I’ve always taken real pride in being a mentor to engineering apprentices — and I know my team feels exactly the same. So, coming off the back of National Apprenticeship Week earlier this month, it’s genuinely disheartening to hear some negativity about the lack of mentorship…
Recently I’ve spoken to several apprentices who have attended our new Apprentice Training Programme who feel they aren’t getting the mentorship, guidance, or structured support they expected from their employer. And it’s raised a difficult but important question:
When is an apprentice not an apprentice?
For me, it’s simple: it’s when they’re left to navigate everything on their own.
An apprenticeship isn’t just a job with a qualification attached. It’s a multi‑year learning journey that relies on experienced mentors to shape safe, competent, confident engineers. Without that support, we risk producing technicians and craftspeople who are underprepared — not through lack of effort, but through lack of guidance.
The engineering sector is already facing a severe skills shortfall. We have fewer apprentices and a shrinking pool of experienced engineers — many of whom are retiring or leaving the industry earlier than expected. The result? A widening mentorship gap at the exact moment we need the opposite.
Why this matters?
Engineering competence isn’t built overnight. It’s built through:
✅ Shadowing experienced hands
✅ Learning safe, repeatable processes
✅ Being coached through mistakes
✅ Developing judgement that only comes from guided practice
If we fail to invest in mentorship, we fail the apprentices — and ultimately, we fail the industry.
If we want high‑quality, work‑ready engineers, we must:
✅ Prioritise structured mentorship
✅ Invest in time for senior staff to coach
✅ Recognise mentoring as a skilled role, not an optional extra
✅ Celebrate and retain experienced engineers before they walk out the door.
An apprentice becomes a true apprentice only when they are supported, developed, and valued.
If you’re an employer, mentor, or training provider — what are you seeing? Are apprentices getting the support they need?
We’re here to help organisations build and sustain effective mentorship programmes for mechanical engineering apprentices.
Zulu Joint Integrity & Training Ltd
Tel: 01656 523273
info@zulujointintegrity.co.uk
