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Posted: Thu Feb 12, 2009 10:49 am
by bodgeitandscarper
How come its so hard to find a good landscaper to work for?
Ive been in Landscaping for the past twelve years and ive only found one employer that was any good but he is fiddling the books so cant get a full time job out of him.
Jobs I have done for cowboy landscapers:
laid slabs using the 5 spot method!
Laid turf on an inch of soil over a patio!!
Laid 10mm of concrete over hardcore as a path round sewerage works!! at the start of the works it was 75mm.
In college i was taught to lay using the 5 blob (good thing i was using Paving Expert at the time or id have never have learned anything) method in myerscough in preston is 15mm of mortar bed. WTF!!!
Anyone else had a similar problem in finding a decent employer....
Posted: Thu Feb 12, 2009 11:25 am
by Tony McC
It's a common complaint. If the job is done properly, you can't compete on price with all the cowboys. Too many contractors respond by dropping their standards to match or even undercut those of the cowboys, when what they should be doing is emphasising their quality.
There are good contractors/employers out there, but they'll become even harder to find now everyone is panicking about money. 
Posted: Tue Feb 17, 2009 9:55 pm
by GB_Groundworks
i'm getting 1 or 2 emails or calls a week from young lads and even older blokes looking for work, most of them with little or no experience on heavy plant or groundworks but with a little landscaping or gardening behind them. i wont be taking anyone new on this year which is a shame. heres hoping for better times.
Posted: Wed Feb 18, 2009 11:52 am
by bodgeitandscarper
Wouldnt it be a good idea to have a job page? or maybe even an apprenticeship page? Just an idea!!!!
Posted: Thu Feb 19, 2009 9:43 am
by Tony McC
A job page might be a good idea: the problem is finding the time to maintain it. I struggle as it is to keep up with everything that needs doing on the site and I swore I wouldn't take on any additional duties this year, after setting up a blog last year and not being able to keep it updated as I'd intended.
The only way it might work would be to have a section here in The Brew Cabin where employers and employees could post details, but to be honest, given the state of the trade just now, I think we'd see plenty of the latter and none of the former.
Anyone else got any thoughts?
Posted: Thu Feb 19, 2009 11:17 am
by bodgeitandscarper
Alot of college students use this site as a source of info, and at some point may require work experience, which this site may help with!!in the future.
Posted: Fri Feb 20, 2009 3:40 am
by lutonlagerlout
i think it would lead to more and more spam,especially for those looking for a start,
i suppose if individuals asked if anyone was local or such it wouldn't hurt,and it never hurts to ask for work,but there is little about
LLL
Posted: Fri Feb 20, 2009 5:56 am
by seanandruby
one time i was out of work. i asked an aquaintence who needed a job doing ( but was also feeling the squeeze ) if they would provide the materials could i do a plan, work etc for free. between us we managed to beg, steel and borrow so we could complete. in the meentime we made sure everyone local who needed work done came and seen what we had accomplished. was a good form of advertising which got me local work through the recession. maybe if you are out of work at the moment you could try that. beauty is you can take the time to do an extra special job.
Posted: Fri Feb 20, 2009 12:05 pm
by bodgeitandscarper
well i think its a great opportunity for the site.
As for spam, this site already gets spam. Just dont put emails on messages.
messages about tyre marks and questions that have already been answered in the main site are spam (thats alot of spam).
god i hate spam. even the canned type.
spam spam spam spam spam ???
Posted: Fri Feb 20, 2009 5:16 pm
by Tommy
I did a bit of Voluntary work for a local school, while i was out of work last year. working on a garden project with some of the teachers better halves.
I took foties of it, and showed them at two interviews since doing it, and got taken on for both jobs, albeit in the grounds maintenance rather than landscaping.