Carpentry Apprenticeship

[Commyfan]

Thinking about doing an apprenticeship in Carpentry or Cabinet making.
Anyone on here doing one? Is it a 3 or 4 year thing?
How bad are the wages? How much does it increase every year?
I am 18, so hopefully the age they are looking for.

[AirStrike]

Around $6.60 before tax.

[cruzncommo]

and do a chippy over a cabinetmaker. better off doing fitting or boily trade tho

[wrx884]

im a cabinetmaker fully qualified depends really u can do 3 years of ur apprenticeship as long as uve finished all ur modules and dun all ur prac work, if ur boss feels u can do the job he can sign u off early depends how well u can do the job really but normally with out pre app its 4 years.

wages r pretty bad 1st and 2nd year but 3rd year is a pretty big jump and u'll b happy with that as long as u can stick it out tho its really worth it in the end. if u dont work 4 a big company u can pretty much learn both cabinetmaking and carpentry at the same time thats wat i did and now its payin 4 it self.

[Commyfan]

im a cabinetmaker fully qualified depends really u can do 3 years of ur apprenticeship as long as uve finished all ur modules and dun all ur prac work, if ur boss feels u can do the job he can sign u off early depends how well u can do the job really but normally with out pre app its 4 years.

wages r pretty bad 1st and 2nd year but 3rd year is a pretty big jump and u'll b happy with that as long as u can stick it out tho its really worth it in the end. if u dont work 4 a big company u can pretty much learn both cabinetmaking and carpentry at the same time thats wat i did and now its payin 4 it self.

How much would you clear weekly in your first year?

[Reaper]

Thinking about doing an apprenticeship in Carpentry or Cabinet making.
Anyone on here doing one? Is it a 3 or 4 year thing?
How bad are the wages? How much does it increase every year?
I am 18, so hopefully the age they are looking for.

Your wages for the apprenticeship should be the least of your concern. From my experience, a good qualified carpenter can (and do) earn good money. It is hard work but anybody above average or better are very rarely out of work.

Reaper

ps. I deal with carpenters every day.

[Commyfan]

Your wages for the apprenticeship should be the least of your concern. From my experience, a good qualified carpenter can (and do) earn good money. It is hard work but anybody above average or better are very rarely out of work.

Reaper

ps. I deal with carpenters every day.

Seems though I need to live of them and pay bills, I regard wages fairly highly. I know when you finish money is alright.

[AirStrike]

Seems though I need to live of them and pay bills, I regard wages fairly highly. I know when you finish money is alright.

Then don't do an apprenticeship. You have really left it too late to be honest.

[f1tzy]

if your over 21 you qualify for mature age wages which for 1st year is around 500

[AirStrike]

if your over 21 you qualify for mature age wages which for 1st year is around 500

Sure? Thought it was like 25.

[Garth]

Seems though I need to live of them and pay bills, I regard wages fairly highly. I know when you finish money is alright.

well, i can tell you this much
aprentice wages are crap. so if that is something you regard high, you might as well pass on the idea of a trade, they will all be like that.

[Commyfan]

well, i can tell you this much
aprentice wages are crap. so if that is something you regard high, you might as well pass on the idea of a trade, they will all be like that.

It would probably be alright if I lived at home. Most apprentices do. I am happy with the job I have currently, clearing over 1200 a week. Just want to move back into the city really.

[gopher]

apprentice wages are a percentage of a tradesman wages.

i did an apprenticeship as a cabinetmaker years ago and the wages were not very good and the award wage for a tradesman is not much better.
i think its around $15 to $17 per hour here in Qld.

but if you can always find employers that pay above award wages.

i've been working for this one company for 2 years now started on $28 p/h in the first year,was increased to $30p/h in the second year and comes up for review in march.

carpenters probably get paid more but they're rough as guts whereas a cabinetmaker has to be more skilful and precise in their work

[cruzncommo]

I clear $480 a week after tax as a first year

Im only on 9.55 an hour but i do ALL the overtime i can (other apprentices get like $315 after tax a week)
I basically have little no social life outside of work so i love being there

[Clutchy]

Then don't do an apprenticeship. You have really left it too late to be honest.

I dident start mine till I was 20. and have never looked back.

Sure? Thought it was like 25.

Its 21 mate


As for wage I was on 200 in vic for my first year in sa I was on 250 take home and in vic it was 3 years in sa its 4 years this is for Bricklaying.

[cxcxcxvcvcvc]

i am 24years old am classed as an adult wich means i go straight onto 3rd year wages and take $460 a week home with holiday pay,sick pay, 1RDO every month paid & about 4 weeks holiday pay @ the end of the year! you are classed as an adult after you hit 21, and what i have written is correct as i have an induction day tommorow to sign up with another employer and will be stoked to get back into work!

[Sabbath']

Sure? Thought it was like 25.

Nope, its 21. Im starting first year, Automotive Apprenticeship through the VACC with Garry Warren Smith Holden & HSV and am going to be getting $400+ a week.

[Clutchy]

i am 24years old am classed as an adult wich means i go straight onto 3rd year wages and take $460 a week home with holiday pay,sick pay, 1RDO every month paid & about 4 weeks holiday pay @ the end of the year! you are classed as an adult after you hit 21, and what i have written is correct as i have an induction day tommorow to sign up with another employer and will be stoked to get back into work!

If you start ya time befor your 21 you still only get the normal wage when ya turn 21 it only comes into affect wen ya 21 at the start of ya time as far as I know mate but im goin on info from almost 10 years ago.

[VNexecutive]

if you get into cabinetmaking, make sure its commercial. domestic is good too, but theres big enough money to live off in commercial even as first year. im talking 400+ takehome as a minimum. domestic your looking at 250 takehome unless you work your ass off and get payrises (as i did, im a joiner).

my brothers a chippy and was on about the same as a domestic cabby first year takehome. all in all you should do what you really wanna do for the rest of your life. do you wanna make big white boxes inside a shed, or work outside building frames?

[f1tzy]

if you get into cabinetmaking, make sure its commercial. domestic is good too, but theres big enough money to live off in commercial even as first year. im talking 400+ takehome as a minimum. domestic your looking at 250 takehome unless you work your ass off and get payrises (as i did, im a joiner).

my brothers a chippy and was on about the same as a domestic cabby first year takehome. all in all you should do what you really wanna do for the rest of your life. do you wanna make big white boxes inside a shed, or work outside building frames?

lol domestic cabby?

[f1tzy]

im an apprentice plasterer with all trades qld and 1st year rates are $300pw take home for 40 hours and for a mature age apprentice its $520.

[wrx884]

How much would you clear weekly in your first year?

well over 6 years ago now 1st year i was gettin $193 in the hand but times have change now and u should b gettin over 200 1st year. as VNexecutive said if u can put up with the **** hours doin commercial definatly go 4 that 1 theres $$$ there but like i said b4 if u work 4 a big company u will get bored coz u get stuck doin the same thing over n over but thats like most jobs tho somtimes.

[VNexecutive]

lol domestic cabby?

yeah like houselots of kitchens. thats what our work does. i just didnt know how else to say it.

commercial cabbies fit out stores and ****.

[Commyfan]

Do you have to provide your own ute for most apprenticeships?

[slappa.]

u shouldnt be expected to provide a ute, but own transport is a must.. dont get a ute in the first few years anyway. unless u get a really good boss, u will be used...

if ur a hard worker, u will pick up weekend work quickly. im 3rd year and charge $35p/h cash, on a saturday, and the clients happy to pay it if its quality work.

and theres a hell of alot more to it than just standing frames...

oh and be prepaired to spend a bit of the hard earned on tools....

good luck anyway!