Industry Advice Ask Mike: What Does a Strong In-House Apprenticeship Program Look Like?

with Mike Anderson

This month, we “ASK MIKE” to share his thoughts on how shops can develop and implement effective in-house apprenticeship programs. We at Hammer & Dolly hope you find the following exchange useful, and we encourage you to reach out to us if you have a question for Mike on this or any industry-related matter that he can answer in a future issue.

Hammer & Dolly: You’ve mentioned in-house apprenticeship programs here and there in past conversations, but let’s take a deep dive into that topic. What does an effective in-house apprenticeship program look like, and how do shops go about establishing one?

Mike Anderson: The first thing that comes to mind is I’ve never believed in stealing fish from another man’s pond, because you never know what you’re going to catch. The best thing you can do for your shop is to grow your own team internally. That’s where apprenticeship programs come in. Shops need to understand that you sometimes have to go backwards before you can go forwards. When someone at the shop leaves or retires, the owner often wants someone new who’s already fully trained because they don’t want to lose full production. But when you take on an apprentice, your sales and productivity may drop. Unfortunately, you may have to go through a few apprentices before you find out who sticks, but there are many benefits to having an apprenticeship program at your shop.

When we took on apprenticeships at my shops, we wanted people to continually grow. You practice during practice, and you play the game during the game. Sometimes, shops expect apprentices to practice during the game. Let’s say you’re teaching a body apprentice disassembly. You don’t want them to feel like they’re not being challenged and end up leaving. You need to continually challenge them. Maybe you teach them a new skill one night a week after work. 

Above all, having structure – along with providing constant feedback – is the key to a successful apprenticeship program. When I say ‘structure,’ it means having a career path for everything an apprentice needs to learn – where you can check the boxes along the way – versus just trying to reach them based on whatever car is there that day. Apprentices should also receive constant feedback, so they know how they’re doing and the areas that need improvement. I’m not saying you need to sit down with them every day, but it’s something to consider doing at least monthly. You should also do employee reviews and ask them where they need support. 

When we think of apprentices, we often think of just young people. An apprenticeship program can be for adults – perhaps a military veteran or somebody who wants to work full-time to supplement their income after retiring from another career. We shouldn’t restrict our thoughts on apprentice programs just to people who are getting out of high school. 

H&D: It’s also critical to establish benchmarks and timeframes for apprentices. You don’t want someone to think they’re on track and doing a great job when they’re six weeks behind the point where you’d like to cut them loose in the shop. An apprentice shouldn’t be left wondering how they’re doing – they should know. 

MA: I agree 100 percent. People need constant feedback – but that feedback needs to be balanced. You can’t just point out the things they’re doing wrong; you also need to point out the things they’re doing well. 

H&D: No two mentors are alike. You have plenty of technicians who are social, and you have plenty of others who prefer to work in the back away from the public. What are some common personality traits that generally make for a good mentor in this industry?

MA: I had a technician named Chris Browning who was an exceptional mentor and teacher. There was a company called hireMAX that did personality assessments. When I used that to identify the things that made Chris a good mentor, I also used an assessment to find those traits in other members of my team. 

Not everyone is cut out to be a mentor. A lot of technicians are afraid of how taking on an apprentice will affect their productivity. They worry about slowing down and not making as much money. You need to consider how your technicians are compensated if you want them to become a mentor. Maybe you give that mentor a nice bonus when the apprentice goes out on their own. Those problems can be solved, but they need to be discussed in advance. 

H&D: There’s not a one-size-fits-all approach to much in this industry, but how long should apprenticeship programs typically last? You don’t want to throw someone into the ring after two weeks, but you don’t want to wait five years for them to catch up either. What’s the best middle ground between those two extremes?

MA: Technicians, estimators and CSRs [customer service representatives] are all going to have different time periods for development. You can probably get a CSR up to speed in six months. That’s the same with someone who’s working in parts. Estimators never quit learning, because an estimate controls your profitability. You really need to oversee them for a minimum of a year. The time it takes to teach someone refinish is much shorter than the time it takes to teach a collision technician, who’s going to take the longest. I would say it takes a good three to five years to train an apprentice before they become a full-fledged collision technician. 

Want more? Check out the August 2024 issue of Hammer & Dolly!