Mentors help young people remain engaged and achieve success in their apprenticeship programs. Urban’s mentorship resources guide apprenticeship leaders as they select and train mentors, equipping mentors with best practices for supporting young apprentices.

Resources for Program Leaders  

These resources help program administrators, training directors, and apprenticeship leaders who oversee program mentorship and apprentice supervisors with selecting and training mentors to youth apprentices:

• The Mentoring in Practice fact sheet highlights the importance of mentors and the roles they play, showcases how mentors teach and advise, and provides reflective questions mentors can ask of apprentices and example assignments mentors can use to encourage joint problem solving.
• The Guide for Selecting and Training Mentors of High School Apprentices helps managers and program leaders identify, train, and support mentors of youth apprentices, discusses the unique opportunities and challenges of mentoring youth apprentices, and offers guidance for selecting mentors. A recorded interactive mentor training session is also available.
• Our suite of training products provides guidance for program leaders and managers to train current and prospective mentors. It includes an agenda that outlines how an interactive training session can be organized, a slide deck with technical content and trainer’s notes, and a guide with group role-playing activities. Each resource is ready to use but can also be adjusted to fit a program’s priorities and focus and leaders’ availability for training.

Resources for Mentors

These resources help new mentors better understand their role and provide existing mentors with strategies for effectively supporting their youth apprentices.

• The Master Mentor Challenge is a game that lets mentors experience the day-to-day decisions that come with mentoring. The game introduces mentors to their roles and responsibilities, explores the social–emotional aspects of mentorship, and provides examples of on-the-job training.
• The Mentor Guide for Youth Registered Apprenticeship Programs provides tips, guidance on common mentoring topics, frequently asked questions, and links to resources for experienced workers who teach and advise youth apprentices on the job.
• The Mentoring in Practice training workshops help mentors understand their role and best practices for playing those roles. The first session introduces the responsibilities mentors have to encourage problem-solving and teach and advise across technical, personal, and social competencies. The second session covers three effective teaching approaches: providing constructive feedback, asking reflective questions, and deploying projects that require problem-solving.