Apprenticeship opening(s) at Oberloh's?!

[tylerferris1213]

I've been wanting to learn for years, but I can't find anyone close enough to apprentice under.

Ever consider moving?

I just made an 8 hour move this week. It would be a little premature to uproot myself again.

[bort]

I just made an 8 hour move this week. It would be a little premature to uproot myself again.

D'oh!

[UDELBR]

What's bunk about it is that an employer could still choose the 20 year old person because of their age, but if ever approached about it could just say it was some other reason, and it was never about age. As long as there's a reasonable explanation, just about anything goes.

Federal regulations aside, I understand completely why Dan would want a younger person to apprentice: he's gonna invest years in teaching this person a variety of skills and impart the Oberloh work ethic. Why would you do that with a 50 year old and not get the full return on your 'investment'?

Uncle "an old-ish fart, speaking against his own interests" Beer

[Mark]

Just saying that proving discrimination can be very tough (as long as it's not printed in the job description!).

Exactly, so someone tell Dan to change that ****.

Who are you, tuben?

[tylerferris1213]

What is the best way to get ahold of Dan to inquire more about this?

[bort]

What is the best way to get ahold of Dan to inquire more about this?

Probably by phone -- while I have emailed with Dan in the past, he's super busy and a hard dude to get in touch with. I always had more luck by phone than by email.

[bort]

What is the best way to get ahold of Dan to inquire more about this?

How can you not figure it out?
You clearly use the internet...

Judging from this, you might not be the right candidate ...

Real helpful.

[Jose the tuba player]

I sent a private message and he got back to me in a few hours
heres what he said

We are only considering responsible, hard working, trustworthy applicants who have a strong interest in a career in band instrument repair and restoration, 19-27 yrs of age that are able bodied, can follow instructions and that have a good mechanical aptitude. A performance level of competence on woodwinds and/or brass instruments is a must. They must have a valid drivers license, be a non smoker and non drug user.
The position is not a paying one for the first 12 months but afterword, if the apprentice has proven a level of competence, they will be paid a commission on there daily productivity. If you are not local, this is a big jump and may require some serious thought on you part. Where are you located?

Dan'l

[Untersatz]

How can you not figure it out?
You clearly use the internet...
Judging from this, you might not be the right candidate ...

I think Ian must be suffering from PMS.......(a lot)
I mean how much of a rude sh*thead can you be to someone asking a simple question like that?

In all honesty, if you know the info. that someone is asking for..........be kind enough to tell them.
If you don't (or have nothing worthwhile to say) then PLEASE by all means........STFU!!!

[tylerferris1213]

I apologize if my post made it seem like I wasn't working. I made the post after I had called the shop with the number I found and was told he wasn't able to take phone calls. I also found a good time to call Dan tomorrow. Please don't assume I'm lazy, unresourceful, or incompetent. And I don't blame anyone for initially thinking I was. I should have included what I had already tried.

[Jose the tuba player]

I apologize if my post made it seem like I wasn't working. I made the post after I had called the shop with the number I found and was told he wasn't able to take phone calls. I also found a good time to call Dan tomorrow. Please don't assume I'm lazy, unresourceful, or incompetent. And I don't blame anyone for initially thinking I was. I should have included what I had already tried.

pm him on here its faster

[tylerferris1213]

Thank you

[Untersatz]

I can't imagine ANYONE working for free! (even as an apprentice) & for an entire year!
This just seems plain WRONG to me!
I realize that this is "on the job training" but people DO need to eat & have a place to live. I
admit that I don't know much about apprenticeship programs, but after checking online, almost
ALL of the apprenticeship programs that I found, paid at least minimum wage.

[bort]

And that's the difference -- it IS legal for it to be an unpaid position, if the purpose of the position is as a "student" learning from the "teacher." It's NOT legal if it's essentially just a job that you are working for free. Apprenticeships are uncommon, because it is so much work for the "teacher."

And in case anyone was wondering, it IS legal to NOT hire someone because they are a smoker. "Smokers" are not a protected class under EEOC, so it varies state-by-state. There are 29 states that protect smokers with employment laws. Washington state is NOT one of those states, so it's legal to discriminate employment by smoking there.

Not sure about the "drug user" part though, with regards to pot. That's legal now in Washington state. It's a drug, but so is alcohol. But it's also smoking. But "smoking" is also generally understood to mean only tobacco.

Meh, who knows, who cares. I'll bet whoever gets the position doesn't know or care about Tubenet, and wouldn't care about any of this jibber jabber.

[pgym]

And that's the difference -- it IS legal for it to be an unpaid position, if the purpose of the position is as a "student" learning from the "teacher." It's NOT legal if it's essentially just a job that you are working for free. Apprenticeships are uncommon, because it is so much work for the "teacher."

Ah, if only it were that simple. (And there may be state, county, and municipal labor laws in play as well.)

On the face of it, it's hard to see how the wording of reply sent to Jose the Tuba Player passes muster with respect to (4) and (5), and it's arguable whether or not it would pass (3).

At the risk of sounding like a solicitation for business (just trying to help Dan stay out of trouble, folks), I hope Dan either has already consulted with an attorney specializing in federal (and possibly state, and municipal) labor law, or that he does so prior to engaging an intern. Yes, it's possible to draw up an unpaid internship that passes muster; but the potential "gotchas" are legion, and if there's one thing you DON'T want in this situation, it's a "Why don't you come down to my office and let's talk about your unpaid apprenticeship/internship" letter your friendly DoL Wage and Hour Division bureaucr-weasel.

[Disclaimer: the foregoing is not a solicitation for business. See my sig.]

[tbn.al]

Robert, they were just testing your competency. Before they could let you touch an organ they wanted to see how you handled a broom. Can't be too careful you know...............If you can't trust your interview process, what can you trust?

[UDELBR]

I hope Dan either has already consulted with an attorney specializing in federal (and possibly state, and municipal) labor law, or that he does so prior to engaging an intern.

Ugh. How has it come to this?