Is this normal - anyone with a DC that is an apprentice?

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Particularly in a male dominated environment? I started a new job a year ago. We have apprentices that are third and fourth year. Seemed decent young lads. No issues. We’ve taken on 2 new apprentices who are 17 and 18. I am not sure if my concerns are real or it’s just part of working in a male dominated environment. They really are treated like shit. I knew they’d be doing the rubbish jobs such as cleaning, tidying up etc but it’s really starting to affect me the way that they are spoken to, sworn at, shouted at etc. I’d hate either of my DS or my DD working there if that was their chosen career. I feel like the youngest and newest apprentice is starting to suffer. He’s only just turned 17 in February.

I know they are there to learn. I am accounting and wages side so a world away from plumbing/gas which is the Company. Sometimes they do have a bit of an attitude and can be lazy particularly when cleaning and doing the toilets etc but are apprentices really treated this way?

Some dinosaurs treat apprentices like dirt it really depends on the culture of the workplace.some industries take the bullying seriously others not so much.

No, it's absolutely not ok to treat anyone like that.

Could you speak to your HR team? Whistleblow if necessary.

No they are not cheap labour. They are young people who should be getting training and development on the job and into a career. They should be treated with respect

I worked in one place where one guy would ridicule his apprentice to all about his mistakes nothing would be done about it because he was line managers pet .the thing was the line manager would come down on others for perceived slights.

They shouldn't be, no. They are employees like anyone else, albeit trainees. And they should be doing proper work so they can learn the trade - that's the point of an apprenticeship.

You could speak to HR (or an appropriate senior member of staff - their line manager or his/her line manager). If thats too direct, if you know who their training provider is, you could contact them and ask them to speak to the apprentices.

Apprentices shouldn’t be cleaning toilets. They’re there to learn a trade not be skivvies. The ESFA would have a field day if they knew and remove the company’s funding. Treating them like that and bullying them is a disgrace. Is that the culture of the organisation??

My 17 ds is treated so well I'm
So pleased that they have looked after and included him in things, he certainly doesn't clean toilets he's there to learn and is trusted to get on with his work, obviously his work gets checked but that's part of the course really

Thank you. It’s been eating away at me all day today so I am glad I posted. HR is outsourced via the bank I think so no one internally to talk to. The owners are definitely old school. It’s always been my intention to leave in the summer once DS2 leaves school. That move may be quicker now.

I'd be reporting it to their training provider / college. They get funding based on giving the apprentices a vocational education. Fine to clean up if everyone is doing it / on a rota but not as skivvies. Yes they may start on basic tasks but needs to be on a pathway. A lot of apprentices quit or get injured etc in unsafe / poor work places

Please don’t leave without flagging this up to the college or whoever the apprenticeship is through.

our ds is in his first year of an apprenticeship and I would be fuming if he was expected to clean toilets instead of learning relevant civil engineering content

Mine has recently started an apprenticeship in the motor trade and is treated very well indeed. As a PP said, they are there to learn not be skivvies.

Couldn’t agree more. I think I would speak up though, every time.

I don't think it's normal. My nephew is an apprentice and I work in an industry where we have lots 'on the tools'.
There is little good humoured ribbing but there is a real understanding that everyone started from somewhere and they are here to learn.
Hope you find a way to report it.

Sounds awful. In what way does the youngest show it is affecting him. Im not surprised they have developed an attitude. Do you ever speak to them? Are you able to tell the people dishing out the abuse what you think of them or do you ever see their apprenticeship tutor ?

Report to the Training provider. I look after apprentice welfare and wouldn’t tolerate this. Also a male dominated environment but haven’t seen what you describe.

I did an apprenticeship back in the 1990s. The first place I was in was all male and I was the only female. I had to do cleaning, make tea, run errands, sweep the floor etc. My boss swore at me a few times and destroyed my work if it wasnt up to scratch. I hated it.
I did the 2nd part of my apprenticeship was somewhere else where I was treated much better, and I learnt a lot more.

There is certainly a lot of 'banter' at my DS work but it's between everyone. It has always seemed to me that DS's colleagues and managers were very supportive of him.

I agree with others that what you have observed should be reported - to the training provider if there is no appropriate HR.

My son is 17 and has been doing his apprenticeship since January. They treat him like shit on their shoe.
He is paralysed by fear of getting something wrong, which makes him get things wrong and they asked him if he is 'special'.
I want him to leave but he goes every day and takes their crap.