What’s your thoughts on these? My mates lad has just stared one after leaving school and seems to be learning a lot about transport.
He has started in the office doing odd jobs then moves on to warehouse/yard duties and then on to lgv driving gaining all licences on the way.
I know he will see it through because he has a real interest in the industry but wonder how many lads will take one on and realise it’s not for them.
I think a lot of young lads will benefit from these myself.
Seems a good way for the company to get a few years cheap labour out of someone,a lot of these “non specific” apprentices are popping up and imo are just a way of companies to pay below the minimum wage and get away with it.
When I was younger you did an apprentice in a trade and learnt that trade,these “retail” and “road transport” apprenticeships offer nothing in the way of a long term career,what if this lad doesn’t pass his HGV test after 2 years of doing odd jobs and working on the yard?Will he be a qualified road transport operative?whatever that means
There’s a lad at the place where I work on an apprenticeship, picking and stacking tiles on a pallet.
I thought he was taking the ■■■■ until I spoke to the boss. 
slave labour.
when it comes down to looking for a job companies couldn’t give a monkeys about what you know about the industry, the just care that you can get from A to B in the shortest and cheapest way possible. wages reflect this.
ckm1981:
Seems a good way for the company to get a few years cheap labour out of someone,a lot of these “non specific” apprentices are popping up and imo are just a way of companies to pay below the minimum wage and get away with it.
When I was younger you did an apprentice in a trade and learnt that trade,these “retail” and “road transport” apprenticeships offer nothing in the way of a long term career,what if this lad doesn’t pass his HGV test after 2 years of doing odd jobs and working on the yard?Will he be a qualified road transport operative?whatever that means
Tripe!!!
Any apprenticeship is cheap labour, whether the apprentice takes an interest and gains a qualification and trade or not, why is transport any different?
I did an apprenticeship when i left school, served my time and didnt want the job I trained for, its a big call to make a lifetime career decision at 15 year old.
I think they are a good thing, the apprentice gets to work and know the background before reaching the holy grail 
of being a driver. There are far far too many people out there who do not understand the other side of the desk, this gives that opportunity.
Dont you just love the negative on some of these postings. Theres far more to the Transport Industry than sitting on your backside moaning about Road Haulage pay rates and traffic hold ups on the M6 or greasy food at the Red Lion cafe or being stuck at an RDC somewhere in the back of beyond without grub.
If somebody has the initiative to take on an Apprentice, whose to say that he or she is not going to be taught anything, instead of being labelled as somebody working on the cheap.
Start at the bottom and work up
lolipop:
Dont you just love the negative on some of these postings. Theres far more to the Transport Industry than sitting on your backside moaning about Road Haulage pay rates and traffic hold ups on the M6 or greasy food at the Red Lion cafe or being stuck at an RDC somewhere in the back of beyond without grub.
If somebody has the initiative to take on an Apprentice, whose to say that he or she is not going to be taught anything, instead of being labelled as somebody working on the cheap.
Start at the bottom and work up
initiative haha! i’m sure companies are offering apprenticeships out of the goodness of their hearts and to help youth unemployment. I doubt very much companies are interested in the cheap slave labour or the various government cash incentives on offer 
Companies only have to pay the salary of the apprentices (min wage is £2.68 p/h) and all training is paid for by the government.
maga:
lolipop:
Dont you just love the negative on some of these postings. Theres far more to the Transport Industry than sitting on your backside moaning about Road Haulage pay rates and traffic hold ups on the M6 or greasy food at the Red Lion cafe or being stuck at an RDC somewhere in the back of beyond without grub.
If somebody has the initiative to take on an Apprentice, whose to say that he or she is not going to be taught anything, instead of being labelled as somebody working on the cheap.
Start at the bottom and work upinitiative haha! i’m sure companies are offering apprenticeships out of the goodness of their hearts and to help youth unemployment. I doubt very much companies are interested in the cheap slave labour or the various government cash incentives on offer
Companies only have to pay the salary of the apprentices (min wage is £2.68 p/h) and all training is paid for by the government.
Your right, it is a load of corporate BS to give them a good sense of wellbeing, but there are some folk out there who want to get into the industry but age and money is against them, here they have an opportunity to gain qualifications whilst working, so everyones a winner.
We all have to start somewhere, why mock it?
Why do a 2 year “apprentiship” to ultimately learn to drive a HGV when he could go and work in Tesco for £6-7 a hour stacking shelves and then when he reaches the required age do his HGV C & C+E within a month and not have had to spend 2 years earning around £50 a week!
Also this BS about learning about the industry is exactly that…BS,who really cares as on here about anything beyond you leaving the yard and getting back in one piece…
Road transport apprentiship my arse…
I think the apprenticeship is a good opportunity for a young lad if the company does a lot of different variety of work.
A young yard lad would gain a lot of experience been a yard boy at heavy haulage company.
But wouldn’t fancy packing pallets and I’m sure not many youngsters would stick it either.
Themoocher:
I think the apprenticeship is a good opportunity for a young lad if the company does a lot of different variety of work.
A young yard lad would gain a lot of experience been a yard boy at heavy haulage company.
But wouldn’t fancy packing pallets and I’m sure not many youngsters would stick it either.
Anyone can pack and stack a pallet, but can that person pack or stack a pallet so it doesnt fall over when numpty behind the wheel is giving it full slipper on the road? And then moan that the pallet was stacked ■■■■
ckm1981:
Why do a 2 year “apprentiship” to ultimately learn to drive a HGV when he could go and work in Tesco for £6-7 a hour stacking shelves and then when he reaches the required age do his HGV C & C+E within a month and not have had to spend 2 years earning around £50 a week!
Also this BS about learning about the industry is exactly that…BS,who really cares as on here about anything beyond you leaving the yard and getting back in one piece…Road transport apprentiship my arse…
Yes that’s the way to encourage the young into the business. Let them wait until they’re 25 or so then stiff them for a few grand only to tell them they can’t be taken on because they have no experience! A couple of years learning about the transport industry would be good for youngsters interested in driving. Of course there’s no guarantee they will stay in, no apprenticeship can do that, but there’s a very good chance they’ll have work. They might even learn enough to prevent them coming on here asking questions about the basics of drivers hours or the wtd or " I’m going to Scotland tomorrow, what’s the best way, I’m leaving from Carlisle?"
B1 GGK:
maga:
lolipop:
Dont you just love the negative on some of these postings. Theres far more to the Transport Industry than sitting on your backside moaning about Road Haulage pay rates and traffic hold ups on the M6 or greasy food at the Red Lion cafe or being stuck at an RDC somewhere in the back of beyond without grub.
If somebody has the initiative to take on an Apprentice, whose to say that he or she is not going to be taught anything, instead of being labelled as somebody working on the cheap.
Start at the bottom and work upinitiative haha! i’m sure companies are offering apprenticeships out of the goodness of their hearts and to help youth unemployment. I doubt very much companies are interested in the cheap slave labour or the various government cash incentives on offer
Companies only have to pay the salary of the apprentices (min wage is £2.68 p/h) and all training is paid for by the government.
Your right, it is a load of corporate BS to give them a good sense of wellbeing, but there are some folk out there who want to get into the industry but age and money is against them, here they have an opportunity to gain qualifications whilst working, so everyones a winner.
We all have to start somewhere, why mock it?
The issue isn’t that of getting young people into the industry early it’s the question of the wage rate while they’re training.
In general there’s no reason why young workers in the industry shouldn’t be contributing enough to the firm’s output to be paid a lot more than a minimum so called ‘apprentice’ wage.IE the school leaving age is around the same as the C1 category age limit so someone can leave school and legally drive a 7.5 tonner and do their forklift training and the young driver HGV training scheme, while also studying for their management CPC in their own time.
As for anyone who’s being told that they need to do office work and warehouse/ yard work based on the carrot of HGV training later all at less than £3 per hour just walk away and tell them you’re a driver and if they don’t want to put you on the road and pay a reasonable wage that’s at least commensurate with that of a 7.5 t driver from day 1 together with LGV training then stop wasting you’re time.
My advice to any young lads would be stick in at school,
get some decent qualifications and go for a job with decent prospects.
The transport industry has gone downhill at a great rate of knots in recent years and it is hard to see anything improving any time soon.
The majority of drivers have poor pay and conditions and have no great future.
Steer well clear in my opinion.
B1 GGK:
Themoocher:
I think the apprenticeship is a good opportunity for a young lad if the company does a lot of different variety of work.
A young yard lad would gain a lot of experience been a yard boy at heavy haulage company.
But wouldn’t fancy packing pallets and I’m sure not many youngsters would stick it either.Anyone can pack and stack a pallet, but can that person pack or stack a pallet so it doesnt fall over when numpty behind the wheel is giving it full slipper on the road? And then moan that the pallet was stacked [zb]
Could you really justify a 2 year apprentice packing pallets?
I know I’d be bored after a week or two.
ckm1981:
Why do a 2 year “apprentiship” to ultimately learn to drive a HGV when he could go and work in Tesco for £6-7 a hour stacking shelves and then when he reaches the required age do his HGV C & C+E within a month and not have had to spend 2 years earning around £50 a week!
Because the 1 week crash course teaches you nothing other than how to drive the vehicle. Teaches you nothing about loading, route planning, how to use things like straps and chains and importantly it also gives you no experience to take to a prospective employer when applying for a job.
It’s difficult to stay positive on this forum sometimes… 
I do some casual work for reed boardall now and again,I was in there last week and there is a poster offering any employees of the firm the chance to aquire there hgv license.i don’t know the exact details,but worth a phone call to anyone interested.
Conor:
ckm1981:
Why do a 2 year “apprentiship” to ultimately learn to drive a HGV when he could go and work in Tesco for £6-7 a hour stacking shelves and then when he reaches the required age do his HGV C & C+E within a month and not have had to spend 2 years earning around £50 a week!Because the 1 week crash course teaches you nothing other than how to drive the vehicle. Teaches you nothing about loading, route planning, how to use things like straps and chains and importantly it also gives you no experience to take to a prospective employer when applying for a job.
But there’s no reason why a school leaver can’t learn all that on the job driving a 7.5 tonner at a 7.5 tonner type wage just like I did at 18 while at the same time doing their LGV training.
albion1971:
My advice to any young lads would be stick in at school,
get some decent qualifications and go for a job with decent prospects.
The transport industry has gone downhill at a great rate of knots in recent years and it is hard to see anything improving any time soon.
The majority of drivers have poor pay and conditions and have no great future.
Steer well clear in my opinion.
None of which advice is going to be much use to anyone who actually wants to do the job of a driver as opposed to working in an office etc etc.The only reservation I’d put on that is deciding between train driving or truck driving.Although there’s probably more opportunities to start earlier in road transport as a driver than rail.
The lad I mention in the original post is not doing slave labour,he is actually learning the office systems and is working for an international haulier so is learning about how drivers do euro work as well.
He could work in tesco then pay for a licence but a firm is learning him and then paying for all his qualifications in the industry.
I think personally it’s probably a good thing for our industry.