We at DC 38 believe that good mentors are essential to an apprentice’s successful transition to journeyperson, and the “Mentorship Matters” training program run by the FTI of BC is a great way for you to learn efficient methods for passing on your chosen trade and instilling your work values in your apprentice.
We need good, effective mentors on our jobsites now more than ever. Hundreds of thousands of skilled tradespeople from Canada’s construction industry are getting ready to retire, and their extensive knowledge about their craft is going to retire with them. Being chosen as a mentor is an honour, and journeypersons should be proud to be recognized as an expert and a leader in their field. Your skills are required and we need you to pass on your dedication to a job-well-done. This is why we have decided to rededicate ourselves to the ideals of good mentorship through the “Mentorship Matters” program.
The FTI of BC’s progressive approach to mentoring trains both journeyworkers and apprentices, with the “Mentorship Matters” program. Developed by SkillPlan, in partnership with the IBEW’s Electrical Joint Training Committee, this forward-thinking collaboration aims to prepare journeyworkers to become effective mentors, and apprentices to develop the skills necessary to become good mentees.
During training at the FTI of BC, mentors are taught the “Six Steps to Mentoring” and given video examples of what each step may look like on the job. Journeypersons have the opportunity to be a leader with every interaction on the jobsite, and these steps help to build confidence in their ability to train the next generation of apprentices while reinforcing their duty to give back. Every qualified journeyperson owes their trade skills to the experienced journeypersons who have mentored them along the way.
Apprentices need you to help them build their confidence and learn to work safely and efficiently on the tools. A good mentor is open to communicating with their apprentice, encouraging questions and taking time to reinforce quality work. The video below features some of our successful, respected mentors reiterating some of the values necessary to making a good mentor. We know that you, too, can make a positive impact in the life of an apprentice or new employee.
We will be sharing video clips and information over the next couple of weeks, to show the value of the work that mentors do and the ways in which a mentee can benefit from on the job instruction.
For more information on “Mentorship Matters” or how you can participate in training, contact the FTI of BC.
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