Single phase tester and apprentice salary

[Wouks]

Hi all

I would like your input or knowledge on the going rate for a Single phase tester and an apprentice.

If I appoint one of each and give them a bakkie and tools to do the work on domestic installations, what would the average salary be?

Thank you

[Dave A]

Here are the 2018 collective bargaining rates for your area.

[skatingsparks]

Here are the 2018 collective bargaining rates for your area.

I have just a little bit of math as was considering taking someone on.

If I pay an "artisan" the rate plus all the other stuff on that down load, plus insurance (vehicle, public liability, and basic cover on tool/office items), plus book keepers fees/tax return (R1500), rent a very small workshop (R4000), car repayments (a conservative R2000), allow R1000 for tools and disposables (drill bits, safety gear, basic uniform etc) - and I honestly believe these costings are VERY conservative

You would have to consistently be able to invoice (and I think this a conservative estimate) R180 every hour for your Artisan to break even.

Take this how you will, but I am yet to come across an "Artisan" who is trained, skilled and competent enough to be able to charge a client R180 an hour no matter pay them R89.93 per hour.

Now add R40 (+/-), the cost of your apprentice and you are needing to invoice R220 every working hour.

They will be standing (being optimistic here) for maybe one hour a day (traffic, wholesalers etc, getting access to site, health and safety/inductions) so if you are lucky you have 8 chargeable hours. Now you are up to needing to invoice approx R250 an hour.

Now this doesn't take into account public holidays and holiday pay etc so you'll lose approx 30 days to this. You now required invoice rate is R280 +/- every waking working hour to break even.

You have to find work for 2 guys every Monday to Friday (- public holidays) at least 8 hours a day to break even.....

Now if you have 20 quiet days a year - think that's reasonable (soting store room, illness, van needs sorting etc). You are now in needing R310 every hour for the rest of the year. To break even....

I'm trying not to being negative here but I think you'll work yourself into an early grave trying to invoice R310 every hour.

You want a salary for yourself as business owner say R90 (which is the same as they guy working for you - whoopee!!). Now you must invoice R400 an hour to earn R18000 if you can manage to get consistent work.

Sure you can put mark ups on material but these figures not make me want to take on a full time Artisan. Or am I missing something?

Haven't even included work mans compensation yet! And you are going to be taxed.

I trained my apprentice up over the last few years and he's OK, he'd doing he is doing his trade test soon but he sure as shit ain't worth R89.93 an hour (not being rude or mean about the guy but it is what it is - knows the basics but if you want cable calculations or any kind of, how do you say.... Can I leave him on site with material and leave him to work it out - NO!)

The only way I see you can make it worth it is by the material mark ups.

It doesn't encourage me to want to take on more staff, that's for sure.

[GCE]

Hi
I assume from the above that it is going to be your first artisan that you are thinking of taking on and expanding with.I have been around the block with employing people and can still remember taking the chance with the first artisan.Was fortunate that he was unemployed at the stage and we basically agreed with each other that we were both going to take the risk with each other and see how it went - He ended up staying and 20 years later had to be boarded due to ill health.He unfortunately passed away 6 months after being boarded

Taking on a new team takes around 6 months to recover cash flow basically due to the extra expenditure as mentioned above.
If you have time on your side and can train up an apprentice to eventually fill the gap it definitely works out cost effective.We all complain about the lack of skills the appie receives from training centers but I feel it is up to each one of us to continue the training within the work place to get him to the type of artisan you want.
Put him under pressure ask him to give you solutions to the problems as you encounter them so that you train him to start thinking while he is still your tool handler - Afterwards give him the reason you did things the way you did - That way he will hopefully start thinking the same way as you.

If you take on the artisan let him have one of the labourers you have trained up and you use the appie as a labourer so that you train him like you want.

Taking the first step to employing another team is a bold step that you will regret for the first 6 months , feel comfortable for the following 6 months , happy after 18 months and month 19 want to employ the next team only to repeat the roller coaster exercise.
Taking on an aritsan and appie at the same time means that the appie could be an asset after 18 months which could help avoid the roller coaster ride.
We now take on appies ever year so that we have a cycle going and it appears to work .We are now on 10 appies at different stages and different funded projects.
Through the years we have kept the better appies/artisans and allowed the others to go to our opposition and rather destroy there cash flow.

With regards to appies - there are funded projects in your area where the lead employer pays the appie and his training , you just provide the workplace - join them, get involved in training the way you expect an artisan to be and enjoy the benefits.

[skatingsparks]

My point is that according to the bargaining council I must pay my apprentice who is now an Artisan R89. I sorry but he isn't an R89 an hour guy. Just isn't. Once his apprentaship contract ends I won't be able to keep him. I can't consistently generate enough to pay him that. To be honest I don't think anyone will pay him R89 an hour along with all the kak they demand you pay. What exactly does the bargaining council do for us?

[GCE]

Hi

The council is ensuring that everybody pays the same rate and therefore makes it easier to charge out at a sufficient rate to recover the monies .

Once your apprentice is qualified that is the end of his contract with you - You would then have to offer him further employment with a salary that he is prepared to accept and keep within the bargaining council rates.
There would be nothing wrong in offering him an econop position within your company at the associate rates - The only trick is to make sure that he only performs Econop work as defined by the council - The minute he does more than you would have to adjust to Artisan rates.If you don't he could run to council and you may be forced to back pay

Our feeling is that if he cannot run a small site in his 3rd year he will not make the grade and we therefore will not offer him an employment contract.

The best route is to take on apprentices ever year and try train them like you expect them to work - With the funded projects at the moment you basically have a 3 year interview process while somebody else picks up the cost.