Mentors lead to apprentice success: study

The skill and ability of the next generation of skilled trades professionals rely in large part on the mentors who teach them, according to a new study.

The Canadian Apprenticeship Forum – Forum canadien sur l’apprentissage provides insights into the important role of mentors to apprenticeship completion across Canada in its newest report, Effective Journeyperson Apprentice Mentoring On-the-job: Tips, Strategies, and Resources. Apprentices in the skilled trades need strong workplace supports to become certified, making journeyperson mentors crucial to apprenticeship success, according to the report.
Based on a series of interviews with employers, journeypersons, apprentices and trainers, the report shares promising practices and makes recommendations to help employers maximize the apprentice-mentor relationship.  Among other things, the report suggests supports for journeyperson mentors to enhance on-the-job training and ensure appropriate skills are transferred to the next-generation workforce.
“Apprentices tell us that their journeyperson mentors are a critical element in their success,” said Sarah Watts-Rynard, executive director of CAF-FCA.  “When employers make the decision to train an apprentice, it makes sense to support success in every possible way.  That means choosing the right mentor and providing tools to support that relationship.”
Interviews conducted in the course of this research point to the business benefits of effective mentoring, including enhanced productivity and reduced turnover.  The report suggests that sharing mentoring approaches and developing a training plan for the journeyperson and apprentice to follow are among the strategies employers can implement.
Read the full report at www.caf-fca.org.