I became a plumber also at the age of 19.
My old man was a grumpy old cunt. I'd cleared out of home at 18 and I owed him money, so he was all "RIGHT!!! YOU'RE WORKING FOR ME!!!"
Half a year later he was all "You've come this far, you might as well do an apprenticeship".
Now I don't know if you understand this but an apprenticeship is like signing on to the army, once you sign on, you're stuck for 4 fucking years, and it's near impossible to get a transfer.
So I was stuck with the fucking miserable, screaming, angry over nothing, hateful cunt for 4 years.
Then he fired shut down his business and I went on to other jobs.
Other jobs were easy by comparison.
The money when I started was 79 bucks a week. Second year was 120. Third year was 270, fourth year was 480 I think.
You will get much better pay now. This was in the early 2000s.
Furthermore, here's what you need to expect.
Whatever boss you work for will be somewhat of a cunt. Try to find the least cuntish.
DO NOT do anything that will put your life in danger. If your boss is ranting and ravign at you to get on a wet double story roof, don't do it. Shut it down, walk away, he'll try to pretend you've quit, take it to your government safe work authority. You have the power to record this shit on your phone now. Do so.
I don't enjoy plumbing, never have. Some people do. Those people are mostly mad. They seem to identify themselves via their job or their precision and they are so proud to go home at the end of the day doing a wonderful job for a guy who is paying them a shit wage. Fuck those guys.
Yes you should do it. Uni is a mug's game. You end up in severe debt to get a degree that can't get you a job. At least at the end of a plumbing apprenticeship you can walk away and work for anyone or even yourself if you're game.
19yo Canadian. I recommend you do it. If after 4 years you hate it so much that you wish you went to uni instead, go back to uni.
Cont.