the requirements to finish my apprenticeship and unfortunately neither have you.

Eventually I decided that I couldnt put my life on hold waiting around for a job that may never arrive so I left and went to Australia. There I found work as a trade assistant and with a letter of my employer and proof of employment (payslips, bank statements) I applied to FAS for recognition of prior learning (although in my case it was more like post learning!). They sent to the application to FETEC who approved it in January this year and two weeks later I recieved a letter from FAS saying my apprenticeship was complete and my certificate would be mailed to me.

This process took almost 4 months (still waiting for my certificate!) and FAS did seem to be helpful in that period but theres not much they can do in this situation. The best advice I can offer you is to hound some plumbing contractors and as is there anyway you could be signed off by them in return for some free weekend work etc. Its a tough situation your in I too, at the time, felt I had wasted a lot of time starting something that I couldnt finish. Over all my 4 year apprenticeship ended up taking just over 5 years so I know im luckier than a lot of people out there.

Hopefully something will come up for you!

OMARS_COMING_ · 03-03-2012 02:36AM

cloptrop wrote: »

208 weeks well done man, pahase 1-6 all done , phase 7 equivalency done <this is the 4 weeks of tests I was talking about> 10 weeks work after this phase 7 course thing .
The funny thing is I had 2 years college in marketing done and got a certificate in it. I wasnt great at interviews at the time I was a bit shy or young I suppose but I couldnt get a job at it so I started an apprenticeship.
Do I start another line of work now or am I entitled to do nixers and collect the dole? One nixer a week and the dole would be minimum wage , its looking attractive at this stage.

Yeah i know the 4 week equivalency tests,they sent me a letter to do that in limerick but it is a long way to limerick from where i reside and i couldnt afford it,finished phase 7 today though and im in a pretty similar situation as you now.

I dont see how they CANT give you your papers if you have to complete course finished? It's FETAC that issue you them afaik,get a TD from your area to look into it maybe? idk man,they really are a hard organization to deal with.

If you can get nixer then definely take them along with your welfare payment,better than nothing.I remember the fas officer saying something about a scheme to push reduntant apprentices through the system that could be coming in,i dont remember the details as it was a few months back and i havent heard anything since.

OMARS_COMING_ · 03-03-2012 02:43AM

Wintergreen wrote: »

I was in a similar position to the OP but to be honest in these cases there are going to issues between government departments FAS cant give you your trade certificate until FETEC approve it.

I too had finished all seven phases of the electrical apprenticeship (FAS got me a 3 month placement to complete phase 7 for which I will always be very grateful!) and was expecting my certificate only to be told that although I had finished all 7 phases I had not 4 years service completed and wasnt actually finished my apprenticeship. I needed 9 more weeks on site experience which at the time was very hard to come by, I kept asking to be signed off but FAS told me FETAC wouldnt agree to that.

In fairness to FETEC (whom I never spoke to) from there perspective signing me off would be like giving a degree to someone who had sat 3.9 years of a course and didnt sit there final exams. At the end of the day I had'nt met the requirements to finish my apprenticeship and unfortunately neither have you.

Eventually I decided that I couldnt put my life on hold waiting around for a job that may never arrive so I left and went to Australia. There I found work as a trade assistant and with a letter of my employer and proof of employment (payslips, bank statements) I applied to FAS for recognition of prior learning (although in my case it was more like post learning!). They sent to the application to FETEC who approved it in January this year and two weeks later I recieved a letter from FAS saying my apprenticeship was complete and my certificate would be mailed to me.

This process took almost 4 months (still waiting for my certificate!) and FAS did seem to be helpful in that period but theres not much they can do in this situation. The best advice I can offer you is to hound some plumbing contractors and as is there anyway you could be signed off by them in return for some free weekend work etc. Its a tough situation your in I too, at the time, felt I had wasted a lot of time starting something that I couldnt finish. Over all my 4 year apprenticeship ended up taking just over 5 years so I know im luckier than a lot of people out there.

Hopefully something will come up for you!

Wtf man.

I was going to go over to OZ next week to try and get some work to finish of my apprenticeship(i planned on going over after phase7).I asked the FAS officer a few weeks ago in a meeting if i could gain my expericence in OZ and do what you had done - get the required paper work and send it in in the hope that it would be recognized.

He told me 'no chance of that happening,you need to get an employer here to take you on' to complete to it.

Im not giving out,it would of just being nice to have known this.O well,i know now anyway,thanks.

cloptrop · 03-03-2012 02:43AM

OMARS_COMING_ wrote: »

Yeah i know the 4 week equivalency tests,they sent me a letter to do that in limerick but it is a long way to limerick from where i reside and i couldnt afford it,finished phase 7 today though and im in a pretty similar situation as you now.

I dont see how they CANT give you your papers if you have to complete course finished? It's FETAC that issue you them afaik,get a TD from your area to look into it maybe? idk man,they really are a hard organization to deal with.

If you can get nixer then definely take them along with your welfare payment,better than nothing.I remember the fas officer saying something about a scheme to push reduntant apprentices through the system that could be coming in,i dont remember the details as it was a few months back and i havent heard anything since.

Itll be another jobsbridge scheme where plumbers get free tradesmen and pretend they are giving them experience. Just like the shelf stackers in tesco and the fridge movers in currys. The system will be screwed. I seen lads while i was working up the north getting raped with these systems. Qualified lads getting let go because fas funded pahse 7 lads were free.

Fas workers.

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