What is an apprenticeship?
An apprenticeship is a paid work program where the person is gaining skills while on the job. Unlike training for a job, an apprenticeship requires the person to take education courses while working and learn the hands-on skills of the job from an experienced worker.
Apprenticeships are often seen in the skilled tradesmen industry as a requirement for certain jobs. This is because most of what they do is work with their hands and learning the skills of the job requires a lot of practice. This system allows the employer to oversee the training and education that the apprentice will have during their apprenticeship.
The apprentice is often partnered with a mentor who is an experienced or expert in the field. The mentor will be in charge of teaching the apprentice the skills they will need for the job once the apprenticeship is finished. Some apprenticeships will also require them to take certain courses at a local college where they will learn different aspects of the job that are not as hands-on. The two components will give the apprentice all the skills and qualifications to succeed in their career.
During the apprenticeship, the apprentice should be gaining more skills and independence as time goes on until they are fully qualified. Most apprenticeships last anywhere between a year to four years with varying lengths of work and schooling needed. An apprentice can be hired right out of high school, be an adult with a few years of College or an adult who is changing directions in their career.
Benefits of offering an apprenticeship
There are a lot of benefits for a company that is able to offer an apprenticeship. The following are some of the top benefits.
Prepare For The Future
When you offer an apprenticeship program you are able to train the next generation of workers within your industry. This means that you are able to ensure that new people in the industry will have the proper skills to be successful and the high quality of work that you would want in a young worker.
Also, you can use the apprenticeship program as a way of finding new young workers for your company. That means that you are preparing for the future of your own company in a way that ensures the most talented people work for your company.
Loyalty
Often after an apprenticeship is over, the apprentice will indicate that they would like to work for your company. This means you are able to retain the most talented from your apprenticeship program.
Even if you are unable to take them on, they will still have loyalty to your company. They are likely to recommend your company to others due to their good experience during their apprenticeship.
Good for Your Brand
An apprenticeship program means your company will be known for having the best talent. People who have apprenticeship programs need to have some of the best talents in order to teach the next generation.
This means that your company will become known as a group of talented individuals who are willing to teach the next generation. Having that type of reputation is great for your brand as it will make people want to work for you or hire you.
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Financial Incentives
For companies that offer an apprenticeship program, there are some tax benefits that they can take advantage of. An example of this is the Apprenticeship Job Creation Tax Credit which gives up to $2000 to companies for each apprentice they have. Having tax credits is a great way to improve your budget, meaning you have more money for other things.
What to look for when hiring for an apprenticeship
There are certain personality traits that you should look for when hiring someone for an apprenticeship. The following are important personality traits you want your apprentice to have.
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Honesty
You want candidates for an apprenticeship to be honest about their own skill level and passion for the job. In order for the apprenticeship to be successful there has to be a level of trust between the mentor and apprentice.
As the apprentice gains more independence on the job, the mentor or trainer needs to know that the apprentice will be doing their best work and representing the company well. Without honesty, it can be difficult to create trust which would mean the apprenticeship would not be successful.
Problem-solving skills
This is a great skill to have in an apprenticeship as you need the apprentice to become a valuable member of the team. Already having the ability to problem solve, will mean that the apprentice will help the entire team and you will not be starting from zero when it comes to their training.
It could also mean that the apprentice could see things that need improvements that have gone unnoticed. Part of the reason for having an apprenticeship program is to bring new talent to the company. With problem-solving skills, the apprentice can use their fresh perspective on issues that have been ignored.
Good Communication
Communicating clearly, effectively and confidently to the people around you is an essential skill for any successful individual. Looking for a candidate with these skills will make the apprenticeship go smoothly as the apprentice will have a good handle on how to communicate with their teachers, colleagues and mentor.
Flexibility
During the apprenticeship both the mentor and apprentice need to be flexible, being able to adapt to things as they come. For the mentor, they might need to teach a particular skill to the apprentice that they were not anticipating, which means adapting the schedule a bit to fit in this training. The apprentice needs to be able to adapt to different teaching styles from their colleagues.
Though the mentor will be in charge of the apprentice’s training, they will rely on others to teach the apprentice while working with them. This means that both the company and the apprentice need to be flexible and able to adapt according to what the circumstances call for.
Work Well With Others
Being able to work well with others is an essential skill for any apprenticeship. The apprentice needs to be a team player as they will rely on their colleagues and mentor to guide them in their work.
The apprenticeship will not work out favourably if the apprentice is not willing to learn from everyone and the entire team need to be able to work well with them. The apprentice will not get the proper training and skills for the job if they are not able to be part of a team as this is an essential part of their learning.
Work Ethic
An apprentice has to be able to work more independently as time goes on. The goal of the apprenticeship is to produce an independent worker who has all the skills and training to do the job.
This means that the employer needs to be able to leave the apprentice to do their work, knowing that the work will be done efficiently and effectively. Having a good work ethic will allow for trust between the employer and apprentice, which will allow for a highly successful apprenticeship.
This can be beneficial with the apprentice’s schooling as well. You want an apprentice who will work hard even in the classroom as both components are needed in order for the apprenticeship to be successful.
If the apprentice works hard while on the job but is not doing well in the classroom, then they will not pass their apprenticeship. Both components are equally important so having a good work ethic will be of benefit to both sides of the apprenticeship.
Motivation and Passion
The apprentice should have a lot of motivation regarding their work. Taking on an apprenticeship is not easy as they have to work and attend classes. They have to show a great amount of passion for the job in order to do both of these tasks with accuracy. This means being motivated to work hard to learn the necessary skills for the job and showing that same motivation while in the classroom.
The mentor or on-the-job trainer will also need motivation and passion. If the mentor does not show a passion for the job, then there is a risk that the apprentice will also lose motivation. That can cause less productivity from the apprentice and possibly an end to the entire apprenticeship program.
By looking for these personality traits when hiring for an apprenticeship, you will be able to have a program that is successful at producing the next generation of workers in your industry.
