Will it bring the earnings down?

[M D HUGHES]

With the amount new tilers moving into the trade and the huge amount of workers moving into the country looking for work (predominantly the building trade) bring general earnings down.
This isn't a thread about 4day coursers n so on, but I'm a realist and its looking obviously likely eventually. Alot of my mates work abroad and have seen sinse the doors to europe opened up, work is being taken from them where it was readily available before and things are happening at a much faster pace developement wise. This must be basically because the work force is there to keep up with the developers demands, and maybe even over running the need for supply. Is this something to worry about? Have you seen the change in your area? What part of the county are you in?

The midlands is flooded with tilers.

The NVQ thing will bump earnings up a bit, as many will not want to do it thus creating a shortage of 'skilled' workers.

The thing is these days, is go multi skill. Bolt on plumbing / plastering / electrics. The work is non stop. Especially if you can show recognised qualifications in these areas to the customer. Beleive me, they like to see these.

[Leatherface]

So far have not seen any downturn in work for myself. My local tile shops are flooded with cards from new tilers. Most of these stay behind the counter and do not get handed out - sorry - "that's the way it is"
For myself, as yet have not had to advertise, all word of mouth. So If I stay in with my contacts & continue to do a good job, hopefully I will still get the work.
Again, pricing is a funny old thing. You can go in cheap to get the job, but if the customer wants to penny pinch they will always find someone cheaper.
I do not multi skill as yet - don't want to be taking work from the 5 plumbers who supply me with work.
NVQ - still not necessary for domestic work, so I will hold on - my customers have never asked me for a "certificate" to prove my qualifications. Still I feel that an NVQ may eventually become a necessary evil, but proves nothing - just another piece of paper

[trevortine]

Leatherface, everything you just said sounds like a clone of me, in the same boat m8!

[Leatherface]

Originally Posted by trevortine

Leatherface, everything you just said sounds like a clone of me, in the same boat m8!

Glad someone agrees with me - cheers

[epoxy pete]

i think there will always be work for "professional " tradesmen who have served there time in this industry..i think that someone who has gone on a week or 2 week course then sets up as a tiler is not and cannot be "timeserved" in the traditional way...i worked with professsional tilers for 4 years as an apprentice,it taught the full aspects of the trade,working with different materials etc to setting out etc. i live in bolton there are loads of tilers suddenly appearing around the area!,mainly bathroom bashers ,domestic work,the yellow pages is stacked full of em!,there quality of work ,i comment on,but what i would say is if these guys are doing a good job then good luck to them,the bad ones usually fall by the wayside and soon get found out!,its amazing how quickly you get to here about a "bad" job....you never hear about the good ones!!!!!!

[Varley]

Originally Posted by epoxy pete

its amazing how quickly you get to here about a "bad" job....you never hear about the good ones!!!!!!

Never was a truer word spoken!

[Leatherface]

I always ask my customers who have got my name from a shop if they would mind letting the shop know that they are pleased with my work.
Also, my comments were not meant in a bad way against newly trained tilers - I was one myself at the start.

[M D HUGHES]

My point isn't just about the workplace being flooded by tilers beit 4 dayers, 4weekers, or 4 yearers, good and bad, I've seen some terrible jobs done by very experienced tilers, experience is great but if your ****e your ****e, if your doing a good job, your earning your place out there, end of. People will only gain experience from working and getting stuck in. If they are no good I'm sure they won't last 5 secs, purely because of the amount of good tilers around.
I think I was just scoping out what different parts of the country were like, are people packing in because of the competition? are foreign workforces making a big impact or not?

[Leatherface]

have heard that Leeds & Bradford are getting quite flooded with foreign tilers - especially Polish - by all accounts these guys are cheaper - but also do a damn good job.

[epoxy pete]

Originally Posted by Leatherface

have heard that Leeds & Bradford are getting quite flooded with foreign tilers - especially Polish - by all accounts these guys are cheaper - but also do a damn good job.

bradfords flooded with foreigners.....never mind tilers!!!!!!!!

[Leatherface]

Originally Posted by epoxy pete

bradfords flooded with foreigners.....never mind tilers!!!!!!!!

Ha ha - never a truer word spoken. LOL