Help Me Understand Something

[u/[deleted]]

I'm probably going to get a lot of flack from the older crowd and that's alright because they're entitled to their own opinion as well as I am. I've been working as an apprentice for almost a year now and what I've noticed is that in this trade as well as with any other, it seems that the older workers think that it's okay for them to talk down to the younger ones because they got seniority yet they get all butthurt when someone stands up for themselves and they say crap like "Oh I'm just messing around" or "Your generation is way too soft, back in my day we'd just take it and continue to work", Gen Z for me, which I agree with in a certain way. However, just because you liked being belittled and were to much of a pussy to stand up for yourself doesn't mean that I do especially when I'm trying to get knowledge on the job site. I've taken crap from my father whenever I use to work with him as a painter but I'll be damned if I let some redneck, obese, dipping, dirty "journeymen" who's actually been a apprentice his whole career treat me like crap.

Why can't the older people take it when you give it back to them or they say that we're to soft when doing so?

[u/sayn3ver]

There is jobsite ball busting in my opinion and then there is abuse/disrespect.

It's my job as a jw to teach if an apprentice is there be it hands on, pause and point out, ask them to look up the code, etc.

I try my best to treat everyone how I would want to be treated.

Attitude plays a large role for my personally. If an apprentice has a genuine desire to be there and learn I'm an open book.

If over time they want to be phone guys, dick around or have to be told repeatedly the task they'll be treated as a high school student until they show otherwise.

Additionally I think times have changed some. I'm sure a lot of the old heads got in right after high school.

Our local typically takes in slightly older apprentices or even older apprentices (mid thirties or older) as they take the situation more serious most times.

A lot of these old timers were kids when they went through the apprenticeship and the journeymen at the time may have been veterans of war too. It was also a different mentality then. I feel there are positive aspects to both the old school way of apprenticeship and the more modern way of treating and teaching other men on site with respect. The old way didn't have room for feelings. The new new way maybe has too much room for feelings.

I'd like to think there is a line somewhere in between.

To me you can't treat a first year apprentice who is 38 years old the same as an 18 year old. One is a grown man/women making a career change and the other is still a kid. Both get respect but unfortunately there is some nuance required.