To expect apprentices to look smart?

[sproodlemummy]

Currently interviewing for apprentices at our company, have so far seen 6 boys ranging from the age of 16-19. All except 1 of them has turned up in Jeans & T-Shirt!! WFT????

AIBU to expect them to look smarter?? Their parents drop them off so they are very aware of how they are dressed. My parents wouldn't have left me leave the house without a suit on for an interview.

The environment in which they could be working is not a suit based workplace, but still i'd like to see them make a bit of effort.

Is it a sign of the times and I'm just becoming am already and old fart???

Well if it isn’t a suit based work place why would they wear a suit?

Do they know in advance it’s not a suit-based workplace? I’d expect smartness but not a full suit, perhaps a shirt and chinos. I’m interviewing for staff at the moment and if I’m honest it puts me off if they turn up in a full suit as we’re not a suit place and it just says to me that they won’t really fit in. That said, I’d also be put off if they turned up in joggers, but jeans is fine

It's always wise to dress up slightly for an interview whatever type of job it is. I would expect at least a shirt and trousers - they might not own a suit but should have those as school uniform if nothing else.

What does your company do? There’s a school of thought that you wear what you would for the job (obvious exceptions for uniform jobs etc!). I’d always go smart, although not often a suit.

Ok maybe a full suit is a little OTT but I'd still like to see a shirt & tie, if like PP said with Chino's or Jeans (at a push).

I just don't think Jeans & T-shirt is appropriate, at least look as if you've made an effort and that you actually may be interested in the job.

Did they seem interested in the job during the interview?

How many 16/17 year olds do you know in a suit? My son is 17, he would turn up to an interview in a shirt and smart trousers and probably his old school shoes after they are cleaned but no suit for an apprenticeship.

Def jeans and a t shirt is a bit too causal but perhaps that’s all they have, who knows teenagers are a mystery to me

YANBU I’d not necessarily expect a suit, but I’d expect smarter than jeans and t shirt.
Even for more casual workplaces isn’t is the accepted norm that for interview you still dress more smartly than their casual norm, and once you get the job you dress to their norm

Company is engineering based. We provide logo shirts & trousers

Actually yabu slightly. A lot of young lads that age are living in poverty and might not have the money for a smart wardrobe.

School shirt and trousers would do fine. Or they could borrow something from someone.

Jeans and t shirt just screams laziness and they don’t really want the job to me.

YABU to expect a suit for an apprenticeship interview. I would have thought they'd manage a smart shirt and trousers though.

My son had his apprenticeship interview in April, he was definitely appropriately dressed, shirt, tie, trousers and new shoes! He was 15 at the time but I would never have let him go in jeans! I was always thought first impressions count at interviews but maybe I’m to ‘old school’ still ! He got the apprenticeship tho so we’ll stick to what we know

What will the apprentices actually be doing day to day?

yanbu to expect some effort. shirt and trousers clean and smart. tie is a bonus.
when i taught a course designed to help people get apprenticeships we did mock interviews. we expected the above. also good chance to spot if they didnt have them or the means.
had access to european social fund money to get budget trousers, shirt and shoes if need be.

It's not just apprentices. I went for a typing/listening/loads of other stuff test as part of a job application. Other person had arrived in football shirt and jeans

If they seemed interested and gave decent answers to the questions then YABU

Parents may not work/may not have had an interview for many years/May assume that an apprenticeship is a less formal interview than a “proper” job/can’t physically manhandle their teenager into appropriate clothes/can’t afford appropriate clothes.

Judge someone on how well they’ll do the job, not on whether mummy and daddy can afford to get the a suit

I went for an interview at 16 & wore my black school skirt with a white shirt, tights & black school shoes. I didn't have a jacket but it was smart enough and there's no way my dad would have let me out of the house in jeans.

You should focus on whether they have the aptitude to do the job, not whether they ve enough money to buy smart cloths etc.

Its Engineering, not Accountancy.

Trousers or black jeans and a shirt, no tie, for a job done in a logo t shirt

YANBU

We’ve also been interviewing for apprentices.

We’ve had them turn up in trakkie bottoms, jeans covered in paint, tops that can only really be described as bikini tops, etc

I’m not expecting suits and ties - clean jeans and a smart top would be fine.

We’re quite a casual company, but for an interview I’d expect them to make some sort of effort

I agree op. A pair of trousers and a shirt with tie for any interview.

YANBU.

If they can't afford a suit, they should be turning up in full school uniform.

Why would they own a suit? Do you expect them (or their parents) to spend £100+ on clothes that they will hardly ever wear on the off-chance that they gain a place on a programme for which they don't have to wear a suit anyway?

You are being completely unreasonable.

If they can't afford a suit, they should be turning up in full school uniform.

OP said ages 16-19. They are probably at FE or sixth-form college. They won't have a school uniform.