u/FOLDYH0lder

So just some background on the situation. I work as an apprentice Instrument and Electrical tech at a plant. I’m non-union and currently the only apprentice there. The apprenticeship is supposed to last 2 years, and I go to tech school two days a week. I’m about a year and a half in now, and school is almost finished. After that, I’ll be at the plant full time until the apprenticeship ends.

The problem is there’s basically zero leadership or structure for training. My supervisor has no experience in this field, and neither does his boss. Honestly, I barely even see them except in the mornings when work orders are handed out. Half the time I don’t even get assigned one and have to ask around to join someone else just so I have something to do.

I’m also the first apprentice this company has ever had, so this whole thing feels like a trial run. The biggest issue is that I don’t have an actual journeyman or mentor assigned to train me. There are about 8 other techs here, but a lot of them are newer too, and nobody really wants to teach. Since there’s no expectation or responsibility for them to train me, I mostly just get bounced around.

I work hard, never complain, always show up, and genuinely want to learn the trade, but it feels like nobody wants to work with me because I slow jobs down. Which makes sense in a way — I’m still learning, so naturally things take longer when someone has to explain stuff. Most people just want to finish fast so they can relax afterward.

One time I finished a task and asked my supervisor what I should move on to next since I don’t know the work orders, and he literally just said, “It doesn’t matter.”

At this point I honestly don’t know what I’m supposed to do. I want to become a good I&E tech, but it’s hard when there’s no real guidance, structure, or training program in place.

So just some background on the situation. I work as an apprentice Instrument and Electrical tech at a plant. I’m non-union and currently the only apprentice there. The apprenticeship is supposed to last 2 years, and I go to tech school two days a week. I’m about a year and a half in now, and school is almost finished. After that, I’ll be at the plant full time until the apprenticeship ends.

The problem is there’s basically zero leadership or structure for training. My supervisor has no experience in this field, and neither does his boss. Honestly, I barely even see them except in the mornings when work orders are handed out. Half the time I don’t even get assigned one and have to ask around to join someone else just so I have something to do.

I’m also the first apprentice this company has ever had, so this whole thing feels like a trial run. The biggest issue is that I don’t have an actual journeyman or mentor assigned to train me. There are about 8 other techs here, but a lot of them are newer too, and nobody really wants to teach. Since there’s no expectation or responsibility for them to train me, I mostly just get bounced around.

I work hard, never complain, always show up, and genuinely want to learn the trade, but it feels like nobody wants to work with me because I slow jobs down. Which makes sense in a way — I’m still learning, so naturally things take longer when someone has to explain stuff. Most people just want to finish fast so they can relax afterward.

One time I finished a task and asked my supervisor what I should move on to next since I don’t know the work orders, and he literally just said, “It doesn’t matter.”

At this point I honestly don’t know what I’m supposed to do. I want to become a good I&E tech, but it’s hard when there’s no real guidance, structure, or training program in place.