Hey, Im 16 and im very much interested in the flooring industry i did work with a guy who has been doing flooring for 28 years and i became very interested in it, I am now doing work experience with a commercial flooring company, working in airports, hospitals an prisons. I am hoping to get a apprenticeship with them. Can i please get an idea how some off you guys got jobs in the inustry. Thank you!
Choose wisely who or which firm you go for as there are sh*t load of cowboy outfits about. do your research and try and get in with the commercial side rather than just a carpet fitter, least then you are covering all aspects of a 'floorlayer'
Agree with rugmunching try to get as many strings to your bow, being just a carpet fitter limits you to carpet being able to fit all kinds will keep you in work even when its slow, I fell into it, working part time at great mills and the supervisor I was friends with her boyfriend needed a lad so went to work with him back in 2002 then went on my own in 2006, I can fit practically everything bar ceramics and am nearly always in work, had about 5 days in 3 years when there wasnt a job to do.
When I left school my dad said get a job or your coming to work for me... So I got a job didn't like it & ended up working for him A lot of floor layers seam to just fall in to the industry & a funny industry it is. Good luck
Started work at 16 (1976) in department store as a porter (shop junior) hated it everyone telling you what to do all old enough to be my granny, blue rinse was the height of fashion. Back in 76 there was a recession left school Fri, working on Monday. Got to know the fitters as the stock room was beside their making up room. So in August when the "O" level results came in I decided stuff this i'am leaving, was telling one of the fitters and he said they were looking for an apprentice, the rest is history. BTW back then if you were 18 you were to old to start an apprenticeship.
Was made redundant at 30 (by my dad. Lol) and a mate of mine asked me to come and work with him and 13 years later I'm still at it. Best job I've ever had. I'm still learning at 43.
I started as a mechanical apprentice at a local engineering firm and knew it wasnt for me and a mate got me a job 2 days after i left(just to get me drinking money really)Looking back i was young and naive and the money in the industry compared to what i earn is frightning. BUT money isnt everything. Ibe been doing flooring for 8 years, just got into commerical in the last year or so and im enjoying what i do, i just moved into my first house and get married next year and have no regrets. At the end of the day someone will always need a floor layed and every day is a new challenge ☺
I got sacked by tribunal while working in a warehouse, I won't bore you why....yes I was a bit of a naughty boy.....anyway the day I parted company with this firm, went down the job centre, applied for a job at carpet right as a warehouseman, now 15yrs later I'm a territory manager and love the industry I'm in.
It involved cages, fire extinguishers, industrial lifts and others going up and down in a cage in a lift while being soaking wet...!!
Also you might want to consider a apprenticeship with a college / training centre. You will still need to find a employeer but when you do a college / training centre will train you on block visits which is normally 3,4 ,5 days every other month. (some apprenticeship providers do 1 day visits each week) . At 16 you will get FULL funding to pay for your college / training centres training. Word of advice, do your research, ask questions on here about the colleges and training centres offering these courses/apprenticeships. There are some VERY poor training centres and colleges out there. Pick your training provider carefully.
Hello, Sadly i live in Australia, I am hoping to get in a TAFE course which is a cert III in flooring technology. I will have to have be an apprentice to get into it.
