What age did you start this career?

[graezybee]

Hello all,

So I have sort of put a refrigeration engineer as my primary career choice. Thing is, I am 20. Is this too old to start?

And also, is the time to complete apprenticeships 4 years?

Once again, thanks for reading,and the advice I have got from this site has been great.

[Gary]

I was 22 when I started in the trade... was an auto mechanic before that... and a jumper on a milk truck before that... with a tour in Vietnam somewhere in the middle.

I suppose apprenticeship requirements would be different for different areas. When I graduated university I was too old for the union apprenticeship program, so I moved to a rural area where such things were not required and became a contractor (and learned everything the hard way). Some years later I joined that same union as a journeyman. I suspect it could not be done that way these days, as that rural area now requires apprenticeships.

[Tycho]

was 18 when I started, I know a few guys who were in their mid 20's when they saw the light

[james10]

I was 22 when i got drafted in to the dark side "THEY" told me it was fast cars and supermodels. I now drive a skoda and you really dont want to see the wife

[Silhouette]

I started at 16 when I left school! At 20 you will probably appreciate the college courses much more than the average school leaver, who tends to treat day release as a day off work!! Nowadays you very rarely get an apprenticeship, you tend to get set on as a trainee then as soon as you have your papers from college your given a van and told to earn the company some money!

[monkey spanners]

I started doing maintenances with my dad when i was still in primary school, probably around 8 years old on weekends and school holidays.

Started payed employement at 18

[djbe]

[QUOTEwith a tour in Vietnam somewhere in the middle.[/QUOTE]

great respect to you Gary.

Oh and I was 22 when I started.

djbe.

[little turtle]

i started at 19......


will stop when i die

[1torr]

I was 18 when I joined C Buswell and Sons. Wanted to be an Electrician but there wasn't any jobs around, only youth opportunity schemes in 1983. Its been a great job, much more diverse than just electrical.

[cool runings]

.

I was 10 or maybe 12....

My dad was a fridge man

20 years old is no age, you young whipper snapper

Go for it before you turn 21 and get too old to do owt

coolrunnings

.

[paul thompson]

i was 14 when i started ( helping the OLD MAN) carry his tools , i quickly realised that this was the trade for me , as soon as i left school i went to solihull college , MR GREEN WHAT A W**KER . now run my fathers refrig buisness , with 4 vans on the road all day every day . happy days .im 40 now

[AleksanderNH]

HI!
I am now 17 years old. In a month I am done with school. Will start my "apprenticeship" (not sure it this is the right word, but I will start working for a company in Norway) I know a few people in Norway that started to work with this when they was 20-23 years old, so I'm sure it's not to late for you

[jose-carvalheir]

I started learning with the age of 15, with my father.He was a man with a huge experience and knowlleg on refrigeration and electricity, started working with 16 and schooling at night when i could, i like refrigeration and been working for 26 years.

[yoelyeve]

Hi I was 14 when I started to fix A/C system in camp that we went in the summer
And never gave up since then

[moggy66]

I was 34 when i got into transport refrigeration,mind you i was about 5 when i started messing about with engines.........contacts in the distrbutor....oh they where the days !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Magoo]

Started out off high school at 17, missed the army call up compulsary military training,by one day. [ Birth day selection. ] Served a 10,000 hour apprenticeship, and afterwards trained large numbers of young guys, the most successful were the older starters, at around twentyish that were doing apprentceship by choice rather than "dad said so " factor.

[sachin230]

I started career in maintenance at the age 22.but in this air conditioning i started career before 1.5 years. I am very thankful to this site & our good community people

[B G Scott]

Hello all,

So I have sort of put a refrigeration engineer as my primary career choice. Thing is, I am 20. Is this too old to start?

And also, is the time to complete apprenticeships 4 years?

Once again, thanks for reading,and the advice I have got from this site has been great.

Well 50 years ago every one started from school, 15 years old in most cases then it was a 5 year apprenticeship with 5 years of day release doing C & G ONC HNC etc. all changed now.
I have trained apprentices over the years and have been please to see them progress and do well
It does seem now much harder for people to get trained but one must remember that 50 years ago you got training but the pay was very low, if you asked people to work for such low rates today I am sure there would be a law against it or you would be laughed out of court.
It was however a system that produced people with a sound basis for future development in the business, and you learned humility as you were at the bottom of the pecking order for a very long time.

[spacemanmark]

i started about aged 11, working with my old man as he was a SE Refrigeration Engineer, worked every evening, weekends and school holiday, when i left school the old git would not give me a job! I get an apprenticeship in the trade, have never looked back.
As the advice already given, 20 is no age at all, good luck.

Mark

[cavalier2903]

started when i was 19 and got an apprenticeship in the union i was stupid and i quit now am stuck learning the hard way my reccomendation and opinion no not to young and get an apprenticeship and stick with it you will be 25 when your done and a full journeymen making more than those of us that are coming up the hard way. industrial work is where the money is at residential work is kinda ****ty lost of pissed of people and tight attics and such.

[lice to chill]

you"ve already decided.enjoy.

[US Iceman]

I started at about 4 years old. My grandfather was in the trade!

[newbie]

im 20 and started 2 and a half months ago and already cant see myself doin anything else

[aawood1]

Hi, started in the dark side on Ammonia when I was 28 after pipe work welding from the age of 15 when I left school. 4 years of making tea, cleaining the work shop and then 14 years of fitting pipe's to boilers, vessels and compressors.

[supermarketguy]

Was sucked in, as my old man was in the trade and statred at 16 with o,gormans

[Temprite]

Started when I was 17. When going for apprenticeship had to sit aptitude test with larger company there were about 20 jobs of varying trades builder, electrician, plumber, refrigeration, fitter.

At end of test had to choose which trade, as I did not know what trade I wanted I just went "eenie meenie minie mo" and happened to land on refrigeration.

[Tayters]

This seems to be a trade never talked about at school/ careers. I think on this basis many start on refrigeration after hearing about it from a mate, neighbour, etc.

I started at 31 after leaving a auto-electrician job at a main stealer. Put myself through college in the evenings, found a job part way through, worked for £5 an hour for starters and back at the bottom of the pecking order. Left after 2 years to work on supermarkets and now back with a A/C and Refrigeration firm.

Most blokes at college were over easily over 20 but most of the college skirt about 18

[YoungBoy]

i started in this trade at 26!! im 28 now and on the way to a degree! its never too late! just apply yourself!

[Blitz-Dem]

Hi i see on one of your posts you started working as a refrigeration engineer at 26!?... im 26 this month & have been working for 2 months with some fella i met..long-story.. anyways im now unemployed due to no fault of my own...i feel i want to take this opportunity to excel in this industry .. i see you said you have done a degree? could you tell me more bout the route you took to get where you are today...thanks & i wish you all the best...

[mikeref]

Hi all, I started at 18 with numerous electricians and fitter/ turners running the department.

[Darc]

I started my apprenticeship at 26....finished it at 29 and have been working in the industry for 3 years now....I love it! Best thing i ever did!

I was a manager for a contracting company prior and dropped about $35,000 (AUS) to start my apprenticeship.....so it was a bit of a risk in that way but i am finally doing something i love and no money can subtitute for that!

If its what you want to do.....just do it! you wont be dissapointed! :-)

[fridge2195]

I started working with my Uncle John when I was around 9, Saturday mornings mostly. At 15 started my apprenticeship with usual day release college. Should really quit on health grounds but once the job gets you, it gets you. In total come April, 2011 it will be 40 years.

[ColdManc]

I was 24 when I started, had a few different jobs before that. Like someone said ealier in the post I appriciated college alot more than some of the school leavers did, they just treated it as a day off from work. Never to old to get in the game though, I love it everyday is different and always learning.

[andrew19870326]

i started whaen i was 17 ive been in service for 3.5 years

[glenn1340]

I served my apprenticed on diesel locos on the railways, that was forty years ago and I still think that was the best job I had. Hard work and very dirty though. I came into refrigeration by way of working on industrial air compressors. They`re usually fitted with fridge dryers, I bothered the boss to send me on various courses. As industry has declined over the years we`re doing quite a bit on A/C and chillers.

[RONB]

I started at 16 on a YTS scheme. I got a placement at a local company and all the lads on the scheme laughed ay me. They said what good will a job fixing fridges do. Ive never been out of work and its given me a good living. Go for it.

[NIKK38]

At the age of 40 I was invited to be a Fridge Engineer, I thought I'd give it a go to see how I got on. That was 7 years ago.
My youngest son has followed me into the trade. He's lucky, he's been through College and has me to answer the phone in the middle of the night.