The training and growth of an apprentice on your farm is a co-creation process with you. Apprentices are bringing their own ideas and learnings to your farm, and, ideally, are ready to learn from you and collaborate with you on projects.
This is where our program differs, as we engage with farmers who are open to being more than just an employer. We hope our Host Farms can work towards creating educational environments and incorporating their apprentices into their operations based on two things: 1) what they want to learn and 2) what you need to get done (tasks, projects, etc.). Imagine a Venn Diagram with these categories in each of the circles (What Apprentices Want to Learn and What the Farmer Wants to Get Done) – the overlap of the circles is what you and your apprentice figure out together through open and honest conversations about their expectations as a mentee and your needs as an employer.
Skills Checklist
The Skills Checklist is designed to help you and your apprentice monitor their learning throughout the apprenticeship. It is a guide for having conversations about what skills they are bringing to the farm from previous experiences and what skills they want to learn.
Within the first month with your apprentice, go over the Skills Checklist with them to help you both get oriented to what they can do, what they need to learn and what they need to know in order to contribute towards the farm.
How Apprentices Learn
You are involved in a young adult learning program. Keep in mind that adult learners:
- like to be involved in planning their learning
- want and need to be able to measure their progress (or lack thereof) independently and able to gauge when they do a job well and when they need to do it better – to be self aware of their learning.
- like learning to be relevant to their personal goals
- prefer learning to have immediate application
- need to be internally motivated
Especially at the beginning of the apprenticeship, it’s really good to do the task WITH your apprentice so you can figure out what they already know, ensure they are using tools correctly and don’t injure themselves or break something.
Some things that you think are a ‘no brainer’ might be completely alien to them – some examples that have come up in the past include the difference between dyed and clear diesel, what fluids to check in a vehicle before leaving headquarters, how to use a shovel correctly, what a flake of hay actually is.
Considering asking them how they like to learn. Do they need written instructions to accompany your verbal ones? (i.e – whiteboard in the shop). Do they need to review the plan for the task before jumping in or are they a learn-as-they-go worker?
Photo credit: Mich Lam