Moving and starting an apprenticeship!!!

[xa-mont]

Hey chaps.

So looks like i'll be moving back to the Bairnsdale area to start a Fitter and Turner apprenticeship with Kennedy Trailers in a couple of months!

I am planning on smashing out the apprenticeship as quick as possible (having been told that 1.5 years isn't too hard to do i'm aiming at doing it in 1 year flat).

Has anyone got any tips to help me through my apprenticeship? anything i can try learn now that will help? anything?

Cheers,
Trav

[oldskool]

I did an automotive apprenticeship in 8mths, all I can say is be a pain in the arse and ask for tasks, head down arse up.
Let the lecturers know what your up too and they will give you multiple tasks to do.
Don't be perturbed by other students who will get their noses out of joint because you are making them look bad by your fast tracking.
Its not hard to do its all up to how fast you can learn and complete tasks.
Good luck.

[wackyrider]

As Dylan said, make an effort when you start and get in good with the teachers. I had managed to get them let me do my theory sessions at home so when I was there I did practical. You can fast track quite easy if you want to. As mentioned above, ignore all the dicks who will start bitching cos you make them look bad just because they want to be slack.

[stiffsimon]

Weekend visits to Dylan sounds like a good move :)

[Iceman]

I don't get the whole, 'fast tracked apprenticeship' thing, yes I know that fully qualified pays better, but wouldn't it be better to get more experience before getting your qualification?

[K6Thou]

I don't get the whole, 'fast tracked apprenticeship' thing, yes I know that fully qualified pays better, but wouldn't it be better to get more experience before getting your qualification?
In theory yes, But if like me you have been doing the work for quite some time (I've been doing boilermaker type work for years) getting the formalities out of the way quickly is in my opinion better, simply because it opens the door to so many more work prospects sooner.

[Gitzy]

Good work and good luck Trav hope you smash it, I was just about to up and leave my job of 6 years to go play with some dump trucks as there was no room for progression at my job unless people start retiring but them people are only in their 40's so long wait me thinks.

I asked for a reference and some referees and my GM panicked a bit and offered me a Certificate III Engineering Heavy Fabrication (Boilermaker) with no reduction in pay rate so I'm stoked, He is 62 and retires in 4 years so he's happy to have me till then and help me obtain my trade and then won't mind so much if I leave..

4 years feels like forever though considering I've been their only Heavy fabricator for the past 4 years so now because I don't work under anyone its going to feel slow because it will be 8 years total till I've acheived what I wanted in the first place, also I have to work 5 days at work and 1 day of tafe so thats 6 days and then I need to work a certain amount of hours under a Tradesman which I have to do offsite at Androck Engineering so It will be flat out for a few years but should pay off in the end...

Anyhoo sorry to hijack your thread, Good Luck with it all Mate..

[Redmohawk]

I work with a shed full of fully quallified mechanics/fitters/welders most have been made to do all of there time instead of fast tracking , a small group have been alowed to fast track due to "special reasons". There are 3 people in the shed of prob 18 people I'd let touch anything I owned. Whether fast tracked or not if you don't have a brain or just dont want to learn your going to be crap at what you do. From what I have gleened from the apprentices currently going through the system if you show a real interest and knuckel down a great deal more than "The average tradie" can be picked up.

Talking with people in the know is great , being able to work out who they are is better ! (there are plenty that think there the gun , few are accually)

I'm just a hack and happy to stay that way. The stuff I do well (I pritty much dont like), the stuff I do ok (I like), the stuff I'm shit at (I love trying to do better). The stuff I'm quallifyed at (I stop doing unless things go to shit).

[xa-mont]

Thanks for all the advice guys.

I get where some of you are coming from with the dislike of fast tracking apprenticeships, but its not like I'll stop learning just because I get qualified. I'll just learn/gain experience whilst I earn more money :D

[Gitzy]

I have the option to fast track the first year as I've already completed the same modules externally at tafe in 2008 but the head teacher said it would be good to have a refresher and seen as though i'm not actually in a hurry and i'm not on the horrible pay rates these young guys are on I'm happy to do them over again... I'm in a class of 14 guys, I'm 28, 10 of them are 16 and 3 are 18 and boy do I feel old..

The dickheads they are giving apprenticeships to these days amazes me.. I couldn't get one to save my life at 16 years of age, application after application and heaps of interviews and no luck but today they seem to give them away, our teacher did say that not all of us will make it, some will quit and some will be turfed for being dickheads and for good reason one of the 18 year olds is on his last warning in week 6 so he won't last long..

I agree with you though Trav you will always learn /gain experience especially if your keen and being on the job is great experience, I am rather surprised at how easy the course is bearing in mind I have done these first few modules but some of the 3rd year stuff will keep me on my toes i think..

[K6Thou]

The dickheads they are giving apprenticeships to these days amazes me.. I couldn't get one to save my life at 16 years of age, application after application and heaps of interviews and no luck but today they seem to give them away, our teacher did say that not all of us will make it, some will quit and some will be turfed for being dickheads and for good reason one of the 18 year olds is on his last warning in week 6 so he won't last long..

This true. After speaking to the guy who will be teaching me at my TAFE class and having him say 'out of 250 I teach I might have 20 good ones' it got me thinking that sure I can tick a heap of stuff off the list with the RPL process but if I actually knuckle down I should be able to get through the whole process quicker that almost everyone else in the class.

[oldskool]

In theory yes, But if like me you have been doing the work for quite some time (I've been doing boilermaker type work for years) getting the formalities out of the way quickly is in my opinion better, simply because it opens the door to so many more work prospects sooner.
I too had worked in the trade for years so it was a case of dot the I's and cross the T's but I sill did it the old tafe way rather than VCAT fast track prior learning crap.
That option seemed like a copout.

[K6Thou]

I too had worked in the trade for years so it was a case of dot the I's and cross the T's but I sill did it the old tafe way rather than VCAT fast track prior learning crap.
That option seemed like a copout.

I hear you brother but some of the shit I have to do for my qualification entails assessment on how to use an angle grinder etc so if I can skip the lessons on shit like that I will......

[latheboy]

If you work in the trade for years, then a fast track App. is a good thing if you know what your doing.

If your just starting out and do a fast track of 1year or 1.5 year, learning how to use a Lathe/Mill/CNC/everything else, well you'll be more hero.

I'm still learning after 15+ years.

[xa-mont]

If your just starting out and do a fast track of 1year or 1.5 year, learning how to use a Lathe/Mill/CNC/everything else, well you'll be more hero.

Hopefully i can become your hero then :P

But like K6thou said, I also have a lot of the basic skills well beyond what i'm sure a lot of the 16-19 year olds have, just because i have a lot of experience myself stuffing around with making/modifying things. (even a very small amount of mill and lathe work)

I also figure that my IT background should help me out a bit in the CNC world.

[MTBEERWAH]

don`t take this the wrong way, but I get shit off when people get a trade after a year when I had to do 4years. I under stand that there are different levels of competence in people in life,and think a mature aged person should be able to speed the process up,but not after 1year,and to certify 16-17 year old after a year..fuck that..whats he really going to know!!

[Aido]

Experience counts for more than the piece of paper.
Good luck Trav. Aptitude, knowledge and ability will always stand you in good stead but experience is the key.
Every machining job is different as is every different machine that you use. The text books and tafe malarchy are a guide only. Experience and your ability to adapt to each task will bring you to the fore.
Tolerance and surface finish along with planned processes come with experience that cant be taught. But your a smart cunt and you will work it out. Dont be too hasty. Enjoy the ride.
Cnc programing can be done by any 14yo with an apple app these days. Cutter paths from cad are auto generated. Selecting correct tool, surface speed etc comes with experience.
Just a question. Do G codes still exist?

[sharky]

In my exp at the end of the college training the real learning is just beginning....

[Shadowzone]

In my exp at the end of the college training the real learning is just beginning....

that's the same regardless of what the job is. Doesn't matter if you are studying to be a Doctor or Working on becoming a Diesel fitter or Sparky. The day you stop learning is the day you need to give it away because you are going to become a liability. I drove trucks for 10yrs (still do weekends) and I still learn something new every time I get in one.

Learning is Living...

Oh and good luck with the apprenticeship mate, I'm glad you finally found one since you have been chasing one for a long time now!

[xa-mont]

Thanks mate.

Yeah it has been a while, and i've never been in a better position financially than now (no Debts, no rental contract, some spare money in the bank, over25 so its mature age). so its pretty good timing.

[xa-mont]

Well it's come time to dig this thread up because...

I'M DONE!

I'm now a qualified fitter and turner.

I started working on the 21st of May 2012 and did my first day of trade school on 18 June 2012, so about a year and a half :D Very happy with that. Am I your hero now Ivan? :P

[hutch]

well done mate

[stiffsimon]

Congrats mate. Homers now? ;)

[latheboy]

Haha .. well done bud, now the real learning begins.. 1.5 years is fast ..

Where to now?

[hyofighter]

Top stuff xamont you smashed that out quick

[wackyrider]

Shit that was quick. Well done mate

[MattyDucati]

Congrats trav, good job

[xa-mont]

Thanks Guys. I'm really quite chuffed with myself.

A mate may have lined up something for me at a local factory as a maintenance fitter so that I can make some more coins whilst I try to weasel myself onto an oil rig, or at least into the oil and gas industry in Sale.

[wackyrider]

Send me through your CV Trav. Mainly all we have down your way is work on Cranes - offshore, but might be worth seeing if anyone is interested.

[xa-mont]

Will do Jules. I'm going to mess around updating it and whatnot this weekend.

[rod185651]

We'll do e mate, very impressive