The Apprenticeship Journey ( Part 3 of 3 ): A practical guide to prospective apprentices
BUSINESS AND TRAINING 21
By
Terry Smith , owner of Legacy Plumbing Services
In the March issue of Plumbing Africa , I discussed how hiring an apprentice is not for the faint hearted , which covered who the stakeholders are in within the apprenticeship ecosystem and listed the role and responsibilities of a host employer ( Part 1 ). Last month ’ s issue covered how to help an apprentice apply their knowledge in a working environment ( Part 2 ) …
In this issue , Part 3 of the Apprenticeship Journey , I want to flip the conversation , to speak to prospective apprentices about their role and responsibilities when being hosted at a plumbing company :
• Plumbing is not just a job , a means to an end , or a paycheck . It needs to be something that you want to be challenged by . You must love solving problems , following regulations , reading building plans , working on different tasks , being in different workspaces and seeing different clients every day .
• Naturally , being an apprentice will help you refine your understanding of the different dynamics in plumbing , and this is part of the learning and discovery process .
• Discuss your learning needs with your host plumbing company . For example , how far are you in college ? Which aspects do you need practical experience with ? What interests you , and what are your strengths ? Talk about the paperwork that you might need completed or signed –
Since you are working with water , know that you are going to be getting wet but mostly dirty .
All images : Legacy Plumbing
Apprentice on site . Checking of tools . Pipework site .
May 2021 Volume 27 I Number 3 www . plumbingafrica . co . za