Taking on Students - experience so far.

[skatingsparks]

I'm sure a lot of you must get calls from students colleges regarding them getting hands on experience etc.
The story so far (bit of a rant actually).
Started with 3. 1 left (just disappeared), 1 was so useless we had to let him go as he was just a liability to himself and others and the the 3rd worked out really well (all positive so far)
My "heads up" is regarding the colleges. 4 times now they have called in the apprentice with no warning now. Not the apprentice fault I know. it's the poorly organiser college who call him in. 1st time was not a story - he didn't turn up Monday as the collage told him he had to sign papers. 2nd time - big kak. A shut down that had been organiser for 8 weeks. Lots of health and safety, lots of planning. The apprentice got called in (threatened to stop his stipend). We HAD to have 3 people on site at 8 am. But there was 2 and I got in the biggest kak I have for the last 12 years. Big expense to the client because of the delay. Health and Safety on my case. 3rd time no biggy. 4th time, today hired a cherry picker (at great expense) and it's parked up because we had to have 3 people and one was called to college. I lost my s@$# with the college this time. I now have paid for a cherry picker and missed the window to do the job. And a very unhappy client

So that's my experience. Not cross with the student - cross with the college for not giving prior warning. They don't care what problems they cause. I found they just want the payments from government and have taught the students VERY little.

Will I take anymore? DEFINITELY NOT FROM THAT COLLEGE.

Asked the guy from the college "what happens if you don't turn up for work. What does your boss do?!"

I'm thinking i'm going to have to let the apprentice go. His own college is unreliable and has totally no interest in our problems caused by there bad preparation.