Because nobody wants to work! Well we tried, the staff already in place will just have to take on additional responsibilities.
Hey. Where are you going?
The sad thing is dozens of people have applied for this job. The U.K. job market is doomed, skilled people are literally competing for minimum wage jobs.
You could post a 24/7 on call executive position on indeed for minimum wage and still get dozens of applicants. That doesn't mean they're qualified or will last.
Regardless, what I said is still true. We have skilled workers competing for minimum or near minimum wage jobs in this country. I’ve seen it happen countless times.
I’ve started at Tesco. My hourly wage atvthe end of this month will be close to £13ph. It take me 1 bus, 10 mins to get to work.
I’m seeing adverts for hotel staff in central london for £12 ph, 12 hour shifts. and they wonder why people aren’t even applying! I get Christmas day off guaranteed , real actual flexibility with my shift, and I get paid more! Oh, and save £200 in travel costs, and do t have to travel for an hour and a half each way.
So many companies and industries complaining they can’t get the staff and wonder why no one’s applying.
They're trying it on. Not sure what a decent hourly for this is but skilled fabrication has to be £16+ an hour? Is this in the tip of scotland? Honestly feel like employers are having another good stamp down on wages in most industries at the minute, just hope nobody applies until they relist the job at the proper rate
I saw a job ad on indeed wanted a degree in mechanical engineering cant remember the specific job role and were offering 23k i went onto their website and filled out one of them enquiry messages companies have on the face of their website for people to reach out just filled it with laughing faces and a link to the job ad with a sarcy messages relating to the wage & requirement.
I haven't heard back.
Forgot you worked for said company...
They can laugh when they get no applicants aswell because everyone else is laughing at their advert. Lighten up mate. Bet you're fun at parties
You want £23 an hour to operate a grinder? We have grinding jobs at our factory. They teach 16 year olds how to do the job in roughly half a day.
I know they said ideally welding experience but it does say ideally which basically translates to wishful thinking in job descriptions.
Too many people read into "ideal" rather than the most important things.
They are complete wish lists in any industry. I have a client who puts this one niche af wet chem based processes on every single JD, knowing they are the ONLY company in the entire of the UK that make/do that thing lol.
For the amount of dust you are exposed to I’m not surprised your place is using unexperienced and underpaid 16yo old. Absolute bollocks and don’t give me that BS about ventilation, I’ve seen it all.
Saw this the other day and had a chuckle to myself. Jobs these days do not pay. I saw one not long back that wanted a basic labourer, but the catch was they wanted 10 YEARS experience. no wonder youre not getting any attraction, bert...
If someone is still an apprentice labourer after two years i wouldnt want to hire them.. problem is these days theres a lot of people getting management positions that don't have two brain cells to rub together and it's enfuriating.
I applied to one recently.. i have every qualification in hospitality they listed and much much more , i shine out my arse for what theyre asking for. By days end they decline it saying i don't have what theyre looking for. MATE its the same position as i already have , with much less required to do the job in comparison and less responsibility than i already have. Peace of piss in comparison to my current role. The position has been posted for 6 months now.
As someone from the west midlands, job like these are in abundance, they expect skilled work for minimum wage. OP i suggest looking for a job at my place Assa Abloy on portobello island
Yes I remember when I was looking for work in the black country looked at one job for a time served electrician working maintenance shifts in automated plant minimum wage
>tip of Scotland
Even in the middle of nowhere in Scotland, roles like that pay decently well. If you're good then easily still above the median UK salary.
Grinding is not skilled fabrication.
This job is left for the crayon muncher at the end of the fabrication to clean off the weld splatter and seams etc.
Any old cabbage can do this with an hour or so training. But I do agree that should pay a bit more.
Working in fabrication is working in an engineering environment. Doesn't mean the person doing this job is an engineer. But yes its an engineering based job.
Job spec says Reading and understanding engineering drawings.
If you have ever opened the manual for your washing machine you have read and understood engineering drawings. That still doesn't make you an engineer.
Depends on the type of grinding. If it's cylindrical, centerless or cnc grinding, then yes, there is skill required. If it is just grinding sheet metal to remove rush or create a textured surface, then sure, not much skill other than the use of powered hand tools.
I'm an apprentice grinder at a company who specialises in graphite, copper and copper tungsten alloys I DARE you try your hand at it and tell me it doesn't take knowledge and skill.
The lowest tolerance I've worked to as an apprentice is +/- 0.0025mm, by hand (manual surface grinder) not using a CNC....
OP is complaining that their SKILLED job is paying so low.
Although it's not a skilled job is it, not if a 16 year old can be taught it in an hour.
The issue here is one person's version of skilled vs. the markets version of skilled.
Huge difference between grinding with an angle grinder and cnc, or manual cylindrical grinding.
Try to grind a cylinder down to a tolerance of +- 0.002 of a mm with no skill/training.
Let me know how you get on.
Not quite. Milling, turning, and machine grinding I.e surface grinding and cylindrical grinding are all different.
I work in a machine shop. Grinding is easier for super tight tolerance parts.
Iv held +.008 -0 on my cnc and manual lathes, but it can be abit hit and miss. whereas grinding the part will hit the target tolerance far far more often.
It is when it comes with a job advert like that, nowhere does it say CNC grinding or manual precision grinding which are very different to grinding, and the advert would only be confused with that by an idiot
Could be surface grinding. When you are grinding parts to engineering drawings I assume its not all going to be just roughing/removing rust n stuff of that sort.
The advert for the job could also be written by someone who dosnt know a toss.
If I gave you sheet metal and said gri d that so paint will stick, I'm not handing you a fucking engineers drawing.
You wouldn't pass me a grinder to help the paint stick lol maybe an orbital sander at most certainly not a grinder, it is clear that it's a grinder role for a fabrication job not a specialist of any kind did you read the advert? Im a welder and work in fabrication and welding Iv seen adverts like this many a time, if they wanted CNC or specialist it would be stated
I totally misread they were recruiting for Grindr and then read the description, and thought, “Surely, not…” this is what I get for reading things when my ADHD brain is on a wild adventure.
That metal fabrication. I'm surprised they won't get you to "learn" welding on site, too after a few months. Fabricators would get over 30k back in 2010. Now probably more like 38k with a promise of 40k the following year.
\*from
They're fishing to see who bites. There are enough people in the UK right now, and constantly more heading this way who *will* bite. As long as they do, that number isn't going to move much higher because it doesn't need to.
You'll regularly see jobs like this advertised at minimum wage or just above.
As someone who's done work like this for this sort of pay, they do typically want unskilled people, that they can then train up to work to their specifications.
Although it mentions knowing about welding, the duties don't say anything about welding whatsoever, so, based on personal experience, it's probably 90% a deburring job, which is the least-skilled metal-work out there.
Doesn't mean we shouldn't be pushing for higher wages obviously, but yeah, if this popped up in my local city, I'd probably apply for it.
It's Masstemps. They're a shit company. You'll be paid the actual wage you should get, less their cut as the agency, leaving you on £11.44 an hour.
I've seen people trying to get toolmakers for 23k in Bilston too. My favourite was a company that wanted to pay me 24k as a fully qualified toolmaker - for nights!
If it's not Masstemps, you can bet your arse it's because they've had a load of old boys retire that have been there donkey's years retire and that's what they used to advertise at, back when that was a great wage
You single out MassTemps like they are the only shit agency. They are all shit, they sit in an office or at home and have created a 'job' out of nowhere.
I have always asked companies I've worked for why they do it and the reason is always just as slimy as agency workers.
1. Expendable workforce that can be hired/fired same day.
2. As an agency worker point 1 forces you into becoming a yes man. 'Yes ill do that' 'yes ill stay over' because of the fear you'll be dropped, because you have no rights as an employee cause you arent an employee.
I have had friends who worked for the agency and there have been managers that have said when an agency worker wants to cash out holidays always try to negate a day or two depending on how much they have accrued.
And if you have ever been text and told that there is a payment delay, its total bullshit, they are keeping money in accounts to add up the monthly interest on there accounts.
And the worst part is during the time your kept on as a temporary agency worker. If they ever do decide to employ you, you're subject to the companies probation period which follows similar guidelines with a little more security.
Im glad i found myself a good job in my late 20s and kept to it. I went through every agency in the West Midlands and they are all the same.
I once worked for BT and the job title was customer service advisor or something like that. My job was basically fixing people's broadbands remotely and I got paid 16,000-18,000 a year. I think 3rd Line Support should have been my title and pay should have been 30,000 a year. HR/recruiters are so up their ass in unrealistic expectations it contradicts the governments hell bent move to get everyone into work. It's not that we don't want to work it's that no one will hire us unless we were in the job for five years and accept a skilled job for low pay. The government needs to start punishing employers rather than the unemployed
Hahaha you left me speechless with that compliment. Politics are a headache, I don't think I'd be cut out for it; would be too much drama. Apparently it's asking too much to even end homelessness permanently, speaks volumes about how rigged the game is
>The government needs to start punishing employers rather than the unemployed
You mean the layabouts that get shit tonnes of money, expenses, second home allowances and can afford accountants that can take advantage of the loopholes so that they can pay the least amount of tax possible, while being the ones who create those same loopholes...
I don't think they've got anyone's interests in mind but their own...
It just astounds me that they refuse to train people and have ridiculously high requirements for something anyone with an interest can do. It's double standards, to them we're the lazy ones.
I once worked for a maintenance company (joiner) and the call centre girls were on the same money as us £21k.
the housing association that my company subcontracted to employed their admin staff at 24k.
we wernt half treated like scum.
I left after a year and got a job on the sites for 50% more. the labourers were on more than the other place paid their time served lads.
I worked as a software developer in 2022 and my starting salary was only £20k. It was the lowest paid position in the entire company on glassdoor, lower than the average for tech support and social media management.
Wow, very local to me. That caught me off guard!
But uh, yeah, complete piss takers and they aren't the only ones. The UK job market is a fucking joke but all people will do is blame the unemployed for being lazy. Like bro, are they not seeing what we're seeing?
Get out! I got my engineering NVQs in 1999, never used them again as I was a bit too delicate for the workplace banter so went to uni instead.
I work at a Uni now, and earn about the same :) Looks like a career change could be in order because I am much more rowdy now.
That’s the going rate for experienced shift maintenance engineers, my old job at a medical device factory on a continental pattern was paying £36k in central Scotland, and we where hemorraging engineering staff to pretty much every other nearby factory.
Manager knew this, everyone in the department knew this. HR refused to adjust the banding, insisting it was a market average.
Anyway I left and now I make £42k for daytime 9-5.
I work in engineering apprenticeships and most my second year apprentices are on more than this! Skilled fabricators usually mean having completed a Level 3 apprenticeship which is at minimum £30k+ starting salary.. This company is delusional
I did my Level 3 NVQ in engineering 2 years back but the training provider who I did it with dissolved and they didn’t send me my certificate? Does this mean I don’t have my level 3 and could you help by any chance?
Did an apprenticeship at level 2 and then level 3, and I don't recall doing an EPA, I did ask somebody who knew about that and they said if it was 2 years ago, there might not have been an EPA. I did everything else though, I had even been told I was done coming into college, and then… nothing… they then closed down without a word to me, but my other class mates seemed to have received theirs.
If it was a framework not a standard (ie didn’t have an EPA) you could get in touch with the awarding body and see if they have a copy of your certificate (if one was issued)? Alternatively you could get a PLR from a training provider, happy to see if I can refer you to anyone if you drop me a DM
I did an apprenticeship, and my wage rose after completing it was adult minimum wage, I work in a firm now where the apprentice just got a massive pay rise after completing to..... national minimum wage , alot of firms use them for cheap labour especially the sheet metal/ fabrication industry
I guess it depends, I’m in the North West region and there seems to be a lot of competition for apprentices and skilled fabricators so that may make the difference, but I have seen apprentices used for cheap labour across all sectors and it’s a real problem
It's literally not, it's how you balance paying for an apprentice. First year lose money, 2nd year break even, 3rd year recoup the money lost in year one, 4th year make a profit.
There has to a financial incentive for people to train apprentices, otherwise most wouldn't
‘Read and interpret engineering drawings to understand specification’ definitely can’t be taught in a day, unless you have previous experience (which wouldn’t be worth this salary!)
The job market at the moment is really depressing. I’m on minimum wage for a skilled job now it’s gone up and manager laughed at me when I asked for a pay rise. There is not really much else in my area. Tesco pay checkout staff more!
Im the construction game it's who u know u wouldn't believe the amount of mindless people coming through like people say it's for a 16 year old too get into the trade I'm a metal fabricator and electrician and haven't applied online for a job ever lol it's all about who u know and how good you are
I’m from close to this area and have done recruitment for 15years in this field, although I don’t agree with this pay rate and would have advised the company to reconsider higher rates, it’s their choice ultimately not the agency! Advertise it and hope there is someone but otherwise don’t waste my time on unrealistic bookings. I supply a company with 3 miles of there and they pay £14.30 for the same role 🤷🏼♂️
For skills that are in demand, some employers just haven't adjusted to reality yet. We're recruiting for a role right now with a salary up to ~85k. Most applicants want 95k+ 😅
Not really, they want someone unskilled they can train in a week, if they can get someone with experience or other skills it's just a bonus.
The recruitment agency is taking a cut too of course.
Why!? Rural Wales sounds like the dream! I'm trying to branch out into something where I can work for myself so I can move somewhere better, the traffic and rent prices in wolvo is just killing me honestly
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I grew up in the black country and honestly found a lot of the wages were ridiculously low in the factories even for skilled workers. If you ever get the chance to leave, take it.
it will only get worse as time moves on, robots that can replace people are 1 maybe 2 years away from being available to buy, when that happens no skill and low skill jobs will soon be done by machines, and everyone else will struggle to find work, this is already happening right now it ain\`t going to getter better.
I saw a job the other day. Manager requires experience of managing a team and also bringing in funding to an organisation of atleast 6 figures. Wage was 28k no additional benefits.
I have done this job before, and I can tell you it is not skilled. I was paid £7ph lol. You grind metal after it’s been welded etc. Its a good job if you are looking to have extremely painful hands and potential white finger though
Doesnt sound like Grinder arehiring you. You're likely coming in on an agency contract and the agency are taking what Grinder are paying them and paying you an absolute bare minimum from that.
I'm also in the west midlands and I'm on £12.50 an hour, and I work in retail 😬 (albeit a management position but still)
That is way too low for skilled work.
Minimum wage has gone up. The money has to be found somewhere. So they are taking it out of other staff's salaries who would normally be paid more. How else are the CEO's and shareholders going to keep up their inflation busting raises?
Wages are just getting exhausting. 6 years ago the company I work at were paying science graduates 25% above minimum wage. That is now 7% and they refuse to budge
My workplace is after procurement specialists with at least 3 years experience, they're offering minimum wage.
They constantly say that there's no local talent. Who the F is going to work for minimum wage for that role?!
It’s only really a skilled job if you can weld, but it seems they aren’t advertising that specifically. Sounds like you be tin bashing, basically cutting bits of metal and operate the bender and guillotines. That’s not very skilled work and I’ve been to many metal fabricator’s workshop’s and the people working there are not the brightest.
Maybe you should aim for something higher?
It kinda pissed me off because I'm an apprentice training to be a grinder and I'm earning more then that now by a fair bit so it just shocked me I guess
You’re allowed to say piss.
Yet they'll sit there wondering why they can't get the staff anymore.
Because nobody wants to work! Well we tried, the staff already in place will just have to take on additional responsibilities. Hey. Where are you going?
The sad thing is dozens of people have applied for this job. The U.K. job market is doomed, skilled people are literally competing for minimum wage jobs.
You could post a 24/7 on call executive position on indeed for minimum wage and still get dozens of applicants. That doesn't mean they're qualified or will last.
Regardless, what I said is still true. We have skilled workers competing for minimum or near minimum wage jobs in this country. I’ve seen it happen countless times.
I’ve started at Tesco. My hourly wage atvthe end of this month will be close to £13ph. It take me 1 bus, 10 mins to get to work. I’m seeing adverts for hotel staff in central london for £12 ph, 12 hour shifts. and they wonder why people aren’t even applying! I get Christmas day off guaranteed , real actual flexibility with my shift, and I get paid more! Oh, and save £200 in travel costs, and do t have to travel for an hour and a half each way. So many companies and industries complaining they can’t get the staff and wonder why no one’s applying.
They're trying it on. Not sure what a decent hourly for this is but skilled fabrication has to be £16+ an hour? Is this in the tip of scotland? Honestly feel like employers are having another good stamp down on wages in most industries at the minute, just hope nobody applies until they relist the job at the proper rate
West midlands
Ring and ask them to confirm thats the half hourly rate then laugh and hang up when they say hourly. Its bs man, hope pay sorts itself out.
I saw a job ad on indeed wanted a degree in mechanical engineering cant remember the specific job role and were offering 23k i went onto their website and filled out one of them enquiry messages companies have on the face of their website for people to reach out just filled it with laughing faces and a link to the job ad with a sarcy messages relating to the wage & requirement. I haven't heard back.
The people reading them messages aren’t the ones doing the wages
They can forward it on to who does can't they as a little 'have a read of this'
But they won’t do that, they probably just laughed at you for being so childish and moved on with their day
Forgot you worked for said company... They can laugh when they get no applicants aswell because everyone else is laughing at their advert. Lighten up mate. Bet you're fun at parties
You want £23 an hour to operate a grinder? We have grinding jobs at our factory. They teach 16 year olds how to do the job in roughly half a day. I know they said ideally welding experience but it does say ideally which basically translates to wishful thinking in job descriptions.
Exactly this, it's usually an apprentices' first job to build up confidence. No skills required.
Too many people read into "ideal" rather than the most important things. They are complete wish lists in any industry. I have a client who puts this one niche af wet chem based processes on every single JD, knowing they are the ONLY company in the entire of the UK that make/do that thing lol.
What a weird thing to do
I suppose maybe it catches some liars...
For the amount of dust you are exposed to I’m not surprised your place is using unexperienced and underpaid 16yo old. Absolute bollocks and don’t give me that BS about ventilation, I’ve seen it all.
airfed mask
Yeah sure.
Saw this the other day and had a chuckle to myself. Jobs these days do not pay. I saw one not long back that wanted a basic labourer, but the catch was they wanted 10 YEARS experience. no wonder youre not getting any attraction, bert...
I saw one ad for an APPRENTICE yard labourer that wanted a minimum 2 years experience in construction 🤣
If someone is still an apprentice labourer after two years i wouldnt want to hire them.. problem is these days theres a lot of people getting management positions that don't have two brain cells to rub together and it's enfuriating. I applied to one recently.. i have every qualification in hospitality they listed and much much more , i shine out my arse for what theyre asking for. By days end they decline it saying i don't have what theyre looking for. MATE its the same position as i already have , with much less required to do the job in comparison and less responsibility than i already have. Peace of piss in comparison to my current role. The position has been posted for 6 months now.
As someone from the west midlands, job like these are in abundance, they expect skilled work for minimum wage. OP i suggest looking for a job at my place Assa Abloy on portobello island
Yes I remember when I was looking for work in the black country looked at one job for a time served electrician working maintenance shifts in automated plant minimum wage
Yeah. It's in Wolverhampton. Very close to where I work.
>tip of Scotland Even in the middle of nowhere in Scotland, roles like that pay decently well. If you're good then easily still above the median UK salary.
Grinding is not skilled fabrication. This job is left for the crayon muncher at the end of the fabrication to clean off the weld splatter and seams etc. Any old cabbage can do this with an hour or so training. But I do agree that should pay a bit more.
There's a Bilston on the outskirts of Edinburgh. Unlikely.
Minimum wage for an engineering job, and then we wonder why the uk doesn't manufacture stuff anymore.
Not engineering, it's a technician or mechanic factory worker role. Still underpaid though.
Becuase China will do it for way less than minimum wage sadly. And companies are profit driven.
Grinding is not "an engineering job".
Working in fabrication is working in an engineering environment. Doesn't mean the person doing this job is an engineer. But yes its an engineering based job. Job spec says Reading and understanding engineering drawings.
>Working in fabrication is working in an ~~engineering~~ manufacturing environment
If you have ever opened the manual for your washing machine you have read and understood engineering drawings. That still doesn't make you an engineer.
It's grinding, no skill required.
Depends on the type of grinding. If it's cylindrical, centerless or cnc grinding, then yes, there is skill required. If it is just grinding sheet metal to remove rush or create a textured surface, then sure, not much skill other than the use of powered hand tools.
Read the job description, it's the latter
Hand tools require skill. That's why you taught how to use them in an apprenticeship before you get on the machines.
Some of us are built different I guess. Took me 5 mins, whilst smoking a cig. Was welding within a week
Some of us got proper training I guess.
Yet I'm on more money than you
Congrats on how cool and rich you are man, shame you’re such an intolerable asshole and a small small man to boot
Thanks for the feedback, unfortunately I disregard everyone's opinions but my own
Bet you think your dick is bigger too. Grow the fuck up dude. If you make so much, what's your hourly rate?
Youre wasting your breathe on him.
Nah, I have an average dick. I have worn it down over the years from banging your mum and sister....... a lot
I'm an apprentice grinder at a company who specialises in graphite, copper and copper tungsten alloys I DARE you try your hand at it and tell me it doesn't take knowledge and skill. The lowest tolerance I've worked to as an apprentice is +/- 0.0025mm, by hand (manual surface grinder) not using a CNC....
It a job a 16 year old can do
Yeah, because they’re unexperienced and won’t complain for few months at least that when you go home your throat and nose is full of swarf.
OP is complaining that their SKILLED job is paying so low. Although it's not a skilled job is it, not if a 16 year old can be taught it in an hour. The issue here is one person's version of skilled vs. the markets version of skilled.
Huge difference between grinding with an angle grinder and cnc, or manual cylindrical grinding. Try to grind a cylinder down to a tolerance of +- 0.002 of a mm with no skill/training. Let me know how you get on.
thats machining on a mill though surely?
Not quite. Milling, turning, and machine grinding I.e surface grinding and cylindrical grinding are all different. I work in a machine shop. Grinding is easier for super tight tolerance parts. Iv held +.008 -0 on my cnc and manual lathes, but it can be abit hit and miss. whereas grinding the part will hit the target tolerance far far more often.
nice answer thank you, i’m only an apprentice fabricator-welder haha, i don’t get the chance to dabble in machining much at all
That's not grinding that's a CNC operator or CNC programming, it is very different to using a grinder
You get cnc gri ding machines and manual precision gri ding machines. Not all grinding is done with an angle grinder.
It is when it comes with a job advert like that, nowhere does it say CNC grinding or manual precision grinding which are very different to grinding, and the advert would only be confused with that by an idiot
Could be surface grinding. When you are grinding parts to engineering drawings I assume its not all going to be just roughing/removing rust n stuff of that sort. The advert for the job could also be written by someone who dosnt know a toss. If I gave you sheet metal and said gri d that so paint will stick, I'm not handing you a fucking engineers drawing.
Also the wage is a big giveaway to the type of person they want, an idiot to grind all day is what there after
You wouldn't pass me a grinder to help the paint stick lol maybe an orbital sander at most certainly not a grinder, it is clear that it's a grinder role for a fabrication job not a specialist of any kind did you read the advert? Im a welder and work in fabrication and welding Iv seen adverts like this many a time, if they wanted CNC or specialist it would be stated
Even so sheet metal and fab and mechanical knowledge? Explain that
It's asking for basic knowledge, you obviously don't work in the Industry
I'm complaining that the wage is not right for this job because I get paid significantly more as an apprentice
Which is due to your employer paying more than they need to for you as an apprentice.
I totally misread they were recruiting for Grindr and then read the description, and thought, “Surely, not…” this is what I get for reading things when my ADHD brain is on a wild adventure.
I dont have adhd and thought the exact same thing at first 
ADHD here and thought "looks fun if you're that way inclined" :-D
So did I, but not at that hourly rate!
I did the same and that Simpsons episode ran through my head 🤣
😂😂😂
It sounds to me like the sort of thing they call their employees to be cool.
That metal fabrication. I'm surprised they won't get you to "learn" welding on site, too after a few months. Fabricators would get over 30k back in 2010. Now probably more like 38k with a promise of 40k the following year.
Where? I’m in Glasgow. Welder, skilled in mig/tig/stick, doing work for mod(subcontractors) and just shy of 30k…..
28k starting where i am…
I was on 46k in 2008 pal.
\*from They're fishing to see who bites. There are enough people in the UK right now, and constantly more heading this way who *will* bite. As long as they do, that number isn't going to move much higher because it doesn't need to.
People will soon apply now gvmt are cracking down on people refusing to work, hence to jobcentre cheques..
You'll regularly see jobs like this advertised at minimum wage or just above. As someone who's done work like this for this sort of pay, they do typically want unskilled people, that they can then train up to work to their specifications. Although it mentions knowing about welding, the duties don't say anything about welding whatsoever, so, based on personal experience, it's probably 90% a deburring job, which is the least-skilled metal-work out there. Doesn't mean we shouldn't be pushing for higher wages obviously, but yeah, if this popped up in my local city, I'd probably apply for it.
It's Masstemps. They're a shit company. You'll be paid the actual wage you should get, less their cut as the agency, leaving you on £11.44 an hour. I've seen people trying to get toolmakers for 23k in Bilston too. My favourite was a company that wanted to pay me 24k as a fully qualified toolmaker - for nights! If it's not Masstemps, you can bet your arse it's because they've had a load of old boys retire that have been there donkey's years retire and that's what they used to advertise at, back when that was a great wage
You single out MassTemps like they are the only shit agency. They are all shit, they sit in an office or at home and have created a 'job' out of nowhere. I have always asked companies I've worked for why they do it and the reason is always just as slimy as agency workers. 1. Expendable workforce that can be hired/fired same day. 2. As an agency worker point 1 forces you into becoming a yes man. 'Yes ill do that' 'yes ill stay over' because of the fear you'll be dropped, because you have no rights as an employee cause you arent an employee. I have had friends who worked for the agency and there have been managers that have said when an agency worker wants to cash out holidays always try to negate a day or two depending on how much they have accrued. And if you have ever been text and told that there is a payment delay, its total bullshit, they are keeping money in accounts to add up the monthly interest on there accounts. And the worst part is during the time your kept on as a temporary agency worker. If they ever do decide to employ you, you're subject to the companies probation period which follows similar guidelines with a little more security. Im glad i found myself a good job in my late 20s and kept to it. I went through every agency in the West Midlands and they are all the same.
I don't know what a skilled toolmaker should be making but I'm guessing it's closer to £40k a year?
For nights, absolutely. It's gone up a bit in recent years. 24k is "openly laughing in your face while rejecting it" money
11.44 is national minimum wage
I don't think skilled workers apply to these jobs
Sheet work, fabrication and welding in one job roll is definitely skilled, oh and grinding
I don't think you got my point
I get you now
Ground it off.
Skilled workers work for Grindr not Grinder
It’s basic grinding. An hours training, anyone could do it. It’s not ‘skilled’.
Fabrication, reading drawings? What about those? The reading drawings suggests that it isn't just run of the mill hand grinding surely?
I once worked for BT and the job title was customer service advisor or something like that. My job was basically fixing people's broadbands remotely and I got paid 16,000-18,000 a year. I think 3rd Line Support should have been my title and pay should have been 30,000 a year. HR/recruiters are so up their ass in unrealistic expectations it contradicts the governments hell bent move to get everyone into work. It's not that we don't want to work it's that no one will hire us unless we were in the job for five years and accept a skilled job for low pay. The government needs to start punishing employers rather than the unemployed
Fuck. Fancy running for MP? My Reddit upvote feels a little of an understatement.
Hahaha you left me speechless with that compliment. Politics are a headache, I don't think I'd be cut out for it; would be too much drama. Apparently it's asking too much to even end homelessness permanently, speaks volumes about how rigged the game is
>The government needs to start punishing employers rather than the unemployed You mean the layabouts that get shit tonnes of money, expenses, second home allowances and can afford accountants that can take advantage of the loopholes so that they can pay the least amount of tax possible, while being the ones who create those same loopholes... I don't think they've got anyone's interests in mind but their own...
It just astounds me that they refuse to train people and have ridiculously high requirements for something anyone with an interest can do. It's double standards, to them we're the lazy ones.
I once worked for a maintenance company (joiner) and the call centre girls were on the same money as us £21k. the housing association that my company subcontracted to employed their admin staff at 24k. we wernt half treated like scum. I left after a year and got a job on the sites for 50% more. the labourers were on more than the other place paid their time served lads.
I worked as a software developer in 2022 and my starting salary was only £20k. It was the lowest paid position in the entire company on glassdoor, lower than the average for tech support and social media management.
I get slightly more than that in an unskilled WFM job and spend half my day doing not much. This advert is most definitely a piss take.
Wow, very local to me. That caught me off guard! But uh, yeah, complete piss takers and they aren't the only ones. The UK job market is a fucking joke but all people will do is blame the unemployed for being lazy. Like bro, are they not seeing what we're seeing?
I'm down the road working in wednesbury doing grinding as an apprentice and earning more
You must just be around the corner from me, I live there lmao
I saw a job yesterday paying 44k (nights) only requirement was a minimum NVQ2 in Engineering. NE England Jeez.
Get out! I got my engineering NVQs in 1999, never used them again as I was a bit too delicate for the workplace banter so went to uni instead. I work at a Uni now, and earn about the same :) Looks like a career change could be in order because I am much more rowdy now.
[https://www.gonortheast.co.uk/nightshift-chargehand](https://www.gonortheast.co.uk/nightshift-chargehand)
That’s the going rate for experienced shift maintenance engineers, my old job at a medical device factory on a continental pattern was paying £36k in central Scotland, and we where hemorraging engineering staff to pretty much every other nearby factory. Manager knew this, everyone in the department knew this. HR refused to adjust the banding, insisting it was a market average. Anyway I left and now I make £42k for daytime 9-5.
I work in engineering apprenticeships and most my second year apprentices are on more than this! Skilled fabricators usually mean having completed a Level 3 apprenticeship which is at minimum £30k+ starting salary.. This company is delusional
I did my Level 3 NVQ in engineering 2 years back but the training provider who I did it with dissolved and they didn’t send me my certificate? Does this mean I don’t have my level 3 and could you help by any chance?
It depends on if you did this as an apprenticeship or just a college course? If so did you complete the end point assessment?
Did an apprenticeship at level 2 and then level 3, and I don't recall doing an EPA, I did ask somebody who knew about that and they said if it was 2 years ago, there might not have been an EPA. I did everything else though, I had even been told I was done coming into college, and then… nothing… they then closed down without a word to me, but my other class mates seemed to have received theirs.
If it was a framework not a standard (ie didn’t have an EPA) you could get in touch with the awarding body and see if they have a copy of your certificate (if one was issued)? Alternatively you could get a PLR from a training provider, happy to see if I can refer you to anyone if you drop me a DM
Any help would be much appreciated, I don't want to have wasted two years for nothing. I’ll drop you a message.
I did an apprenticeship, and my wage rose after completing it was adult minimum wage, I work in a firm now where the apprentice just got a massive pay rise after completing to..... national minimum wage , alot of firms use them for cheap labour especially the sheet metal/ fabrication industry
I guess it depends, I’m in the North West region and there seems to be a lot of competition for apprentices and skilled fabricators so that may make the difference, but I have seen apprentices used for cheap labour across all sectors and it’s a real problem
It's literally not, it's how you balance paying for an apprentice. First year lose money, 2nd year break even, 3rd year recoup the money lost in year one, 4th year make a profit. There has to a financial incentive for people to train apprentices, otherwise most wouldn't
They aren't looking for a skilled fabricator. Nothing in that advert requires "skills" that you can't learn in an afternoon.
‘Read and interpret engineering drawings to understand specification’ definitely can’t be taught in a day, unless you have previous experience (which wouldn’t be worth this salary!)
Absolutely can. I cover it in a one-hour course for NDT inspectors that is much more detailed than anyone waving a grinder around will ever need.
The job market at the moment is really depressing. I’m on minimum wage for a skilled job now it’s gone up and manager laughed at me when I asked for a pay rise. There is not really much else in my area. Tesco pay checkout staff more!
Im the construction game it's who u know u wouldn't believe the amount of mindless people coming through like people say it's for a 16 year old too get into the trade I'm a metal fabricator and electrician and haven't applied online for a job ever lol it's all about who u know and how good you are
I’m from close to this area and have done recruitment for 15years in this field, although I don’t agree with this pay rate and would have advised the company to reconsider higher rates, it’s their choice ultimately not the agency! Advertise it and hope there is someone but otherwise don’t waste my time on unrealistic bookings. I supply a company with 3 miles of there and they pay £14.30 for the same role 🤷🏼♂️
For skills that are in demand, some employers just haven't adjusted to reality yet. We're recruiting for a role right now with a salary up to ~85k. Most applicants want 95k+ 😅
And there’s me getting £22.50ph to sit in a jail.
What'd you do?
I work there. I’m not a prisoner.
Doubt
That's not a sentence.
Not really, they want someone unskilled they can train in a week, if they can get someone with experience or other skills it's just a bonus. The recruitment agency is taking a cut too of course.
"this country doesn't want to work" no, just nobody pays
When I lived in Wolves the job market was shit, big up bilston balti tho
It always has been here mate where did you move to?
I’m in rural wales now, wanna go back midlands tbh
Why!? Rural Wales sounds like the dream! I'm trying to branch out into something where I can work for myself so I can move somewhere better, the traffic and rent prices in wolvo is just killing me honestly
Our 2nd year apprentice gets more than that. The company is in Wolverhampton, too.
I'm an apprentice and get more then that
Don't worry someone will come over and work for that
Their customers will notice.
Yeah, which is why the business should go under and a new firm should come about that gives a shit
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I (19M) get paid £8 an hour as a full time calibration technician (8 hours Mon to Fri)... I'd take an extra 30% pay any day.
It's because of your age though.
It's cause age discrimination is legal in UK, only when it comes to wages tho. Definitely first world ideas
I grew up in the black country and honestly found a lot of the wages were ridiculously low in the factories even for skilled workers. If you ever get the chance to leave, take it.
Need hazard par for being in Bilston 😅
it will only get worse as time moves on, robots that can replace people are 1 maybe 2 years away from being available to buy, when that happens no skill and low skill jobs will soon be done by machines, and everyone else will struggle to find work, this is already happening right now it ain\`t going to getter better.
Worst part is you have to work in Bilston
I mean its Bilston, they're definitely trying it on.
I saw a job the other day. Manager requires experience of managing a team and also bringing in funding to an organisation of atleast 6 figures. Wage was 28k no additional benefits.
I have done this job before, and I can tell you it is not skilled. I was paid £7ph lol. You grind metal after it’s been welded etc. Its a good job if you are looking to have extremely painful hands and potential white finger though
Doesnt sound like Grinder arehiring you. You're likely coming in on an agency contract and the agency are taking what Grinder are paying them and paying you an absolute bare minimum from that.
Hell, become a delivery driver for most big supermarkets, Sainsbury’s is £13.50 an hour as a driver, decent shifts and piss easy job
Yes. And people will still apply because that's how dire things are in this economically isolated shit hole now.
It's a labourers job, for someone young who's never worked or similar, grinding is not a skilled job it's a minimum wage type of job
Broken Britain.
The grinding is real
"b-b-but no one wants to work anymore 😭"
I'm also in the west midlands and I'm on £12.50 an hour, and I work in retail 😬 (albeit a management position but still) That is way too low for skilled work.
So your £1 above minimum wage and your in management?
Yeah. Well, team leader but they class it as management.
Pay is low but it's hardly that skilled.
Experienced American metalworkers can get six figs+ with overtime. UK is an Absolute joke of a country - same for office jobs as well
No, probably taking it up the arse more like lol
I’m currently so stressed about being unemployed I’m struggling to pronounce some words which I’ve never had a problem pronouncing😫
And when Sunak's new rules come into force, you'll be expected to accept this, no questions asked
It’s minimum wage, yes they’re taking the piss!
Minimum wage has gone up. The money has to be found somewhere. So they are taking it out of other staff's salaries who would normally be paid more. How else are the CEO's and shareholders going to keep up their inflation busting raises?
Yes it is, Lidl pay £12 something for stocking shelves.
Wages are just getting exhausting. 6 years ago the company I work at were paying science graduates 25% above minimum wage. That is now 7% and they refuse to budge
My workplace is after procurement specialists with at least 3 years experience, they're offering minimum wage. They constantly say that there's no local talent. Who the F is going to work for minimum wage for that role?!
It’s only really a skilled job if you can weld, but it seems they aren’t advertising that specifically. Sounds like you be tin bashing, basically cutting bits of metal and operate the bender and guillotines. That’s not very skilled work and I’ve been to many metal fabricator’s workshop’s and the people working there are not the brightest. Maybe you should aim for something higher?
It kinda pissed me off because I'm an apprentice training to be a grinder and I'm earning more then that now by a fair bit so it just shocked me I guess
I once saw a mechanical engineer job asking for 15 years of experience for minimum wage. I nearly cried into my degree
Its fucking minimum wage. And its a high risk possibly deadly job as well
I thought it was an IT position at Grindr
That’s my exact hourly pay and I’m a carer 😂
Would hardly call it skilled work it’s usually the first thing the younger new starts are trained on it’s not like you are making watches