Most employers would agree that mentoring is an essential ingredient of any successful apprenticeship training.
And many believe it's even better if the employee selected as mentor has been an apprentice themselves. In fact, providing mentors who'd experienced the same process was the most popular answer in Onefile's own recent survey, Maximising Apprenticeship Success: The case for Learner Engagement.
Some 42% of employers ticked this multiple-choice box when asked what would make it easier for apprentices to complete their apprenticeship without lowering educational standards.
Finding the right mentor
Settling into a new role can take time. Every business or organisation has its own way of doing things and even experienced employees can feel apprehensive when they change jobs.
Most of us need a little guidance while we're familiarising ourselves with the company, its people and its workplace culture, and for apprentices such support is critical.
Finding the right apprentice mentor is also key. Someone who has taken the same or similar training course themselves will know from personal experience where any challenges or issues might arise.
They'll be more familiar with the course material - and what worked best for them when they were juggling on-the-job work commitments with their off-the-job training.
But while such knowledge and recent experience is preferable in a mentor, it's also important that the chosen person has the relevant soft skills. Your mentor should be someone the apprentice likes and trusts, someone they can open up to in the first instance if they're struggling.
Skills mentors need
Good mentors need good listening and communication skills. Friendly and approachable, they should:
Mentors can also assist with onboarding. Like any new people joining the business, apprentices should be given a guided tour of the workplace and introduced to colleagues, including those in other departments or sections.
Depending on an organisation's structure, it's usually the line manager or training manager who liaises with the college or other training provider about the apprentice's coursework, progress reports and EPA.
But a mentor can provide that valuable first point of contact; someone who's not much older and with firsthand experience of what it's like to be a new apprentice. Learners are much more likely to turn to their mentor than a senior manager if they have a question or query.
Benefits of mentoring for mentors
As we've mentioned, mentors play a pivotal role in helping apprentices to settle into their new work environment and train on-the-job.
But there are plenty of benefits for them too. Through mentoring, your employees hone their own interpersonal and communication skills, generally enhancing their continuous professional development (CPD). They'll also be on top of what's new in training in your sector - and hopefully they'll have the satisfaction of seeing the apprentice successfully complete their programme. It's a win-win.
There's lots of anecdotal advice out there on how well mentoring can work. A good place to look is the UK government's own Apprenticeship website. It has plenty of information including an interesting webinar recording featuring employers and apprentices own mentoring experiences.