gstuart said:

From a plumbing and heating point of view also seen many who decide to fastrack to become qualified

Omg , it was like banging ur head against the wall, I’ve got patience of a saint and tried to teach them as they came into the industry but alas many thought they knew better

Many couldn’t , solder a pipe, work out how to bend an offset and worse of all didn’t have a clue how systems worked , my favourite was setting up a fault on a boiler, if it wasn’t text book they didn’t have a clue, many times I would just cut the neutral wire in the incoming connector block on the boiler , then put it back into the connector , so wouldn’t have a neutral the other side of the connector , there was an hours entertainment there as I pulled up a stool and cuppa in hand

I can’t even begin to imagine how frustrating it was for u in engineering or BAE

My first day was how to sweep the floor properly and then each day how to look after tools and what they were used for , and then progress onto more difficult things as ur trusted more
Was taught by an ex para and he didn’t take fools easily , I made sure his van was tidy , got his morning tea and lunch , if I lost a tool or if he did I had to pay for it as I wasn’t doing my job properly in ensuring they were back in the proper place

Had 4 x years of that and must admit at the end I couldn’t have had a better teacher , upmost respect of how he taught me from the ground up front a basic stopcock onto very complex heating systems

Alas I think that’s what many are missing these days , having that starting structure of how things work , always taught u need to understand how things work before u can fix them and not skip basics by having a degree

Christ I need to stop talking now

Click to expand...

Datatek said:

There is no substitute for experience.

Click to expand...

gstuart said:

From a plumbing and heating point of view also seen many who decide to fastrack to become qualified

Omg , it was like banging ur head against the wall, I’ve got patience of a saint and tried to teach them as they came into the industry but alas many thought they knew better

Many couldn’t , solder a pipe, work out how to bend an offset and worse of all didn’t have a clue how systems worked , my favourite was setting up a fault on a boiler, if it wasn’t text book they didn’t have a clue, many times I would just cut the neutral wire in the incoming connector block on the boiler , then put it back into the connector , so wouldn’t have a neutral the other side of the connector , there was an hours entertainment there as I pulled up a stool and cuppa in hand

I can’t even begin to imagine how frustrating it was for u in engineering or BAE

My first day was how to sweep the floor properly and then each day how to look after tools and what they were used for , and then progress onto more difficult things as ur trusted more

Was taught by an ex para and he didn’t take fools easily , I made sure his van was tidy , got his morning tea and lunch , if I lost a tool or if he did I had to pay for it as I wasn’t doing my job properly in ensuring they were back in the proper place

Had 4 x years of that and must admit at the end I couldn’t have had a better teacher , upmost respect of how he taught me from the ground up front a basic stopcock onto very complex heating systems

Alas I think that’s what many are missing these days , having that starting structure of how things work , always taught u need to understand how things work before u can fix them and not skip basics by having a degree

Christ I need to stop talking now

Click to expand...

gstuart said:

Indeed, was abit of a shock when I came from the theory side Onto the tools

After my accident I applied for a job at a local tech university to teach heating , nope due to health and safety as I wasn’t 100% fit , so basically nearly 30 x years of my knowledge wasted

Click to expand...

myfirstl322 said:

Their loss imo.

Click to expand...

gstuart said:

Many thks, really disheartening when I really tried my best to get back to work yet alas with health and safety I can’t

Yet had to go through all the latest gov disability assessment to see if ur fit for work, go figure

Worst day was when I was registered disabled , made me feel like crap and downtrodden

But have my D3 , my lovely best pal candy my lab , roof over my head and food so life is very good in my book

Click to expand...

mikieman said:

Don’t ya think being retired...
You worked hard all your life and earned it...
Now everyday is Saturday
I do get the it don’t feel right....but...,
It sure grows on ya ...!

Click to expand...

raywin said:

From a selfish perspective, what happened made me, I could scrape white metal bearings a do stuff younger people had never heard of, eventually I was a law unto myself and in demand as a guy who made solutions, now I've seen parts of the world some people haven't seen in books, had a great time, and I'm sitting in ibiza having a pint before dinner, before going home on Thursday and putting the engine back in my defender.
Where did it all go wrong

Click to expand...

raywin said:

I started as an endentured apprentice and still have my documents, good experienced men shared their knowledge with me and all I had to do was carry the tools and go to the shop at lunch time.
Now it should be my turn to pass on what I learned but in so many industries experience seems to be like aids people who have it are not welcome and soon disappear, one of my life regrets is the chain ends with me.
I can't complain really I made a good living and now enjoy my retirement, but it doesn't feel right.

Click to expand...

mikieman said:

In my trade... I was the old guy...
It’s one thing that can’t be escaped...,
Yet...

Click to expand...

dieseldog69 said:

I've gone from being the young know nothing buck, and all seemingly in the blink of an eye, to the wise old man who knows everything and has forgotten more than these fellas will ever know.

Most of them hate working with me as I tend to dog them and push for more, most of them these days seem incapable of simple tasks and complicated ones seem to always result in me getting out the cab and back on the ground to set them straight, boils my pizz that they can draw half as much money out of the job as they do.

Click to expand...

mikieman said:

.....livin the dream...,,,

Click to expand...

ifloochies said:

Old guys, I think an entirely new thread about the topic that's sidetracked this thread is in order..... whilst we wait for the OP to get back with an update.

Click to expand...

ifloochies said:

Old guys, I think an entirely new thread about the topic that's sidetracked this thread is in order..... whilst we wait for the OP to get back with an update.

Click to expand...