Why a trade ?

He has already suffered with being an apprentice and doing the hard years, why do it again.

He should look into other areas of Food industry like selling food stuffs or being a food inspector, there are many jobs that would suit a chef, without cooking.

I was a mechanic and being dirty all the time got to me. I went into computers and earn more per hour than I did in a whole week as an 1st year apprentice mechanic.

I work alongside Refrigeration Mechanics (industrial) for most of the year and the amount of work there is around in NSW at least is pretty full on. Money is good and also can branch out into electrical work/computer programming systems etc. If you can put up with the heat and hard yakka welding contractors/pipe fitters can make very good dollars also. Also agree that plumbers and sparkys (good ones) are always in high demand.

When I was 10 I wanted to be an astronaut but that didn't work out so now I weld pipes all day.

cheers

Lol dont do plastering...im a plasterer....your better off plumber or sparky....

Really? The plasters that work for the same builders as us get about 16$ per sq mtr and +gst on top of that. Can't rember what they get for render but that seems pritty decent?

so true, I have a bachelor in multimedia, yet I preffer to be a concrete pumpy, which most would consider a c* of a job, but I like it. I dont think I could ever do an inside job again..

tigweld - do u do them live gas lines?? guesing that would be pretty fullon

Edited January 26, 200917 yr by XRSics

XRSics, Have done hot taps in the past for Boral and also welding repairs inside LPG road tankers which was a bit scary the first time I did one. Imagine yourself inside a gas tank with a fxxxn big heating torch in your hand ready to pre heat the inside of gas tanker prior to welding. Work mainly with ammonia refrigeration systems now which is pretty much as dangerous and explosive in the right conditions. Providing all correct welding procedures are carried out however most of the risk is eliminated, saying that I've had a few near misses which have called for a bit more than a brisk walk to escape. Looking for quality pipe welders at the moment, anybody interested ?

I can weld!!.. oh you said good quality... never mind

Edited January 26, 200917 yr by XRSics

alot of people say sparky, and I would agree. Myself being an adult apprentice started when I was 28yo. I work for the NSW railways and get paid more now as a 4th year apprentice then when I was working my IT support role in a large ISP.

The thing with being a sprky though is you need to be half decent at maths and from what I am led to believe its one of the hard trades due to more study. Meh wasnt too hard for me passed every exam first go.

Idd say plumber, im currently doing that now and there is so much more demand than sparkys, one of the good things about plumbing is the repair work, its never ending. If he can get into a body corprate plumbing even better, endless work.

Site's are great money but the traing is very limited, e.g. you will most likely do the same thing every day for months on end e.g one crew will do roughing in mains line, others sewage, fitting out bathrooms etc.

Where if your not on site its a new challange every day.

Ive been a sparky and finished my app, but I really didnt like it and droped it as a trade and now im plumbing, best thing I ever did, I really wish I had of done it from the start.

<-----------------Heavy duty mechanic. Start as an apprentice at 17, moved up to a Leading Hand Mechanic, Work shop co-ordinator, Now works as a Site supervisor/maintenace planner. Love the job, love keeping the big gear rolling. Love having all my tools at home now for working on the Yoot.

Thanks for all the feedback guys, really helpful. Kepp it coming.

Edited January 27, 200917 yr by Dillz