Trainee wage

[Jlux21]

Hello chaps,

Just want to gather some opinions with regard to a trainee wage. I've done 3 years at night school doing the 2330 and was offered the chance to do my Nvq with a company and was a bit disappointed with what they were willing to pay me. Im 22 with a mortgage, so unfortunately cant just accept anything. What would you say is a fair trainee wage in these circumstances?

Cheers.

 

[telectrix]

stick with it mate. when the romanians flood in it'll go down .

 

[Jlux21]

Unfortunately I've had to abandon it after 6 weeks. £5 an hour. An hours travel to site and over an hour back due to rush hour, unpaid. If my colleague had holiday or was ill I would have to stay away from site so wouldn't get paid. The van broke down the other week so couldn't get to site, another unpaid day. Basically if anything stopped me working I wouldn't be paid, regardless of if I was at fault or not. Worked out at 40 quid a day. Basically labouring all day, moving tools, cable, etc etc. I feel I was being taken advantage of. Any of you agree? Having not been a regular in the trade I have no idea what's fair, but others I've spoken to within building trades have said I was being taken advantage of. Just interested what you guys think? What would you pay a trainee? Am I right to think it was totally unfair?

 

[telectrix]

yep. agree . min. wage is £6 odd. if you've passed 2330 level 3, you should be on more than that. not sure of the exact figure, though.

 

[Jlux21]

My thoughts exactly. They were having none of it though. I said what about min. Wage? Nope, that was still to much. My mortgage won't pay itself so got to return to my old job. Gutted as I've waited 3 years for the chance.

 

[Jay Sparks]

I would say you should be looking at around £8 p/h. And you wont do much of your NVQ if your just fetching tools and making the tea!

 

[oldtimer]

I take it this was via an agency who charge £25 and hour and chuck you a fiver god how I hate those paracites

 

[Jlux21]

My initial thoughts were 8 p/h. They laughed in my face! So I reluctantly accepted the 5 p.h. Oh how I regret that. Just glad others in the trade agree with me and I wasn't being unrealistic. Oh well, must have just been a bad company. Not sure how ill possibly get my nvq now though.

- - - Updated - - -

Old timer - no. A private company.

 

[oldtimer]

stick with it mate. when the romanians flood in it'll go down .

Yep funny but true if it is an agency that is paying below the minimum wage then they should be shut down and heavily fined

 

[telectrix]

£7 - £8 is realistic. so is learning the trade.,not being a dogsbody. keep looking. something will come up.