Corrie is fixing cobbles wobble - Job for the gaffer?

[henpecked]

As was


'As is' ??? wall to wall slabs, featureless, barren, soulless.

[Tony McC]

Would you be able to sort out training days/weeks for guys already in the trade to learn the traditional street masonry skills?

I can and I do, when the opportunity arises.

With the onset of NHSS30 I looked at setting-up a proper training school, but the costs involved in acquiring a yard again, and then creating and equipping a classroom (was planning on converting a container) are ridiculous. I would need to be training at least 4 days a week for 36 weeks of the year to make it pay, and the capital required is far more than I can afford to risk, now that the ex has run off with my savings.

So, what I do is on-site training, where contractors have an ongoing job that I can use to expand their skill base, teach them better ways of working or new techniques such as, say, bogens or stepped corners.

I did think about creating the written course material for the scheme and selling that as a 'teaching pack' to those establishments which are claiming to offer creditable training, but the current format of NHSS30 is so ballsed-up, nonsensical and partial that I'm not sure I want to be a part of it. Besides, many of the so-called training companies are just using my website without permission, which is bloody annoying from an income point of view, but at least I know the trainees are getting the correct information rather than some bollocks from a retired gas-fitter.

Last year, I taught one Brew Cabin Irregular the basics of sett laying and he produced a bloody impressive job, which delighted the client and convinced the contractor concerned to take on more such jobs, which earns him far more than the usual Indian sandstone and CBPs. I must be doing summat right!

[lutonlagerlout]

from what I have seen of the last 3 apprentices the main thing at college now is learning about health and safety
of course HS is important but being able to do the job is much more important
its how you get paid
LLL

[KLS]

One lad that worked for me a couple of years back started to do his apprenticeship, apparently the first 6 months of lessons are just h&s! bit bonkers really, there must be loads of stuff!

[KLS]

Would you be able to sort out training days/weeks for guys already in the trade to learn the traditional street masonry skills?

I can and I do, when the opportunity arises.

With the onset of NHSS30 I looked at setting-up a proper training school, but the costs involved in acquiring a yard again, and then creating and equipping a classroom (was planning on converting a container) are ridiculous. I would need to be training at least 4 days a week for 36 weeks of the year to make it pay, and the capital required is far more than I can afford to risk, now that the ex has run off with my savings.

So, what I do is on-site training, where contractors have an ongoing job that I can use to expand their skill base, teach them better ways of working or new techniques such as, say, bogens or stepped corners.

I did think about creating the written course material for the scheme and selling that as a 'teaching pack' to those establishments which are claiming to offer creditable training, but the current format of NHSS30 is so ballsed-up, nonsensical and partial that I'm not sure I want to be a part of it. Besides, many of the so-called training companies are just using my website without permission, which is bloody annoying from an income point of view, but at least I know the trainees are getting the correct information rather than some bollocks from a retired gas-fitter.

Last year, I taught one Brew Cabin Irregular the basics of sett laying and he produced a bloody impressive job, which delighted the client and convinced the contractor concerned to take on more such jobs, which earns him far more than the usual Indian sandstone and CBPs. I must be doing summat right!

Its a shame we dont get to many jobs around here where setts or cubes are laid as more than a pretty edging, Id love to know how to lay setts properly, and quickly.

[henpecked]

from what I have seen of the last 3 apprentices the main thing at college now is learning about health and safety
of course HS is important but being able to do the job is much more important
its how you get paid
LLL

Its a widely overlooked aspect of slabbing. Cement burns, silica dust,back strain I think everyone here has experienced most of these whilst tackling a job. Its a progressive move as its being hammered in at an early stage. Hopefully some will stick and it wont be a case of storing up future health problems just to get his day rate :;):

[Tony McC]

We're legally obliged to include H&S in any training materials, but I like to keep it to the bare minimum, partly because it's boring but mostly because of natural selection. Idiots are soon weeded out in the building game!

There's a lot to be said for learning from your mistakes. I only ever got cement burns the once, even though I was warned in advance. The H&S talk didn't "learn me", but the gaping sores certainly did!

Back pain (what we now have to refer to as Musculo-Skeletal Disorder - MSD), silica dust, dermatitis, HAVS....it all has to be taught, but droning on about it all when the trainees are eager to get their mitts mucky can be counter-productive. Tell them once, get them to reepeat it, then enforce it during practical skill training. Never let trainees think they are being taught H&S - they *must* believe they are learning valuable construction skills, with a bit of H&S thrown in for good measure.