Everyone has to start somewhere, and I doubt you were hand stitching bronte’s gear when you were just starting funny thing is I was on my first week as an apprentice when I was 16. You can’t judge everyone the same and some people once taught have a natural aptitude for it, you really need to stop being so negative all the time if the guy wants to learn let him it’s more than most bother to do and he doesn’t have decades of bad habits. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
At least I'm making the forum interesting and honest. Have you ever heard of the word apprenticeship? Where people train for years to become masters of a trade. Carpet fitting has always been semi-skilled, with no formal training, statutory college education, or recognised qualification. Lets not make it even worse and tell guys they can learn it in weeks or months. I have met only a couple of handful of really skilled and competent carpet fitters in my years. Is that negative enough for you?
I'm not judging anyone, but if someone says you can learn this complicated trade in a few months, this is ludicrous advice.
Nobody's said you can learn it in a few months have they they've just encouraged him to follow something he wants to do and if he's seriously keen with ambition he will be absolutely fine, I've worked with fitters that have been doing it 40 years and are terrible with no standards, Paul if your keen mate I wish you well, Samson get a grip
How funny..... I agree, to be a competent fitter, takes years, and you never know it all.I would say 3ish years with a good fitter, would give you good standing. Samson, carpet fitting is now recognized as a skill, and you can achieve an nvq. My 3 lads all work with me, and attended college and now have nvq`s, which are required by us, as were mostly on site. Most of the useful knowledge they have, comes from 'on the job, real world training'. Thats not to say college does not play its part. As for taking up the job at 53, I can only speak for myself, and say its not something I would be doing. It can be very hard work, and its hard on the body. It can also take time to build up good contacts, and to find decent people to work for. Some of the rates I see people working for are shocking, and if the rates are low, you have to knock your bollocks out, and cover a load of meterage, for not much money. Thats just my take on it, if you go ahead, good luck to you.
I think there is easier career paths at the young age of 53 but imo its still very feasible. I think you need to be financially stable just now to give you time for training and learning. I genuinely think dedicated people can become competent carpet fitters in the matter of months. It does take years to become an expert in the trade. I think time and dedication is the key elements in this scenario . Too many people in the trades talk about money made rather than striving for perfection. Coming on forums for advise or to give advise for that matter is a good sign of what kind of tradesman you are or could be.
I agree with what you say Neilydun. Just as a matter of interest: Three years ago I was looking for an apprentice as I was still working pretty much full time as a fitter to promote the shops that I had bought. A local college almost begged me to take on a young man who had achieved 'Flooring trainee of the year' together with obtaining an NVQ in carpet fitting and flooring. His experience was a full years training with the college. I gave him a chance and employed him. He knew not how to use a hammer. He was unable to fix gripperrods, was unfamiliar with grippercutters, and was unable to continue a gap between the gripperrods and the wall for even a metre. This young man was by now 20 years old. He didn't even know how to measure the width of stairs or how to lay out underlay. Between his fits of laughter, I asked him after a few days how he could possibly have attained 'Flooring trainee of the Year' when he obviously had no serious training, to which he replied to the effect that the college had to obtain successes to continue government funding, and that during his exams he was presented with the previous years premier student's papers which he was encouraged to copy. I considered taking this to my local government councillor to complain but declined. So much for my faith in NVQ's and modern college education. By the way, I do not believe this crap would ever go down in a UK university.
Yes, the cscs/nvq system is an absolute farce. The assessors/college don`t get paid, unless the student passes. As I understand it. When I got assessed for my nvq, I was having a taped interview. The assessor asked the question, paused the tape, then told me what he wanted me to say. I stopped him, and said if I did not know the answer, I should not be doing my job. It seems thats just the way it is, and thats how the system is set up. My lads went to college and did learn a lot there, but to me, there is nothing like real world training. If everything was completed the way there taught at college, we as commercial fitters would be earning about £5 a week. I took on a 16 year old recently, and to get him on site, I booked him in for a H&S test. He passed, and I got him a labourers card, so he can get on site with us. I agreed with him, that after 3 years working with us, I would pay for his Nvq assessment. I`m guessing he will pass
Like so many other things it’s box ticking. But on the flip side. Most people on here believe they are good at what they do and do things the right way or at least want to, that’s one reason people come on here as it’s not easy to find the right answers in this trade. A lot of bad technical advice and salesmen preaching this and that. But there are a hell of a lot of bad fitters out there that do it completely wrong and I would like to think these young apprentices are at least told and shown the right way to do things. I know both the lads I employ do and they have done apprenticeships. The youngest one never stops banging on about HT adhesive to me. They defo learn more, problem is it takes along time to be good enough to fit higher end stuff 4-5 years at least I think. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Anyway pjay....give it a go and see how it is. Can be hard work carpets. I would defo advise hard flooring if you want to earn more and sweat less! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
I'm also looking to get back into Fitting, Been working as a salesman for years and I'm not blowing my own trumpet but I'm good at it, in a well paid job but I do think I'd love to get back into flooring. Had 3 years fitting and then years out doing the odd jobs here and there, Really don't know where to start as most company's want self employed or weekend workers which I'm trying to get out of.
