The skillsets of people vary greatly and will be quickly exposed if they chose the right lane, or posses the skills needed for the job. One of the guys I've been using for a helper for 8 or 9 years is completely useless when it comes to technical aptitude. He's 28 or 29, has watched me install hundreds of different hot tub cover lifters on hundreds of different hot tubs. There are about 10 styles and every brand has different skirting etc....I would bet my net worth if I gave him an hour, all the tools and pieces I'd come back to something not pretty/ holes in the wrong places/installed wrong. I can hear the screws stripping any time he tries to remove a gate without me there. Probably can't read a tape measure.
He tells me he is going to welding school in September and I know it's not going to end well (if he even goes at all). No chance he will be calculating angles or not getting frustrated throwing things in the air the first time something doesn't go right. I have told customers many times "I do all of the thinking" haha. Lucky I only need him for his strength.
Same thing with another guy I've used about 2 summers now, similar age, strips the drill bits in no time. Would leave stuff behind if I didn't constantly remind him to check he put all the drill bits back in the case.
Funny I can use the same drill bit set for more than 5 years without issue/losing one.
My younger cousin got lucky with an electrical apprenticeship early on (I still don't know what designation he ever got) but he started changing out light fixtures in Walmarts, then spent many years doing traffic lights on city contracts, helped with some of the CFL stadium build in Hamilton, company he was with grew quickly and he moved up to manager position rather quickly as well, now I'm pretty sure is around $60 an hour and he's either just turned 30 or young 30's. I don't think any of his experience was in residential and I've never heard him doing any side work for residential on the weekends surprisingly.
