harryagain wrote
wrote
Dave Plowman (News) wrote

Given the hassles you seem to be constantly having with apprentices, I
do wonder what the selection process is like? I'd have thought you'd get
the pick of the bunch to learn a trade like this properly?

Snag is any board or whatever sifting through applicants does need to
understand the qualities needed for this sort of job - and it's not just
having reasonable academic qualifications.

Often there's no board, little in the way of formal interviewing, and no
academic quals sought. You're keen to do this, lets give you a try. You
can ask 1000 questions, but the only real question is are you willing to
do & learn, and not an uncoordinated workplace hazard, and the easiest
way to find out is by trial.

There's not much you can ask a would be trade apprentice.

And there isn't much you can ask that can be checked to check if it’s a lie.

Apart from academic qualifications, I think if you can find one that has
hobbies other playing computer games then that's a atart. Practical tool
using ones.

Sure, but as you say not many kids have
those now so that doesn’t help you much.

Not all that many kids had them even when I was leaving school.

And check out the personality/ability to relate to other people.

Very hard to do in an interview situation where kids are
very nervous about the result. One of my neighbours kids
is quite difficult to get more than single word responses
from but would be a much better apprentice than most.