Hiring Kids

[hvac45]

Had a kid come in and ask about a job, 16, going to be 17 in a couple months, he has a construction background thru his family, started taking classes at votech for hvac. He is fed up with high school and wants to take his ged and go to work. has a kind of go get attitude. I havn't done background check yet or anything, just something about the kid impressed me. In SC adult age is 17. I gave him an application to fill out and told him to call and schedule an appointment. He just walked in at 5:30pm, and we were already enjoying some cold ones. My concerns are his age, even though we have the adult age at 17, does that override federal osha regs? Such as power tool use ladders ect. let me know what you think. I would start him out with new construction.

[Stamas]

You have to know the limitations, power tools, hours and such but you got a chance at a good worker. Just make school a condition. Vo-tech OK, but don't let him (or you) settle for a GED. If he likes the work and shows the right interest you could have a good investment. Some don't like high school but do well in tech schools. FInd like minded folks who they can stand.
I don't think sticking him in just new construction would be good. Let him work in all the areas that you can.

[snipe70e]

Do the kid a favor, don't hire him full time. Hire him with the charge to finish school before alowing him to be full time. When he looks for a job in the future when there is a surplus of applicants he will be passed over. A number of years back when I was going through a pile of applications my first thinning step was to eliminmate those with out a HS deploma. A GED is not a deploma.
Len

[i_got_ideas]

OK, well, most of ya know me well enough.

Most also know that I got into construction as soon as I could swing a hammer.

What you don't know is that I liked construction so much that about 2 weeks into my Junior year, I called it quits. I got my GED and yes regret it some. I don't feel I have been held back professionally by any means. I do however wish I would've realized I had my whole life to work. BTW, 16% of my class did not graduate.

Some, myself included can be very quick learners. Show me something once, that's all it takes. Most of the time I can figure it out on my own. However, I didn't give a rat's patuti who wrote what novel in 1845. I had excellent grades in Geometry, business law and other classes that I cared about. Without the credits of the Literature classes and such there was no way I was going to graduate so I went the GED route.

Don't hold it over the kids head, and don't make him feel as if that makes him stupid. Hire him on and encourage school but don't force it on him. Part of the reason I quit was because of the constant lectures from my mom about my grades. He may surprise you, I've surprised many. As of 8-26 I have 2 years in the trade and now I am pretty much running a 92 year old company. The only thing I don't do is accounting. Give him a chance to prove himself, challenge him. Give him a job you think he may not be able to do, I'll bet he does just fine. Ofcourse I haven't seen the laddy though either. Just take it day by day but push 'em, see what he can do.

[Edited by i_got_ideas on 08-31-2004 at 10:43 PM]

[busted knuckles]

Originally posted by snipe70e
Do the kid a favor, don't hire him full time. Hire him with the charge to finish school before alowing him to be full time. When he looks for a job in the future when there is a surplus of applicants he will be passed over. A number of years back when I was going through a pile of applications my first thinning step was to eliminmate those with out a HS deploma. A GED is not a deploma.
Len
Hey Len, I've been lurking this site for a long time, but I had to sign up for this! I quit school 1/2/81 at 16 years old. Started work soon thereafter, and will soon have 24 years with the same co. It's the only job I've ever had. Glad my application didn't go through you, or I'd be pulling drive-thru right now. BTW, I earned my GED in '99. They showed me how to spell eliminate & diploma.