average wage of a sparks in the current climate

[sonobit]

Sad...... but totally true. I heard the same thing said a while ago about pensions - the worst investment you can make. Buying a house - not yours until the last mortgage payment is made, and can be snatched back by them greedy banks at any time before. I rent, and if made redundant, get the rent paid by government. I work in an Independent school, maintenance and part time teaching. It's totally geared towards results. All the parents are interested in is getting their delinquent, spoilt little b'stards into uni with three A's. That's what they pay us stupid amounts to do. T Bliars idea to get 50% degree qualified only serves to water down the qualification, and it becomes almost worthless. Unless teaching becomes more vocational in school and college, this country will have a lot of ideas, but no-one to build them. And the banks debt will never get paid off!

If you are young and have little ties to this country.....RUN! RUN AWAY TO A BETTER LAND.

Thanks to 40 years of bad government, this country is in a bad way, and will need low wages, high tax and hard work to put it's self right again. Best of luck.

Wow glad to hear the expert Finaciers on here have such a great outlook on life in the UK, Where you guys moving to.... let me guess Australia...no US........ China perhaps wow how i envy your new brave life... in theses paradise worlds.

 

[SMB]

Laugh.

Im chuffed to bits that I live in England.

It aint perfect, but ive seen alot worse (I lived in India and Nepal for 11 months).

We are spoilt.

We are lucky.













I bet your not hungry.

 

[funkguppy]

I used to work for Bloomberg. Learnt a lot in my time there about how finance works in this, and other countrys. Teaching has only depressed me as to the point of school. Been to Canada - a forward thinking country which saw all this coming and is now booming. To get in you had to be qualified and have money, or an investor, or entrepreneur - oh, and no criminal record. New Zealand - my sister and brother-in-law just moved out there. Better paid doing the same job, kids straight into school, small class sizes, much better standard of living, and i think you'll find electricians more respected out there. Australia - at least the bloody sun shines. I could go on. Yes this country could, and was, great, and could be again, but not without radical change in government thinking.

Take off your rose tinted glasses and see the reality.

 

[SMB]

okay o blind one.

 

[Paul.M]

Well said SMB. We all moan but if we look at the bigger picture? Without getting into politics, let's look at other countries first then think what we have at home? Yep I'd love to emigrate to Australia later on in life but I'd miss our green grass of home, the country side, fish and chips, the local run down cafe and pubs. We've got a lot wrong with these little islands of ours but we have also got a great deal we should be grateful for. After all who showed the countries listed above how to do business, speak a common language and which country built these other countries? People like us travelling the world on the building sites that are now almost overtaking us in commerce. The planet is a much easier place now to pick a country to live wherever you want. If you don't like it here, move on or get on with it. Rant over.

 

[SMB]

Id better go collect some wood for the fire.

 

[SMB]

It amazes me Paul...

So many people here think they are owed a living.

Moan Moan Moan Etc

Money Money Money Etc


Hat-off to the Polish people who make an effort.






Wake up people.

 

[Paul.M]

It amazes me Paul...

So many people here think they are owed a living.

Moan Moan Moan. Etc

Money Money Money Etc


Hat-off to the Polish people who make an effort.






Wake up people.

I've just added to my last post now that I've seen what was said whilst typing.

 

[kyle12]

Im currently studying Level 2 Electrical Installation, really enjoying the course, allot to take in at first but im gettin the hang of it. My original plan was to go on to an apprenticeship but from what iv heard, iv got no chance, still gonna give it a go though

 

[funkguppy]

Read reply No 123 properly, and you will see that i said this country was, and could be great again, but needs change. Why do you think we are behind so many other country's now. Bad government for too long. Nothing to do with fish and chips, greasy cafe's, rolling pastures, etc. Personally, i prefer sitting in the shade outside a restaurant in Tenerife, eating a beautiful paella, sipping a cheeky Rioja. In case you say "why aren't you out there then"?, well, i'd miss my 5yr old son too much. Hence, if you're young, disillusioned, and have no ties.......voom!

 

[Paul.M]

Ok funkguppy. I think we are saying the same thing but not in the same language. For personal reasons you are not living in another country, I take my hat off to you.

I had a good friend that spent 5 years in the states and all he could say at any opportunity was things like, in the US this was better, that is cheaper, wages are higher, schools are better etc etc etc. Thought you were going down the same road. Gave him the same reply as I did to you.

We do have problems here in the UK but I still think its a great place to live on our little planet of ours. Depends in what you want from your working life and where you would be happier to do it.

 

[Paul.M]

Welcome Kyle12. If you need any help on your course just ask in the general forum and start a new thread, we are happy to help.

 

[sonobit]

I used to work for Bloomberg. Learnt a lot in my time there about how finance works in this, and other countrys. Teaching has only depressed me as to the point of school. Been to Canada - a forward thinking country which saw all this coming and is now booming. To get in you had to be qualified and have money, or an investor, or entrepreneur - oh, and no criminal record. New Zealand - my sister and brother-in-law just moved out there. Better paid doing the same job, kids straight into school, small class sizes, much better standard of living, and i think you'll find electricians more respected out there. Australia - at least the bloody sun shines. I could go on. Yes this country could, and was, great, and could be again, but not without radical change in government thinking.

Take off your rose tinted glasses and see the reality.

Why ever did you come back to this horrible place then as a sparky, after being in finance at Bloomberg then a teacher, and living in canada? answers on a postcard please..

 

[tonys]

I agree to a point , BUT they are only digging a bigger hole for everyone. Imagine the public reading this and thinking, Ok we shall only pay these rates for private domestic work etc !

So its nothing to do with the fact there's an over supply of "Electricians" and people will shop around for the cheapest worker/quote.

Your situated in a very well to do/affluent area of the country and if you were to enter my area or the north of England your be very very lucky to get away with your rates, in fact you wouldn't.

I get the impression people like you who are in work earning a good living do not realize how hard it is for those out of work to get work. Everyone is good at giving advice to those who are either looking for work or working for rates they believe are poor they will ruin it for others who are getting a lot more.

At the end of the day, its not what you think your worth or what you need to earn, its what the punter wants to pay. So like I said its a race to the bottom on the wages front and no-ones indispensable.

 

[LukeD]

So its nothing to do with the fact there's an over supply of "Electricians" and people will shop around for the cheapest worker/quote.

Your situated in a very well to do/affluent area of the country and if you were to enter my area or the north of England your be very very lucky to get away with your rates, in fact you wouldn't.

I get the impression people like you who are in work earning a good living do not realize how hard it is for those out of work to get work. Everyone is good at giving advice to those who are either looking for work or working for rates they believe are poor they will ruin it for others who are getting a lot more.

At the end of the day, its not what you think your worth or what you need to earn, its what the punter wants to pay. So like I said its a race to the bottom on the wages front and no-ones indispensable.

Tony

I could not earn a living from just doing electrics. I am multi trade and specialize on restoration etc . But when i do I charge about 20% less than others . Biggest difference for me is i will work weekends and have a good reputation for trust and work amongst valuable interiors etc . I fully respect the situation around the Uk. But certain guys are cut out for certain jobs and clients.

I know that if i looked at 100 guys to work for me i might find less than 10 that i could work with. We have to fit in with our customers ways and habits . Just been a good electrician is a small part of getting work!

also we have to factor in costs, i would imagine that like for like i would need £200 a week more than if i was working in Derby etc

Costs in London are far higher

 

[tonys]

Luke

I did not realize you was multi-trade, I was under the impression you was just an Electrician. That's why I posted what I did, but for you to say that you would not work for what some people have too, but unless you was in that situation, its easier said than done.

I was earning £200 to £250 a day a couple of years ago on my doorstop labour only, and now can't even get £120, I don't like it, but its that or sit in doors and rot.

Such is life and one as to do what one as to do.

 

[BLBelfast]

average wage in NI for a spark would be £11 an hour working for a company. The complete shortage of work for me at the moment I would jump at the chance to get some work for a company.

 

[kyle12]

Welcome Kyle12. If you need any help on your course just ask in the general forum and start a new thread, we are happy to help.

Thanks for the welcome mate. I will be sure to do so, thanks

 

[robmac86]

Hi guys just though id add my bit! Work for a big M&E firm in scotland rate is JIB so is roughly £13.50ish I couldnt give you an exact figure as im now completely sick of looking at a bare week pay pack!! Looking back at previous P60 I have noticed a rather sicking trend!! I also managed to earn £6488 more in my 3rd year as a apprentice than I did in the first year my time was out! There seems to be no overtime or price work that is remotely worth sweating over>> anyways rant over thanks.. rob.

 

[funkguppy]

Ok funkguppy. I think we are saying the same thing but not in the same language. For personal reasons you are not living in another country, I take my hat off to you.

I had a good friend that spent 5 years in the states and all he could say at any opportunity was things like, in the US this was better, that is cheaper, wages are higher, schools are better etc etc etc. Thought you were going down the same road. Gave him the same reply as I did to you.

We do have problems here in the UK but I still think its a great place to live on our little planet of ours. Depends in what you want from your working life and where you would be happier to do it.

Unfortunately Paul, so do i think it's a great country. I only spent a short time in Canada, had plans to emigrate to Nova Scotia, was ready to go, but personal reasons stopped me from taking the leap. I now live in a nice place, see my son regularly, surrounded by friends and family and am pretty content. Where i live now has been home for most of my life, so doubt if i'd move away now. Home really is where the heart is.I work for a company, and do a bit of work outside to top up the wages. I'm seriously considering becoming self employed, but realise after reading this thread and others that we don't live in the best of times, so may build up the business while still employed.

My employed rate is about £15 per hour, but no overtime, etc... just a salary. For that i have to look after 14 buildings, PAT testing, intranet and data switches, phone network, teach electronics, fire alarms, organise outside contractors, fire risk assessments, unblock toilets, etc... Feel like i'm being used a bit. I feel like i could do this for myself and earn a lot more, though i know it's going to be hard work, and it does frighten me a bit. I've always been used to a salary.

On an optimistic level, i can see (and have seen it before a few times) that when there's a recession, things don't get done, but still need doing, and when we come out of this there will be a lot of work for us. Take Kent schools for instance. A report has found that 520 state schools in our county are in need of urgent repairs and a lot of these need rebuilds. This work has been put on hold, but will have to be done at some point in the future. Same applies to housing and new business startups that will all need our skills when they open up.

I can see, and it always happens just before an election, good times ahead on the jobs front. We should all grit out teeth, get through the next two years as best we can, and be ready for the gold rush. The one thing that does need sorting out though, is the confusion that PART P has bought into our industry. I personally would like to see the government take control and issue some kind of professional card which would only be issued to fully qualified tradesmen, either through qualifications and experience combined, or training and exams. My appprenticeship back in the early eighties was in electronics servicing, and i have C&G and EITB qual's, but have been doing commercial electrics for 20 years now, 10 with the MOD. Have 2391, 2377, 16th and 17th edition. I like to think i'm fully qualified, but others may beg to differ as i'm not JIB and didn't serve an electricians apprenticeship. Don't know what you think?

Sorry, going on a bit here, but i love the forum. I love the debates, the opinions, disagreements, sarcasm, etc... I find it as useful a tool as any i have in my toolbox. Great bunch of lads.

Tony.