what can i expect as an apprentice

[Deathadder]

I've been considering this for a while now, but I haven't really given it much thought until now. Ill be 16 this summer, and I wanted to get a summer job. I was thinking about apprenticing to a locksmith, but I am unaware as to how I would go about this. Should I just phone a nearby locksmith and ask him to apprentice me? Also, will I get any discrimination because I am a teenager? What are the terms of an apprenticeship? Would I have to pay, or would he pay me, or do I just work off the apprenticeship? How much yearly would a locksmith in my area expect to make? Would he accept me only over the summer and possibly weekends? What kind of work would I be doing? Sorry for all the questions, but I'm really interested in this, and I think this would be the best job for me. Thanks to all those who answer any or all of my questions.

[mjwhit]

im also a 16yr old,and neither a locksmith or an aprentice, but i will attemp to answer some of these questions.
Normally an aprentiship is full time, ie 5/6/7 days a week all year round. So you probably cant do just weekends/holiday work.
Around here an aprentiship lasts a couple of years full time- ie 3 for a builder or mechanic, but may be less or more for locksmith.
You will probably get paid near the minimum wage and also get all the jobs that your boss doesnt want to do.
You would be much better off dressing up/getting a haircut or whatever and going to see them in person, as opposed to just ringing. This makes it seem like your much more interested and it shows your pro-active.
Also, if you are well presented and are polite you seem more honest, which is very important in this trade.

I would suggest asking for holiday/weekend work rather than an aprentiship because if you ask for an aprentiship he may expect you full time.
Could be diffucult to explain to him that you want to go back to school instead of working in his shop... Maybe a locksmith / aprentice could fill you in a little more.

[mjwhit]

Oh yeah ill just add something else.
A trick ive used in the past is offering to work for free for a week or whatever, so they can get to know you. Even just cleaning or emptying bins etc... People dont ussualy say no to someone offering to work for free, but they may in this case because of trust isssues.

You work your behind off for that time, and they cant say no

It worked for me... I worked at a motorbike shop for about 3 weeks with no pay. Great experiencwe,I learnt so much!

Anyway,I told them i had to go back to school next week and the guy offered me an aprentiship. I turned him down though...

[UWSDWF]

don't forget getting coffee and the daily ass paddling

[mjwhit]

I think this just about covers that:

and also get all the jobs that your boss doesnt want to do.

[sevenAU]

im also a 16yr old,and neither a locksmith or an aprentice, but i will attemp to answer some of these questions.
Normally an aprentiship is full time, ie 5/6/7 days a week all year round. So you probably cant do just weekends/holiday work.
Around here an aprentiship lasts a couple of years full time- ie 3 for a builder or mechanic, but may be less or more for locksmith.
You will probably get paid near the minimum wage and also get all the jobs that your boss doesnt want to do.
You would be much better off dressing up/getting a haircut or whatever and going to see them in person, as opposed to just ringing. This makes it seem like your much more interested and it shows your pro-active.
Also, if you are well presented and are polite you seem more honest, which is very important in this trade.

I would suggest asking for holiday/weekend work rather than an aprentiship because if you ask for an aprentiship he may expect you full time.
Could be diffucult to explain to him that you want to go back to school instead of working in his shop... Maybe a locksmith / aprentice could fill you in a little more.

Apprenticeship in OZ:

-5 days a week minimum at minimal pay ($280 ish pw)
-4 year apprenticeship with a side-dish of tafe, which is likely to be out of your state.
-The jobs you hate may be included in this package.

Also as a first year apprentice you will be in the shop most of the time cutting keys and such.

As mjwhit said, be presentable...if you can do something with locks show them, but don't whip out the picks at the interview and show them how you can pick the back of a masterlock combo.

[Deathadder]

thanks for all the information guys, but one question remains... how much do you guys make annually, not me working as an apprentice, but someone who either...

A) works for a locksmith

or

B) owns their own locksmith company

[keysman]

As said in other threads .. Most apprenticeships, weather “formal" (i.e. Approved by some governing body), or informal ,require full time dedication at least for a few years.

Although the term apprentice may have a dictionary definition of student ,in reality the definition is more like SLAVE. In ancient times young men were SOLD into apprenticeships.

Expect to get the jobs that NO ONE else wants to do.. sweep the floor, organize that room that has 20 years of scrap locks , sort those 5 gallon buckets of odd key blanks ect.
Sounds like fun huh ? Well you do get to learn a lot about locks / keys and keeping things organized. As you improve you should be taught a few things and allowed to make $ for the owner.

You may want to see if they will let you “hang around “ and do the crap work, while you are not available on a full time basis. You may find the LAST thing you want to do is be a locksmith.

When you talk to the owner , keep in mind… at best you will be a liability for a few months. This means you are costing him/ her time and money , until you are “up to speed” and can make a contribution to the business. The sooner you can ‘ carry your own weight” the more likely you will be to get hired.

So before you go in , put together a list of your skills, your tools and experience, show how you have done some ‘self study “ by reading available books , internet sources and owning tools , buying practice locks and working on them..
I would keep the “Lock picking hobby” part to a minimum, as most pros don’t have a good opinion of “Hobby Pickers”. Picking locks is a VERY small part of any locksmith business, and is generally not a required skill to obtain the job. ( I know several very successful lockies who couldn’t pick a master padlock if their life depended on it .)

How much can you expect to earn? Wages are dependent on your location .. but you can look at other skilled trades to get an idea.. a journeyman plumber and a journeyman locksmith should be at about the same wage. Apprentices .. well minimum wage to start ….with wage increases as the skill level increases.

[ponsaloti]

I agree with most of the above.
the jobs that no-one else wants to do should teach you a lot about the trade you hoping to become a master in, some-body has to do these jobs and it should be you. It will teach you why you should do things in a certain way and order, why you should work in a tidy fashion ( this means the apprentice will have to clean up less of your shit when you have your own apprentice). It will teach you humility and respect for the old stubborn bastards that went thru the same sort of training years before you. When i was serving my time 77 to 81, i was working with turners who wore ties and worked a lathe all day, sheet metal workers who for the first month of me being put in there shop, would keep there backs to me so as i would`nt learn any-thing out of the order they wanted to teach me, welders that were totally off there trolleys and machine tool fitters that liked to mess around with the lenth of shot-guns, alot of these fellas told stories about things they did during the 2nd world war and how easy us apprentices had it now. I did`nt realise how much of a solid grounding they had given me until i was about 28. Bare in mind that you will initially only be as good as the training you were given, good luck.

[ponsaloti]

I do apologise, i didnt realise road apples was spelt road apples.

[grim]

thanks for all the information guys, but one question remains... how much do you guys make annually,

<SNIP>

I have a mansion forget the price
Ain't never been there they tell me its nice
I live in hotels tear out the walls
I have accountants pay for it all

They say I'm crazy but I have a good time
(Everybody say "Oh, yeah" ..... "Oh,yeah")
I'm just looking for clues at the scene of the crime
Life's been good to me so far

My Maserati does 185
I lost my license now I don't drive
I have a limo ride in the back
I lock the doors in case I'm attacked

I'm pickin' locks {making records} my fans they cant wait
They write me letters tell me I'm great
So I got me an office brass keyblanks {gold records} on the wall
Just leave a message maybe I'll call

Lucky I'm sane after all I've been through
Everybody says I'm cool (He's cool)
I can't complain but sometimes I still do
Life's been good to me so far

I go to parties sometimes until four
It's hard to leave when you can't find the door
It's tough to handle this fortune and fame
Everybody's so different I haven't changed

They say I'm lazy but it takes all my time
Everybody says Oh yeah (Oh yeah)
I keep on going guess I'll never know why
Lifes been good to me so far

umm... those lyrics are about as far from reality as you can get and still be in the 3rd dimension. the REAL "paycheck" is the job satisfaction. don't be looking to make oodles of money. you won't. but you can have a very rewarding and self-satisfying career that never gets boring. i'd say that in itself is worth a lot.