Brew69(SA) replied:

Sounds very much like the exception to the rule Jimbo. I see lots of this age group every year and get 1 in 10 with good work ethic. Sounds like you have found a good one.

Member - Roger B (VIC) replied:

All the bad eggs get the publicity. The kid that lives a good life,goes to work, and acts normal won't get his story in the paper. It wouldn't make headlines or sell papers. Cheers.
RogerB. Father of four and Grandfather of ten.

Member - Kim M (VIC) replied:

Jimbo

It wasn't prudent of you to advertise this lad. If you can forward his contact details to me, I'll put him on the speaker circuit to talk to the useless Career Advisers down here in the Village.

If he has some spare time, he can also talk to those businesses that bitch on about kids, without putting in place a process that introduces them to the work place.

Many of these kids need a good kick up the arse, but at the end of the day, their a product of the current environment.

Good on you for being so positive.

Regards

Kim

Member - Brad S (SA) replied:

Hi Jim

My mechanic mate runs a garage and for years he had one apprentice after the other...now he has found a pearler who is keen as mustard about the trade and has brought a whole new skill set with him. Now this young fella is a permanent fixture at the business. Mate's business is doing well enough and he'd probably like to bring on another hand...but he's back to trialling apprentices again, some duds, most OK but no keen ones yet. They are hard to find and retain. Mate also has a degree in Business Degree majored in Human Resources. I don't think it has helped him though, because the pool of potentials is pretty shallow.

BTW we missed you at Little Desert this year...ended up tooling down the border track with Numb Thumbs & Ozrider.

Cheers
Brad

RFLundgren (WA) replied:

Jimbo

It certainly is great to hear such a positive story. Some years ago in a previous life when I had the pleasure of apprentices it was even then difficult to find a good one.

Out of the 5 that I had under me I had 1 dud, 3 great ones and 1 who was absolutely awesome. Some of these kids ran rings around the so called qualified tradesmen and all were paid accordingly. If I remember correctly and I am going back to the mid eighties all of these apprentices were paid a salary of around $250 week net. Considering the award wage at the time was something like $120 gross I felt that we were looking after them well. At the end of the day these kids were basically paid what they were worth to the business.

Sometimes I wonder what kind of world we are living in as all you ever hear about are the bad news stories, so it is great to hear something so positive.

I have 4 kids and so far they all seem to be doing ok. None will be rocket scientists but hopefully all will be well adjusted contributing members of society.

Diver1 replied:

Hwmbo - Nathan would tell you other stories of our youth - yet he only sees and deals with them at the nasty stage of the night when the drugs have taken affect, the alcohol is well into their stomachs and their pockets are full of what ever they can scab...

There are a lot of good kids out there and they need to be told that they are great and need not to be forgotten about, but as sad as it is its those who dont deserve love that actually need it the most....

Its lovely to hear a story of good and of hope to make you realise that there can be some hope for those dimwitted kids out htere!!!

I know a kid - now probably 21 - that was a great kid. A genious on the piano and was one of only a few in Australia that could play all of the RACH 3 on piano with out a glitch, was great at school and had hopes of being a lawyer....now he is on weekend detention for attempting to rob a servo to pay back $22k that he owed for his drug habits....all because he got stuck in the wrong crowd at yr 12 school.

Its this age group that needs help - they are young wanting to fit in to any crowd that will accept them and not wanting to stand out this is what some get into. They need help not $%& from everyone.

just my 2 bobs worth...

Laura

93 Navara replied:

My line of work we deal with kids regularly. Always exceptions to the rule, but the apple doesn't fall far from the tree. Kids with decent parents become decent adults themselves.

Hairy (NT) replied:

Always good to hear a poistive story.
The more people talk about them and make them the common case, the more they will happen.
Remember...Kids are generally a reflection of their parents and their suroundings...
Its not rocket science!

Cheers

Member No 1 replied:

wait till he finds out what women are about....lol

Kev M replied:

Jimbo,

I am sure there is at least one ExplorOz member down your way that would gladly give you 2 TA's until the end of the school holidays. Is that right Lyn LOL

Kev

Red Frog - Vic replied:

Glad you got such a good kid, maybe there's less risk with employing someone of a more mature age ?

Member - Brian H (QLD) replied:

Not wanting to hijack the thread.......... just on the other side of things my son applied for ba temp job as a car cleaner detailer and he worked his ass off (i know how he works) for about a week. He made it clear to them he was looking for other work which was ok by them.

The money was not flash but as he said it's a job, he got a job in TI and called the place up and advised he had another job and would be leaving in a week. They kept calling over the next few days that he was not required that day. In the end he asked for his pay and was told they don't pay for people on trial?? A one week trial??

My son was very upset to say the least but he just said said thats life and nothing he could do, it took me both over the phone and in thier FACE at the work place for him to be paid in CASH. I guess it was costing them money with me thier. I find out this is a common thing at this place so have reported them.

So not all are bludgers many do get screwed by the bosses which does nothing for thier next place of work.

I to have had many young people work for me and yes many of the work ethic's are not flash but thier are plenty of good ones as well.

Just finding them sometimes is hard.

Brian

Kevndeb replied:

Morning,

I have not seen or heard from my 14 year old son since 10:10 last Saturday morning....and I don't like it.

He is on his annual camp with the Army Cadets. I have no idea where he is, what he is doing, but I do know so far that he has not be blown up or shot yet....( he is doing weapons training, and a bit of bomb training hubby signed the papers). I don't know how I am going handle him joining the regs ( that want he wants to do). He went for week, but he really wanted to do another week, billeted out, but we will see tomorrow, if he comes home.


Everyone who I have spoken to say it will sort him out, not that he needed sorting out, he just wanted another outlet for his design a bridge, built and get over it state of mind. He gets bored very easily. His CO reckons he is best the cadet she has ever had. Spoke to his year 9 coordinator the other day he is just sitting in class doing nothing, still acing all of his exams and she won't move him into the next stage, because he is sitting there and doing nothing, because he did all this stuff in year 4 in primary school.

I have to admit I was bit worried just before camp, because his friend ( a girl....but thank goodness for no fraternization in the hoochie rule :-) had text him to say that she had brought herself a new knife, not just any knife but a diamond knife.....but then I work out who he was talking about and I calmed down about the new knife.

Tomorrow we are off to the barracks for the passing out parade, the older cadets leave and the younger ones, who's auscams are usually three times to big for them arrive and the flag is passed over.

And hopefully my son would have had a shower, been de-ticked and cleaned....or he will be sitting in the roof basket on the new pathfinder.

My other two kids are the same, will do anything for anybody. They are respectful of their family elders. My middle son has just started mowing the neighbours lawn, and he asked if he could do it, because he said " she has not got time". He is so proud of his his new lawnmower, we brought a ride-one as we are on 3/4 acre and told him it was his, his job to mow the lawns Give kids a bit of encouragement and they will give back, tell them they are good for nothing, they will become good for nothing.

Debbie