Tulloch PriestCo-founder, Gas Engineer Software · Co-founder of Gas Engineer Software

Apprenticeships need to change ✊

30 Jun 2026 · 1 min

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0:40

In this short video, the speaker critiques current apprenticeship schemes, highlighting that apprentices typically earn little or nothing at the start and that training them imposes a cost on engineers, creating a need for strong employer incentives. He shares a personal anecdote where he was told he was "too smart" for construction, illustrating a bias that values academic grades over trade skills. Concluding with practical advice, he urges prospective apprentices to be proactive—directly contacting plumbing companies and asking for opportunities—rather than waiting for traditional placement routes.

Chapters

They are a brilliant initiative, but realistically they don't work that well. When the apprentice first starts, they're not really earning their money. If anything, they're knocking back the engineer's money because they have to take the time out to teach the apprentice. So there has to be a substantial incentive to take on an apprentice. He sat me down and he said, "You can't do construction because you're too smart for it." I said, "How can I be too smart to do a course?" They said, "It looks better on the school if you get a grade in maths than if you get a grade in construction." The best advice I could probably is if you're looking for an apprenticeship, put yourself out there. Go to plumbing companies and say, look, I'm looking for an apprenticeship, are you willing to take me on?