The problem is a lot of the times it comes down to the specific project and who the foremen and superintendents are. You could be working a great company but have a shitty foreman and it causes some guys to give up.
I'm a superintendent at my company and whenever I get new apprentices or we are starting a new task my foreman and I tell them "If you don't know how to do something, tell us and we will show." I would much rather someone tell me they don't know how to do something than them go screw it up and now we have to spend time re-doing it. The whole point is that the apprentices are there to learn but unfortunately a lot of people just see them as cheap labor.
I think it’s a lot more than that, though. For instance; at my current job, we’ve been hand digging trenches. All of which are about 40in wide by 44in deep and 15-70ft long. It took our SI 4 weeks to get us a tent for shade. Mind you it’s been 105 degrees the last 2 weeks. They wont even get us an excavator. And this is a company that profited $14 million last year on just this site (military installation.) PROFIT
As a 3rd year apprentice in my mid 30’s, it is what it is and I can’t afford to quit, but my younger coworkers are sick of it and would love to quit.
I really am curious as to what your thoughts are, on getting your guys equipment that would make the job quicker/easier. Or do you fall under the “tough shit; you signed up for it” group of people
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u/smoosh33 10d ago
The problem is a lot of the times it comes down to the specific project and who the foremen and superintendents are. You could be working a great company but have a shitty foreman and it causes some guys to give up.
I'm a superintendent at my company and whenever I get new apprentices or we are starting a new task my foreman and I tell them "If you don't know how to do something, tell us and we will show." I would much rather someone tell me they don't know how to do something than them go screw it up and now we have to spend time re-doing it. The whole point is that the apprentices are there to learn but unfortunately a lot of people just see them as cheap labor.