Please think of me on the 11th and 12th of December as I have 2 days of exams so that I can employ an apprentice. To make it worse I have to travel 1 and a half hours there and back each day I absolutely hate tests and I can not see this one being any better wish me luck Posted by Rob Clark (Member # 787) on :
Ian, I thought the apprentice was supposed to take the tests, not the flippin boss?!!
RobC
Posted by David Fisher (Member # 107) on :
This is for RPL Ian?
Posted by Jon Butterworth (Member # 227) on :
Best of luck Ian!
The must be getting tougher these days with acreditation ... they used to just require three references and your work history. Wasn't the "glowing" reference I gave you enough?
Posted by VICTORGEORGIOU (Member # 474) on :
You have to be a "certified employer" in Australia? A two day test? Would one of you folks down under please tell the rest of us about it?
Posted by Ian Wilson (Member # 177) on :
yes Dave this is for RPL Posted by Jon Butterworth (Member # 227) on :
Vic, No, you don't have to be a "certified employer" here! hahahhaaha
But to take on an apprentice in any trade in Australia you have to be a registered Tradesman yourself.
Ian (like myself) did not do an apprentiship in Signwriting and therefore needs accredition from the apprentiship board that he is capable of teaching the skills required.
I got mine with a submission of several references from major customers and my peers, plus my years of experience running my own company. But it seems they are tightening the guidelines and Ian has to go under the microscope
Fair enough, the Government subsidises the training to some extent. And being a "qualified tradesman" still counts
Posted by David Fisher (Member # 107) on :
Ian, Break a lg as they say in thespian cirles. Others that may be reading this from Australia... It would be easy to construe Ian's test as "One of those beaurocratic things". It is not! The only way to carry any weight whatsover in the red tape circles is to have a lobby group. It does not matter if you are a fringe group or an industry group. Let me tell you now without exageration that unless our industry has a lobby group that cares, then yours and my industry is cactus fuctus right now. A lot of you will know that I spent some time in the system a few years ago. Well I went back there in the last week and the sign industry is being left to die a natural death by our government. The story goes like this... The curiculum being taught to the students is WHOLLY dependant on what our industry group dictates to the colleges governing body. So if you are unhappy with what is being taught then COMPLAIN! Not to the teachers although they could point you in the right direction (believe me they are doing a damn fine job with the little they ae given) Complain to your local member, to the federal minster, to the sign association but make your displeasure known. It is so easy to blame levels of government, the red tape and so on, but if you are sick of mediocrity - BITCH TO SOMEONE! Sorry Ian, I digressed, I hope everything goes well for you but I cannot stress enough for the rest of us, MAKE YOUR PRESENCE FELT before our industry is considered redundant by the minister and left for dead. Bold and capitals aren't enough, do it now. David
Posted by VICTORGEORGIOU (Member # 474) on :
This is interesting! So signwriting in Australia is a guild or trade, much like electricians or plumbers in the US? You don't hear much about formal apprenticing other than the construction trades here in the US.
What about franchises like Fast Signs? Do they exist? Are they considered signwriters or something else?
Posted by Ian Wilson (Member # 177) on :
Victor from what I see Franchises seem to just happen they grab somebody of the street train them for five minutes and call them signmakers I may be wrong but it seems this way to me i was sent some info on one and the prices they charge for equipment are much dearer than from a reputable dealer plus they charge very high fees for trainning then dump the unsuspecting subject on the real world to sink or swim
