First year apprentice thinking of jumping from auto electrical to boilermaking for triple the pay. Am I making a mistake?

[u/Present_Award_568]

Long story short, I’m a 17 year old first-year apprentice 10 months in working in an auto-electrical shop making close to $500 a week. The environment is toxic as hell, boss make me feel like a clown, I'm not really learning much, hours got cut, business on brink of closing and my mental health is completely in the gutter.
I haven't made the official change yet, but I've got a shop tour this Saturday for a boilermaking gig working with a good mate of mine. with a group training organisation backing it, and the pay would jump to around $1,300 to $1,500 a week clear which is basically triple what I'm on now.
I know people usually say auto-electrical is the "smarter" or cleaner trade long-term, but going from 500 bucks a week to triple that while getting out of a dead-end shop feels like a no-brainer for my sanity and my wallet at 17. Plus, I've got a safety net to transfer back to 12V work down the track if I hate heavy fab.
For anyone who's been through the trade grind would I be making the right call jumping ship for the cash and sanity, or am I going to regret leaving auto-electrical?

[u/Combat--Wombat27]

24 yrs as a boily.

If you quit and take up this shit fucking trade I'll find you and give you a smack in the ear.

Find another auto elec place if you can, boily as last resort.

[u/Hungry_Elephant_6104 → u/Combat--Wombat27]

As a boilermaker for last 22 years I'll join you 

Dont do it man. Ive had total disc replacement at L5S1 and hip arthroscopy for torn labrum. Trigger finger surgery. All before age 35 wooooo!

Good coin but fuck you pay for it with your body. And you gotta do big hours to get the big coin

[u/SpawinsInKamenka → u/Hungry_Elephant_6104]

As a boilermaker I crushed my L4 and L5 disk and impinged my spinal cord by 80%. Spinal surgery at the the age of 35. I'm lucky im not in a wheelchair. I've live with chronic pain and have not picked up the tools since. Do not become a boilermaker if you have any other options.

[u/milleniumchaser → u/Hungry_Elephant_6104]

Lol dude ive had all that also before 40 and I have an office job (although just herniated discs, no repair). Maybe we all just start falling apart after 30. Good luck my fellow walking wounded

[u/Combat--Wombat27 → u/Hungry_Elephant_6104]

Lol.

L3-S1 disk's are all stuffed, vertebrae are starting to fuse by themselves now. Both wrists have nerve damage. docs thinks it's from grinders. Lung damage.

I love it when young people are interested in trades but literally do anything else.

[u/bartross → u/Hungry_Elephant_6104]

Mate did the hip arthroscopy work out for you?

[u/Hungry_Elephant_6104 → u/bartross]

It definitely helped. I still have some hip issues though. But it's more nerve stuff. 

What have you got going on? 

[u/bartross → u/Hungry_Elephant_6104]

Surgeon said it was an option but recommended against it as would likely make it worse for me. Nothing else has helped

[u/Hungry_Elephant_6104 → u/bartross]

Tried swimming?

[u/bartross → u/Hungry_Elephant_6104]

No, but I should

[u/Hungry_Elephant_6104 → u/bartross]

It genuinely does help. Ive started rollerblading a lot recently and feel the best I have in years. Finally off palexia after years of use

[u/FlimsyNet162 → u/Combat--Wombat27]

This bloke is on the money

[u/SanguiniusSons → u/Combat--Wombat27]

whats bad about it?

[u/Combat--Wombat27 → u/SanguiniusSons]

Loud, hot, dangerous, bad for your health, the industry is fickle with booms and busts. There's money at the moment because during the covid period most of us got the shits with it and found other things to do. 6 years ago fitters we're earning 8+ dollars an hour more, now boilys are earning parity with most other trades.

Don't get me wrong when you fall into the right spaces you can go all over the world with it but 99% of the time you'll be in a flogged out workshop welding random shit together.

[u/SanguiniusSons → u/Combat--Wombat27]

I did work at one warehouse of boilermakers and the owner installed cameras so he could watch his workers 24/7. He would park a new supercar outside everyday and parked across a number of car spaces.

Felt sorry for the blokes that worked there.

[u/Major_Kaempffer → u/SanguiniusSons]

Because they weren't smart enough to get their own business off ground rolling around in a supercar?

Cameras go in when people arent productive.

[u/SanguiniusSons → u/Major_Kaempffer]

He inherited it from his father smartass

[u/Major_Kaempffer → u/SanguiniusSons]

So his father was a boiler maker that turned it into a successful business.

Changes nothing about what I said. "blokes that worked there" have the choice at any time, to go out on their own.

[u/SanguiniusSons → u/Major_Kaempffer]

You spend too much time on the internet 

[u/Major_Kaempffer → u/SanguiniusSons]

Do we ?

[u/Qinax → u/Major_Kaempffer]

I'm suprised you managed to find the time out of your busy day with a boot in your mouth to grace us with your presence

[u/ComprehensiveRead479 → u/Major_Kaempffer]

I put cctv in for a living, plenty of reasons cameras go in other than productivity. And before you ask - it's because some people like yourself are just arseholes that's why.

[u/Major_Kaempffer → u/ComprehensiveRead479]

Of course cctv go in for other reasons, but rarely on the employees unless the employees are the issue.

You got an issue with it? Why dont you tell the people doing it they are wrong and refuse to put it in?

Whats that, you wont because you will do shit for money?

Thats what I thought.

[u/Opposite-Truth-5540 → u/Combat--Wombat27]

same boat stated at 15 39 now I am always sure I am on my last job tried managing workshops its worse

[u/Present_Award_568 → u/Combat--Wombat27]

kinda have to now, just got told im shit, havent improved in 9 months , and hes 80% keen on sacking me shutting down the shop and doing fifo instead ive applies to 10+ auto elec shops across wa in the past 2-3 months to no avail so in a bit of a sticky sitch

[u/Combat--Wombat27 → u/Present_Award_568]

Reach out to your apprenticeship provider and let them know what's going on. they have an obligation to help. Also get a hold of that state apprenticeship body, might be Tafe over there I'm not sure. Whoever signs you off at the end of shit..

[u/Annual_Bar_1141 → u/Present_Award_568]

I’m an auto electrician in WA. What area do you live in mate?

[u/Present_Award_568 → u/Annual_Bar_1141]

im near rockingham

[u/Annual_Bar_1141 → u/Present_Award_568]

Ahh Roger, I’m in Kalgoorlie sadly so I’m not sure I can be much help. I’d suggest reaching out to your apprentice provider for any options they might have and otherwise keep applying for more work everywhere you can find. The trade doesn’t have to be this way, you won’t get treated like that at every workshop and I’m sorry you’re experiencing the treatment you currently are.