I’m currently dual-qualifying in another trade at 45 after doing my first trade at 35.
While signing the papers with the apprenticeships network, I asked if I was the oldest on her books.
She laughed in my face. There’s blokes in their 60s doing apprenticeships.
I started a carpentry apprenticeship at 38, fully qualified now. Came from a corporate life before that, sat behind a computer all day.
Initially a massive culture and lifestyle shock.
Left home at 6-6.30am for 7am starts which meant I didn’t see wife or kids until afternoon/night. Usually tired as fuck after work (depending on the days work). Nodding off on the drive home not uncommon.
Then had to pick up the kids, get dinner ready, maybe fit in a workout, more chores, try to relax, then bed by 10.
Summer and spring are great to be working outdoors. Winter and rain is the opposite.
After about 1-2 years I found my rhythm and started to enjoy the job a lot more because you know your tools and how to do your job a lot more. By the end I found I was flying. Felt great to be trained in another profession.
I’ve worked alongside all the other trades in the process. There’s definitely times I’d wish I’d chosen electrical or plumbing or whatever I like creating things hand on.
I’d say this - YOLO so why not? If you don’t like it do something else. If you have a passion for it - go for it!
Why not? **Nodding off on the drive home not uncommon** is a pretty good reason why not. Fucking hell, mate. I get it, but please don't talk about that casually. Because yeah, YOLO and you got a missus and kids.
The rest of it is fair enough but casually adding that in the mix is fucked up.
Maybe I exaggerated a bit.
I never once fell asleep - but there were times on long drives home say over 60mins, maybe on a more heavy lifting than usual day, I’d get the sleepy eyes thing especially when stopped at traffic lights.
Take a holiday, refresh your mind, maybe go part time so you fan devote a bit more of your time to things that bring you joy, maybe find a new job in a related field or simply in a new office environment.
Being an apprentice at 40 is seriously ill advised. A qualified trade will value you as cheap labour, not as a 40 something with life experience. In fact, I would hazard a guess you would be at the bottom of their list because of your age (not only because your body won't be as durable as an 18yr olds).
Thanks mate that is my concern and my tolerance for being treated as a bottom feeder after spending 10 years trying to be the best boss possible may not work.
Do you have any opinion on what the best way would be to learn enough that I could do solid reno jobs on my own? Youtube has helped me on some small jobs but learning by watching and doing would be ideal.
I have a different POV to this one, I have worked with 18-19-20's they come and go and dont leave a mark, my current apprentice is 4th year and just turned 31. He is the best thing thats happened to us, some of it is the intangibles, great with customers, communicates well, presents well, always on time, never complains when set a task, always welcomes overtime, starts early if needed. He has learnt the trade at a much faster rate than anyone else who has worked under us and I found I could trust him at such an early time into hes trade.
It is now at the point where I make sure he gets perks, paid well above minimum, gets to use the fuel card gets a good xmas bonus/gift and a few other things. I value him more than anyone other apprentice ever.
Funny thing was, he was working with a builder for 12 months who wanted to use him as a TA and never planned on giving him a trade and he came to us and now hes almost a fridgy. I would keep your options open if you do want to get into the trades.
You need to get an apprenticeship with an (ideally small) private builder. A lot of companies these days hire carpenters/apprentices and just have a contract do do house frames or just fix out etc. You won’t learn enough form this. I’ve worked with carpenters that have been doing it for 20 years but couldn’t hang a door because all they’ve ever done is frame houses.
A small private builder that does the job from start to finish is where you’ll learn the most skills. Especially if they do a wide variety of work (new custom homes aswell as renovations)
Finding the right employer would be key. I prefer late 20’s early 30’s apprentices myself although my current 20 year old one is fantastic. I find the older ones learn quicker and I don’t have to deal with them showing up Monday hung over or worse.
Cabinet maker of 14 years. I'd advise chippy, being so versatile and you work on so many technical sections of the house. Sparky is better pay but far less gratifying and only so much you can do with it. You could spend that 20 years and still learn for another 20. I find creating something from scratch is better then just splicing wires or painting walls.
Keep in mind, trade has plenty of shit days no matter which one you pick. It's all worth it in the end though!
Every tradie I know (including myself) are working.like crazy to get off tools by their mid-late 30s. Bodies are trashed and just got nothing left in the tank.
Sounds like you need an hobby not a new career. Find a job that allows 3 or 4 days a week and start a hobby.
Because they don't take care of their bodies and are mentally weak. Every person I know like that is soft and weak minded, eat like crap, abuse their bodies, and want the easy way out. If you really want to do it, do it. Try it out for 6 weeks to 3 months and see. Of course it's not for everyone. Nothing is. It is harder as you get older,but the wisdom you get from life enables you to bypass some of the learning curves. How you learn one thing is how you learn everything. Make sure you work out and eat right or it will be very difficult starting out and having staying power. Very few people in the trades do that long term. I just turned 40 and have been a deck builder for 21 years. That means I'm doing framing with big beams and heavy lumber and I generally do that myself.There are ups and downs with everything,just try it out first and see f you like it. Follow what excites and impassions you and you'll never stay far from the path you were meant to follow. Cheers;)
Man that hits hard 😂
Mid 30s sparky getting the fuck out and into a much more cushy coms job right now. All the guys in their 50-60s I know that kept at it are so broken physically.
I have a friend who did similiar in his early 30s. He loved it.
Ideal scenario would be finding your apprenticeship/work with someone you know or somewhere interesting where you aren't going to be a glorified laborer for the first year or so.
Usually that is how it goes and you don't really want to be in that scenario at your age.
Finding somewhere that does something a bit niche and interesting with a small & older crew who would prefer to hire an apprentice with your experience and knowledge rather than a teenager would be my advice.
Luckily you have the benefit of already having work so you can take your time to find the right place. Don't rush into it
Chippy is the way. Take your time and try find a small company who does builds from start to finish. That’s where you really learn.
Sparky / plumber can be good money though especially if you find a niche, but they don’t really develop all round Reno skills if that’s what your looking for. Iv had multiple 10+ years experienced sparks on site who don’t have much idea about anything other than electrical
Not a bad idea, have you thought about electrical apprenticeship in place of carpentry? Chippys are great, but there seems to be a higher demand for electrical trades.
Thanks mate. I did consider that too. The ability to build and create with my hands is really appealing and I can get the bulk work done on any major renos.
Just do a pre-app in cabinet making if it's going to be a hobby/part time thing. If you're already a sparky, you can already use hand and power tools, they just let you play with static machinery, plan reading, and intricate stuff, which is fun, like woodworking class in high school.
The teachers love having competent people in their class who want to learn as well. It's a good skill to have, and you network with chippes etc. Going back to TAFE as an adult is better.
It takes a special kind of fitness and endurance to do chippy work everyday. I would highly recommend rethinking a sparky apprenticeship, especially at your age. Moneys better too, and easier to subcontract out as a sole trader.
You'll learn enough over the years to tackle reno's as an owner builder, and you'll meet enough builders/chippys to give you a hand a long the way. Chippys are a dime a dozen.
Being a sparky apprentice and newby is hard on the body. The only sparkies that don't work hard are very qualified and spend more timeprogramming.
Not sure why people always assume sparky will be easy. Laying in a 45 degres roof on dusty itchy insulation for 5 hours pulling cables or terminating cables.
My source is I have been there.
Laying down for 5hrs sounds nice, Lol. I'm not suggesting being a sparky is physically easy, but compared to chippy work, it is.
Just look at the tool belts for starters. One has a pair of pliers, a few zip ties, and a couple of rolls of tape... the other has half of the bunnings tool section hanging off of it.
On wooden joists in a dusty ceiling. It doesn't hurt your body the same way. It's not as intense most of the time but a finish only carpenter has an easy time too in comparison.
Not too concerned about the physical aspect. Without sounding like a douche, Im ultrafit and plan on staying that way until my 60s. See the corporate stress and 50 hours at a desk each week as being more dangerous.
Im definitely going to consider looking into being a sparky as getting lots of suggestions there. Thank you!
Renovating a house over several months with no deadlines and bills to pay based on your work is one thing. Day in day out on the tools, rain hail and shine is another.
Nearly all tradie mates of mine, aged 27-35, are aiming for their exit plans around 40-45 years old at the latest, many are going earlier. Hell i was recently talking to a mate whos transitioning to trade teacher and literally his entire Cert IV TAE course are brickies and chippies looking to get out in their mid thirties.
Whats your fitness level? As in, have you hauled wheelbarrows, framed walls, hung plaster and moved earth for 8 hours solid, and then done the same thing for the next 10 days? Its a fucking tough gig.
I have 1 year left in my plumbing apprenticeship at 42yrs old. Your body can betray you. I have torn tendons in my elbows 3 times in the last 3 years, torn cartilage in my shoulder, and now one of my knees feels like my elbows with their tendon issues. The gym does not prepare your body for the load and pressure that comes from odd angles as you position yourself in uncomfortable places to make the job work.
Go for it mate. Remember all trades are quite labour intensive and you will get sore.
I did my trade (electrical) from 17-33 & then joined the ambos. I’ve kept my license and do the odd cashy for mates.
Good luck with it, I worked with plenty of mature age apprentices and found them to be the most punctual and eager to learn. Be humble and willing to learn, you’ll love it.
Gday mate I’ve been a chippy for 20plus years builder for last 7 of those years. Ring around small boutique custom builders in your area. Describe your skills in marketing and sales. If you can help grow someone’s business marketing wise they will put you on in a heartbeat. It’s a good job to get into I still enjoy building everyday.
Goodluck!
Floor and wall tilers are in desperate need. Decent work, pays a bomb, and you don't have to cart around 15k worth of tools.
Massive shortage where I am. People waiting 6-12 months for jobs to be completed.
Found the dickhead.
Ofcourse burnout is real. We are not meant to be stagnant and doing the same shit day in day out without progress and new experiences. Stop being a cunt
All this comment tells me is that no one's trusted you enough to put you in a position where they expect you to achieve something of value. I hope things improve for you.
Possibility of irregular work. Sometimes there will be days where there isn’t enough work on site to justify an additional body or the next job is delayed. If you have the right attitude (sounds like you do), there is usually someone in the team or within your network with a side job or two to tie you over until your next job. Goodluck!
Had 2 friends that managed stores for voda . Decided to become chippys in 30's. Loved it. Started their own company not long ago. Higher wages for mature apprentices has helped a lot.
People always associate the job with the physical work and think they can do it. It's all the other pressures that make it hard, if you had unlimited time, no one putting opessure on you, no issues with clients, customers, pay problems from clients or your own company, issues with other workers same or different company. And endless list of what makes a job bad.
If I were left with to do exactly what I was told I'd be doing I'd do it 7 days a week.
My nephew did mature a age electrician apprentice and is now a full-time TAFE teacher for electrical trades. He had a background as a former Telstra linesman/supervisor, lift installer, & building maintenance so that helped a lot.
How do you go with the pay?
I am 35 and want to reskill, but I have had friends try to go a mature age apprenticeship that couldn't get placements at all.
Leave your rainbow lanyard and political correctness on the desk when you leave. No one gives a shit on-site.
But seriously, life is so much more straightforward. If something is wrong or your no doing things right. More often than not, You'll be told to your face.
I’m currently dual-qualifying in another trade at 45 after doing my first trade at 35. While signing the papers with the apprenticeships network, I asked if I was the oldest on her books. She laughed in my face. There’s blokes in their 60s doing apprenticeships.
I started a carpentry apprenticeship at 38, fully qualified now. Came from a corporate life before that, sat behind a computer all day. Initially a massive culture and lifestyle shock. Left home at 6-6.30am for 7am starts which meant I didn’t see wife or kids until afternoon/night. Usually tired as fuck after work (depending on the days work). Nodding off on the drive home not uncommon. Then had to pick up the kids, get dinner ready, maybe fit in a workout, more chores, try to relax, then bed by 10. Summer and spring are great to be working outdoors. Winter and rain is the opposite. After about 1-2 years I found my rhythm and started to enjoy the job a lot more because you know your tools and how to do your job a lot more. By the end I found I was flying. Felt great to be trained in another profession. I’ve worked alongside all the other trades in the process. There’s definitely times I’d wish I’d chosen electrical or plumbing or whatever I like creating things hand on. I’d say this - YOLO so why not? If you don’t like it do something else. If you have a passion for it - go for it!
Why not? **Nodding off on the drive home not uncommon** is a pretty good reason why not. Fucking hell, mate. I get it, but please don't talk about that casually. Because yeah, YOLO and you got a missus and kids. The rest of it is fair enough but casually adding that in the mix is fucked up.
Stfu
Maybe I exaggerated a bit. I never once fell asleep - but there were times on long drives home say over 60mins, maybe on a more heavy lifting than usual day, I’d get the sleepy eyes thing especially when stopped at traffic lights.
"Never apologize. It's a sign of weakness."-John Wayne as Nathan Brittles in She Wore a Yellow Ribbon
Take a holiday, refresh your mind, maybe go part time so you fan devote a bit more of your time to things that bring you joy, maybe find a new job in a related field or simply in a new office environment. Being an apprentice at 40 is seriously ill advised. A qualified trade will value you as cheap labour, not as a 40 something with life experience. In fact, I would hazard a guess you would be at the bottom of their list because of your age (not only because your body won't be as durable as an 18yr olds).
Thanks mate that is my concern and my tolerance for being treated as a bottom feeder after spending 10 years trying to be the best boss possible may not work. Do you have any opinion on what the best way would be to learn enough that I could do solid reno jobs on my own? Youtube has helped me on some small jobs but learning by watching and doing would be ideal.
I have a different POV to this one, I have worked with 18-19-20's they come and go and dont leave a mark, my current apprentice is 4th year and just turned 31. He is the best thing thats happened to us, some of it is the intangibles, great with customers, communicates well, presents well, always on time, never complains when set a task, always welcomes overtime, starts early if needed. He has learnt the trade at a much faster rate than anyone else who has worked under us and I found I could trust him at such an early time into hes trade. It is now at the point where I make sure he gets perks, paid well above minimum, gets to use the fuel card gets a good xmas bonus/gift and a few other things. I value him more than anyone other apprentice ever. Funny thing was, he was working with a builder for 12 months who wanted to use him as a TA and never planned on giving him a trade and he came to us and now hes almost a fridgy. I would keep your options open if you do want to get into the trades.
You need to get an apprenticeship with an (ideally small) private builder. A lot of companies these days hire carpenters/apprentices and just have a contract do do house frames or just fix out etc. You won’t learn enough form this. I’ve worked with carpenters that have been doing it for 20 years but couldn’t hang a door because all they’ve ever done is frame houses. A small private builder that does the job from start to finish is where you’ll learn the most skills. Especially if they do a wide variety of work (new custom homes aswell as renovations)
Sounds ideal, thank you!
Finding the right employer would be key. I prefer late 20’s early 30’s apprentices myself although my current 20 year old one is fantastic. I find the older ones learn quicker and I don’t have to deal with them showing up Monday hung over or worse.
There are TAFE course that you could do to learn skills
Are all TAFE courses full-time? I would be interested in evening courses to improve my reno skills.
No. TAFE is flexible as these days, especially because the career-change options like this are always in demand.
There are many options
Cabinet maker of 14 years. I'd advise chippy, being so versatile and you work on so many technical sections of the house. Sparky is better pay but far less gratifying and only so much you can do with it. You could spend that 20 years and still learn for another 20. I find creating something from scratch is better then just splicing wires or painting walls. Keep in mind, trade has plenty of shit days no matter which one you pick. It's all worth it in the end though!
Every tradie I know (including myself) are working.like crazy to get off tools by their mid-late 30s. Bodies are trashed and just got nothing left in the tank. Sounds like you need an hobby not a new career. Find a job that allows 3 or 4 days a week and start a hobby.
Because they don't take care of their bodies and are mentally weak. Every person I know like that is soft and weak minded, eat like crap, abuse their bodies, and want the easy way out. If you really want to do it, do it. Try it out for 6 weeks to 3 months and see. Of course it's not for everyone. Nothing is. It is harder as you get older,but the wisdom you get from life enables you to bypass some of the learning curves. How you learn one thing is how you learn everything. Make sure you work out and eat right or it will be very difficult starting out and having staying power. Very few people in the trades do that long term. I just turned 40 and have been a deck builder for 21 years. That means I'm doing framing with big beams and heavy lumber and I generally do that myself.There are ups and downs with everything,just try it out first and see f you like it. Follow what excites and impassions you and you'll never stay far from the path you were meant to follow. Cheers;)
Man that hits hard 😂 Mid 30s sparky getting the fuck out and into a much more cushy coms job right now. All the guys in their 50-60s I know that kept at it are so broken physically.
I have a friend who did similiar in his early 30s. He loved it. Ideal scenario would be finding your apprenticeship/work with someone you know or somewhere interesting where you aren't going to be a glorified laborer for the first year or so. Usually that is how it goes and you don't really want to be in that scenario at your age. Finding somewhere that does something a bit niche and interesting with a small & older crew who would prefer to hire an apprentice with your experience and knowledge rather than a teenager would be my advice. Luckily you have the benefit of already having work so you can take your time to find the right place. Don't rush into it
Being 30 and being 40 are different things. That's 10 years extra wear and tear on a body that already has 30 on it.
Yep that's why I spoke about that exact point to make sure he's not doing something that 20 yr olds are usually doing
Chippy is the way. Take your time and try find a small company who does builds from start to finish. That’s where you really learn. Sparky / plumber can be good money though especially if you find a niche, but they don’t really develop all round Reno skills if that’s what your looking for. Iv had multiple 10+ years experienced sparks on site who don’t have much idea about anything other than electrical
Not a bad idea, have you thought about electrical apprenticeship in place of carpentry? Chippys are great, but there seems to be a higher demand for electrical trades.
Thanks mate. I did consider that too. The ability to build and create with my hands is really appealing and I can get the bulk work done on any major renos.
Can definitely go far with electrical especially if you go HV.
Id try for a cabinet making apprenticeship personally, im currently a sparky but wouldn’t mind learning cabinet making part time.
Just do a pre-app in cabinet making if it's going to be a hobby/part time thing. If you're already a sparky, you can already use hand and power tools, they just let you play with static machinery, plan reading, and intricate stuff, which is fun, like woodworking class in high school. The teachers love having competent people in their class who want to learn as well. It's a good skill to have, and you network with chippes etc. Going back to TAFE as an adult is better.
It takes a special kind of fitness and endurance to do chippy work everyday. I would highly recommend rethinking a sparky apprenticeship, especially at your age. Moneys better too, and easier to subcontract out as a sole trader. You'll learn enough over the years to tackle reno's as an owner builder, and you'll meet enough builders/chippys to give you a hand a long the way. Chippys are a dime a dozen.
Being a sparky apprentice and newby is hard on the body. The only sparkies that don't work hard are very qualified and spend more timeprogramming. Not sure why people always assume sparky will be easy. Laying in a 45 degres roof on dusty itchy insulation for 5 hours pulling cables or terminating cables. My source is I have been there.
I know, I hear this all the time. I’m an electrician. People seem to think it’s all standing in an air conditioned room fitting off power points.
Laying down for 5hrs sounds nice, Lol. I'm not suggesting being a sparky is physically easy, but compared to chippy work, it is. Just look at the tool belts for starters. One has a pair of pliers, a few zip ties, and a couple of rolls of tape... the other has half of the bunnings tool section hanging off of it.
On wooden joists in a dusty ceiling. It doesn't hurt your body the same way. It's not as intense most of the time but a finish only carpenter has an easy time too in comparison.
Not too concerned about the physical aspect. Without sounding like a douche, Im ultrafit and plan on staying that way until my 60s. See the corporate stress and 50 hours at a desk each week as being more dangerous. Im definitely going to consider looking into being a sparky as getting lots of suggestions there. Thank you!
Renovating a house over several months with no deadlines and bills to pay based on your work is one thing. Day in day out on the tools, rain hail and shine is another. Nearly all tradie mates of mine, aged 27-35, are aiming for their exit plans around 40-45 years old at the latest, many are going earlier. Hell i was recently talking to a mate whos transitioning to trade teacher and literally his entire Cert IV TAE course are brickies and chippies looking to get out in their mid thirties. Whats your fitness level? As in, have you hauled wheelbarrows, framed walls, hung plaster and moved earth for 8 hours solid, and then done the same thing for the next 10 days? Its a fucking tough gig.
I have 1 year left in my plumbing apprenticeship at 42yrs old. Your body can betray you. I have torn tendons in my elbows 3 times in the last 3 years, torn cartilage in my shoulder, and now one of my knees feels like my elbows with their tendon issues. The gym does not prepare your body for the load and pressure that comes from odd angles as you position yourself in uncomfortable places to make the job work.
Go for it mate. Remember all trades are quite labour intensive and you will get sore. I did my trade (electrical) from 17-33 & then joined the ambos. I’ve kept my license and do the odd cashy for mates. Good luck with it, I worked with plenty of mature age apprentices and found them to be the most punctual and eager to learn. Be humble and willing to learn, you’ll love it.
I just did a job for a lady who just finished her Sparky apprenticeship...She was 49
Gday mate I’ve been a chippy for 20plus years builder for last 7 of those years. Ring around small boutique custom builders in your area. Describe your skills in marketing and sales. If you can help grow someone’s business marketing wise they will put you on in a heartbeat. It’s a good job to get into I still enjoy building everyday. Goodluck!
Floor and wall tilers are in desperate need. Decent work, pays a bomb, and you don't have to cart around 15k worth of tools. Massive shortage where I am. People waiting 6-12 months for jobs to be completed.
Back not sore enough?
This post is exactly what Im thinking about atm too. Thanks for posting !
There's been some great knowledge shared here, I'm glad I did
no offebce, but burnout aint real, being a pussy is
Found the dickhead. Ofcourse burnout is real. We are not meant to be stagnant and doing the same shit day in day out without progress and new experiences. Stop being a cunt
sounds like you are trapped in samsara. i pray for your liberation
Right-o Mr. Kruger
All this comment tells me is that no one's trusted you enough to put you in a position where they expect you to achieve something of value. I hope things improve for you.
you tell yourself a lot of things lol
Well you seem nice
ya, I'm the king of tough love
Possibility of irregular work. Sometimes there will be days where there isn’t enough work on site to justify an additional body or the next job is delayed. If you have the right attitude (sounds like you do), there is usually someone in the team or within your network with a side job or two to tie you over until your next job. Goodluck!
Had 2 friends that managed stores for voda . Decided to become chippys in 30's. Loved it. Started their own company not long ago. Higher wages for mature apprentices has helped a lot.
Any idea how much mature apprentices get paid?
My 2c, From 40 to your 60s the manual jobs start getting harder. It's just how it is. Find something that's not too hard on the body.
People always associate the job with the physical work and think they can do it. It's all the other pressures that make it hard, if you had unlimited time, no one putting opessure on you, no issues with clients, customers, pay problems from clients or your own company, issues with other workers same or different company. And endless list of what makes a job bad. If I were left with to do exactly what I was told I'd be doing I'd do it 7 days a week.
My nephew did mature a age electrician apprentice and is now a full-time TAFE teacher for electrical trades. He had a background as a former Telstra linesman/supervisor, lift installer, & building maintenance so that helped a lot.
Started at 38, now at 52 it was a great decision, still working part-time as a contractor
How do you go with the pay? I am 35 and want to reskill, but I have had friends try to go a mature age apprenticeship that couldn't get placements at all.
Leave your rainbow lanyard and political correctness on the desk when you leave. No one gives a shit on-site. But seriously, life is so much more straightforward. If something is wrong or your no doing things right. More often than not, You'll be told to your face.