Where are the young tradesmen?

[Delta]

Is it just me or is there a lack of young electricians, plumbers etc coming through the ranks?

I'm looking to employ a young(ish) qualified electrician to join me here in the beautiful garden route but am getting weak responses.

The CVs I do get most are currently employed in industrial environments and I'm particularly looking for a guy that has experience in construction ie floor and roof slabs, laying conduit in steel, can read and understand drawings of plug and light layouts etc.

Where do you guys find your electricians?

[GCE]

Train your own guys
Take on an Appie or speak to the training center's and take one on through one of the programs - It is like having a 3 year interview with them as they are not your problem

[Isetech]

I wish you luck. that saying "you are just a number in a company and you can be replaced anytime" that could explain why the business fail rate is so high in SA. You have to ask yourself, a 98 % business fail rate after 10 years, is it the business model or is it the businessman.

Good hard working people who you can exploit to the max are hard to find, too many modellers. Throw in social media and hand held devices and you have a bunch of shitters ( they spend more time in the toilet than on the shop floor working). I have noticed in some companies you even have to wait while the secretary finishes her social media engagement. One company I had to tap on the counter to get her to look up.

The only reason I am self employed, was because I realised my value to the companies I worked at. I suck at running a business, even though I have been doing it for 32 years ( any fool can do it). however when it comes to my work and willingness to learn, I am one of the best in the industry.

The have never to this day never had to produce my qualification, I moved from one company to another without missing a days work. The best part, I only have a std 8. (I am sure you can see that by the grammar ). At a presentation I did for a group a while back, the people were a little shocked.

Dont be fooled by a piece of paper ( in Sa you can buy anything), I have hired and fired many an idiot with a 20 page CV. A degree doesnt make you good at what you do, it is the persons willingness to learn that makes that person so valuable. Once they think they know everything, is when it is time to unload them.

I agree with GCE, take any one in your business who shows the willingness to learn and what how they grow. I took the tea guy from a company were I worked, taught him everything I know, he became the highest paid manager in my company in less than 5 years.

Customers like polite, hard working, humble employees. Find one of those and you wont regret it. Dont waste your time with arrogant smart asses who think they know everything.

[Blurock]

Totally agree. The problem may also lie with mutual respect. There is too little respect between people. Even self-respect. The workers don't respect the manager/owner of the business and vice versa.

When we understand the value of people, we will nurture them and train them to do the job correctly. If the purpose of a business is to create a customer (Peter Drucker) then we must understand that we should invest in attracting that customer. Putting an untrained low salaried, low iq employee on reception to unprofessionally answer your phones and meet your customers says a lot about your attitude towards your customers. Your front line staff is the image of your business and should therefore be professional. Do not skimp on this as those few hundred Rands saved may cost you thousands due to loss of attraction or even existing customers.

Invest in training your staff and do not adopt a hire and fire attitude. Once employees realise that they can trust you, mutual respect may start creating better attitudes and work ethics.

[Isetech]

Respect is earned, screaming out from an office, doesnt earn respect. People who make silly mistakes dont learn when you scream or threaten them.

Respect is earned when you can work at any level and show respect to those people at that level, even though you are at a much higher pay grade, qualification and experience level.

Wearing a suit and tie certainly does make you better person or more skilled, it just shows in most cases you too lazy to get your hands dirty

[Thys LOW Elektries]

If you were in George I could recommend contacting TDMI training https://www.tdmi.co.za/ or if you were in Orania I could recommend our our Training Centre 20 plus plumbers builders and electricians are currently being trained here locally, they all are looking for places to do their practical and places to work ��

Greatings

[Delta]

I agree with getting a guy that's just qualified (or not) and training him up the way I'd like him to work.

But I need a guy that knows his story now already.

Thanks for replies