July 16, 2024 – Whether it goes well or poorly, taking on an apprentice in your electrical contracting business is a big commitment. What can you do to (hopefully) achieve a positive outcome, for both yourself and the apprentice?

In the June 2024 edition of Electrical Business Magazine, we asked a variety of industry professionals “What advice would you give to an electrical contractor when taking on an apprentice?”. They happily shared their advice and experiences with us which, collectively, make up our Apprenticeship Survival Guide.

Here is what Cara Brideau had to share…

I HEAR STORIES of many small- to medium-sized companies that are unable to grow because their main journeyman—who is brilliant and gets the job done—causes every other person onsite to be miserable, leading them to leave the company.

Maybe some journeymen feel that, because they were treated badly during their own apprenticeship, they’ve earned the right to treat their apprentices the same way. This will not fly in 2024! We have worker shortages across the country, and today’s apprentices do not wish to be treated badly for the sake of a job. If they aren’t being treated well, they will jump to another employer.

This means you need journeymen who are patient and appreciate having people help them. If they are a lone wolf who is stuck in their ways, they are probably not the right person to mentor your apprentice.

A lot of employers also promote their star journeymen to foremen but, before you do, ensure they have the requisite people skills to juggle all the different personalities on a jobsite. Foremen set the tone of the job and, when they are patient and have a mentorship mindset, the rest of the workers onsite will be, too.

It is also important to have journeymen who love Electrical! It is a great career with a lot of cool stuff to learn. A journeyman’s passion for the trade is contagious, and their apprentices will push themselves to progress in their careers without much encouragement.

Show apprentices how you expect things to be done, watch them do it, then give them the responsibility of doing it themselves. If they feel like they are always assisting with but never actually doing the work or expanding their skills, they won’t feel important to the company and will lose interest.

Remember that most people entering the trade are Gen Z, and some have never had a job in construction or an industrial setting before, so teach them how to navigate a jobsite effectively, and how to stay safe and productive.

They appreciate positive and constructive feedback. Leadership should conduct weekly or biweekly informal check-ins with their apprentices to address any situations before they are allowed to fester and become a long-term issue. The way you speak to and encourage them will have a positive, lasting effect on their time with your company.

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