Expectations with an Apprenticeship

[Aprentice]

Hello everyone,

I'm new here. I've come here to learn a little about the locksmith trade. I'm interested in changing careers to the locksmith trade. I've made a great living in the retail auto sales industry with more than 13 years of experience in sales, management and finance. I've just been burned out on it for some time now and am looking to do something that appeals to me more. Locksmithing has always appealed to me for so many reasons.

I've sent away for some DVDs that I found online to begin learning more about it. I have found a learning and certification program of interest that I will sign-up for once I've found an apprenticeship which is where I have began. I have started calling around and have already contacted some local locksmiths in my area (Tacoma Washington Area). I have sent my resume to 3 locksmiths so far that have stated a willingness to consider me for an apprenticeship.

My question for you locksmiths is, what should I expect with an apprenticeship opportunity - approximate time it takes to learn the basic essentials; what a reasonable starting wage for an apprentice should be; what tasks I will be learning to begin with; etc. etc.???

Any feedback will be appreciated, including some short stories regarding some of your apprenticeship experiences as an employer, trainer and or apprentice yourself. Thank you.

Shane S. Edwards

[bonez]

basically if your already earning a good wage
stick with that for a bit longer stay on this site,
get some locks and picks and have a go at it.

to be fair it's not all glamorous and big money
but the self rewards are great!

you will have to put in a great deal of effort
yourself,most lockies i know are self employed
and can struggle for work at times even though
they are very good at what they do!

the set up costs for tools and stock are astonishing
the threads in this section are a good place to start,
have a read up and decide for yourself!

the us lockies will probablly add more to help.
but good luck.

and welcome by the way.



j.

[UWSDWF]

-the location of all local coffee shops.
-paitence
-knowldege of a micrometer to sort the pins
-a love for the most mundane things
-a passion for sweeping

[fsdhy]

-the location of all local coffee shops.
-paitence
-knowldege of a micrometer to sort the pins
-a love for the most mundane things
-a passion for sweeping

Yeah, not really...

I think you'll find that most locksmiths who are willing to take you on as an apprentice are just as eager to teach you as you yourself are eager to learn. These are people who have traditionally kept their knowledge to themselves, so having someone around to teach is a good change of pace for them. Just be prepared to work your ass off.

Most importantly, be prepared to invest your own money & free time to learning OUTSIDE of work. If you only learn things when you encounter them on the job, you'll still be learning 30 years from now.