Hi, I am hoping to get some advice

Plumbing Forums

Help Support Plumbing Forums:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

Jamesbsd

New Member
Joined
Aug 4, 2016
Messages
1
Reaction score
0
Location
,
I have started a job as an apprentice plumber in April and it has been very stressful for me and I was hoping to get some advice from a professional who has either been there or is dealing with apprentices currently.

I was put together with this guy who is probably autistic or has some kind of mental disorder. He is no teacher that I do know. I was working with him for 2 weeks and then from then on I was mostly all on my own, thrown into jobs in which some I had no experience with and all of my learning has been through trial and error.

I was hoping to get advice on how to deal with my issue in which I am not getting any real teaching and I am about to lose my job because I have screwed up a few times where my boss had to go back and fix. Shouldn't apprentices be stuck with someone for proper learning/training or is this the norm where they pretty much just go and do it trial and error?
 
Depends on the company that hired you and what they hired you for.
What type of plumbing is it?New construction? Service and repair? Drain cleaning? ( not really plumbing but can lead to some ).
what types or jobs are they sending you out on?

I started out cleaning drains and learned most of my skills hands on.
You have any trade school training? Most apprentices work with skilled plumbers for several years. I have a young kid ( about 23 yrs old ) working with me now. I have been doing service and repair work a few yrs more than the day his momma spit him out.He has a couple years experience but not really confident in his ability to just let him roll on his own. He's great to work with. eager to get it done.

There all kinds of plumbers out there. Some are taught how to build and install new stuff. They do it the way they were taught. Then there are those that just figure it out as they go. Having good mechanical skills is going to be your biggest asset, the next would be working for someone who will teach you how to do it the right way. I was fortunate to have both.
 
Feel free to ask question. Got a few rookies posting in now and then with stuff they are not sure about. Let us know what part of the world you're in and what code you follow. IPC and UPC are different in a lot of ways.
 
james,



are you at work 15 minutes early stocking the truck with the items you used yesterday ?
throwing pipe on the rack?-------------------------------------------enthusiasm ?
or do you show up at 7:01 and wait to be told what to do ? ----apathy ?

what kind of helper are you ?
 
Last edited:
Reason i ask James, we see a lot of "helpers"
who fly in the door want to be a plumber in the "WORST" way...want to make a career out of it.
and in 6 mths quit and go flip burgers because it is cleaner and easier.

I my self, do not start teaching a helper till after he has proved to me he is serious.
it is not worth my time.
talk to your plumber, actual conversation, if you plan on sticking around tell him

he is under no obligation to teach you anything, he is not a teacher
if you WANT his knowledge you will have to ask for it

plumber and apprentice relationship is a freindship ,

btw, i learned by doing, I was plumbing 3 story apartments by my self year 2, my plumber held a coffee cup in one hand and pointed with the other

i was proud I could do what other helpers could not
 
I dont think they should be sending out a first year ape on his own. I worked with some good old guys when i started in the late 80's who felt it was on them to pass down there knowledge. If you were willing to learn they would teach. I also did 5 years in the apprentice program.

I have never worked on the service side though only large construction. Service may be a little bit cut throat
 
I was hoping to get advice on how to deal with my issue in which I am not getting any real teaching and I am about to lose my job because I have screwed up a few times where my boss had to go back and fix. Shouldn't apprentices be stuck with someone for proper learning/training or is this the norm where they pretty much just go and do it trial and error?

you learn by trial and error, but, your plumber should be looking over your shoulder, slapping you up side the head for dumb**** mistakes.

under no circumstance should your work go by and not be checked.


the job is the plumbers responsibility to make sure it is done correctly. if he is not looking at your work he is not doing his job.

and you can tell him i said so


another thing, your boss should not even be talking to you about mistakes, it is not your place to address them

ALL the responsibility is on the plumber. if you do not pick up your lunch trash its his fault for not kicking you in the ass
 

Latest posts

Back
Top