What's the "secret sauce" that can enhance work experience, teach valuable skills and inspire workers and learners to greater success? Many believe that ingredient is very simple: mentoring relationships in the workplace.
January is National Mentoring Month, celebrating mentors and mentees in roles and businesses across the country. Educate Maine would like to celebrate some of our very own, whose successes in Maine Career Catalyst programs (including registered apprenticeships) can be attributed in part to key on-the-job relationships. Apprentices in the MCC programs all have mentors to guide them.
At Darling's Auto, apprentice River found the confidence to succeed through having a dedicated mentor, Jake.
"I don't feel as pressured or nervous to be the one who doesn't know things. So, I'm in a position to ask, which really helps," he said. River recently successfully completed his apprenticeship at Darling's, and is employed there full time.
At Maine Passive House, supervisor Anna says that the requirement to assign and train mentors has been good for the whole team.
“Everyone now has permission to take a moment and teach," she said.
It may be natural for older workers to mentor and advise young colleagues but not all mentees are people at the beginning of their careers. At Consumers Fuel Co. in Belfast, Charles recently completed a life changing apprenticeship at 52--and he gives a lot of credit to his mentor Tom, who has inspired him to keep learning and getting more proficient.
Tom is 76 and retired twice, but is back at CFC and delivers more product than anyone else. Charles admires how Tom handles the small details, like positioning the truck at the perfect angle or parking it just right so the hose will reach, all while making his route as efficient as possible. “I wish I knew half of what Tom knows. He gets more done before lunch than I do all day—and we deliver to the same area.”
For more information on apprentice programs, go here: https://mainecareercatalyst.org/registered-apprenticeship-pre-apprenticeships/
