Whether your apprentice has joined your organisation straight from school or has some experience in the world of work – they will need guidance to grow in their new role.
Every apprentice should have a workplace mentor to guide and support them through their apprenticeship. This is someone who can manage the apprentice, delegate tasks, share their knowledge and give guidance on the practical side of their apprenticeship.
This blog outlines the areas you can switch up your approach to managing and mentoring to help your apprentice gain confidence and develop into a highly valued member of your team.
Onboarding an Apprentice
Having an effective onboarding plan in place from day one can help your new apprentice comfortably settle into their new job role. From day one, make sure you are communicating with your new apprentice, helping them visualise where their contributions fits into your wider businesses goals and objectives.
To get started, we recommend office tours, a meet the team and an induction to your business. A key thing to remember is that this could be an apprentice’s first job role so it’s important to make them feel as comfortable as possible. Overall, an effective onboarding plan can lead to higher employee retention, increased productivity and better job satisfaction for your new apprentice.
Apprentice Training
Throughout their apprenticeship, learners are required to take part in off the job training that is relevant to their apprenticeship programme. At Baltic, we schedule the majority of this through our technical training modules and Programme Coach support.
The remaining off-the-job training should be provided by an employer through shadowing, workplace mentoring and any relevant training that is specific to your apprentice’s job role.
We encourage our employers to allow apprentices to book out time for apprenticeship work each week, take part in shadowing opportunities with other members of the team or complete additional self-study courses that are relevant to their apprenticeship programme. These activities can be added to their time log and will count towards their off the job hours.
Examples of Off the Job Training:
- Technical Training
- Workplace Projects
- Review Calls
- Shadowing and Mentoring
- Self-study courses relevant to the apprenticeship
Performance Management
It is important to monitor the performance of your apprentice. Set objectives and reviews whilst also giving appraisals for good performance. This will allow your apprentice to develop professionally, building their confidence and gaining more responsibility.
Review Calls
Every training provider will have different ways of tracking progress and keeping apprentice employers updated throughout the apprenticeship journey.
At Baltic, we invite managers to attend review calls to provide an update on the learner’s progress in the workplace. While it isn’t compulsory for managers to attend these calls, we encourage this as it is likely to have a positive impact on the learner’s development. These calls will give you an insight into what work has been set for your apprentice and the deadline, listen to feedback about their progress and give you the opportunity to ask any questions or raise any issues or concerns.
These reviews can also be tailored into support sessions to assist with areas where apprentices feel they would benefit from additional support!
Personal Development
Personal development is important in keeping employees motivated and productive. Engage with your apprentice by asking them what their long-term goals are and how you can help them get there. If they have joined you on a Level 3 apprenticeship, make them aware of the Level 4 programmes available as a progression route in the early stage of their induction. Track their progress and recognise milestones by having regular one to one discussions or appraisals, offering help where needed.
Find Out More
Our team are always on hand to answer any questions you have on hiring and supporting an apprentice in your team. Get in touch to find out more or browse our apprenticeship programmes to learn more about our courses.