OEM Engineering Apprenticeship Mentor Training Day.
On Thursday 23rd February 2023, OEM Engineering Mentors attended a very successful training day at Monaghan Institute. This was the second in-person mentor training, with OEM Apprenticeship company mentors travelling from all over the country to attend. Mentors form an essential component to the OEM Apprenticeship programme by providing much needed additional support to the apprentice. An OEM mentor may not automatically be the apprentice’s direct line manager, Instead there may be another member of staff who can share their experiences and encourage the formation of strong, positive working relationship.
Speaking on the day, OEM Apprenticeship Programme Manager, AnnaMarie Woods said,
“For the OEM Apprenticeship, we highly value the mentoring partnership, it allows the apprentice to tap into the knowledge of those with more experience than themselves, learning faster than they would on their own. Mentoring helps our apprentices to learn and develop, making it invaluable in terms of their personal & professional development and in helping them understand their role in the organisation and indeed to develop their career path.
Mentoring is by no means a one-way process that only benefits the apprentice. A good mentoring relationship is a two-way process that generates wider business benefits.”
Ms Woods also stressed the importance of communication and establishing a trusting relationship between the mentor and the apprentices along with the importance of timely, relevant and constructive feedback, adding;
“Mentor training days continue to build upon our Community of Practice, maintain standardisation across all our OEM employers and reinforce the supports available to the mentor group from the OEM Apprenticeship team”
Also speaking on the day, OEM Apprenticeship Tutor, Ita McNulty added,
“Mentoring and the use of tailored feedback is central to guiding apprentices to enhance their skills but also to build their careers in line with your company strategy and vision, making it a win-win for all.”
During the day, the mentors were also given a tour of the Monaghan Institute campus including the state-of-the-art OEM workshops and classrooms.
Following the training event the group were invited for a tour of Combilift’s Global Headquarters at Annahagh, Co Monaghan.
The OEM Engineering Apprenticeship is a three-year QQI Level 6 programme consisting of both on-the job and off-the-job blocks and is suitable for those currently employed in OEM companies, school leavers, career switchers and mature applicants wishing to pursue a career as a qualified OEM Engineering Technician. On-the-job learning takes place within the company and the learner also attends off-the-job education and training on a block release basis at either the Monaghan Institute Campus or Raheen Training Centre in Limerick.
Backed by Enterprise Ireland, the OEM Apprenticeship serves to fill the skills gap faced by Irish engineering companies and offers participants a rewarding and exciting career path from the moment the apprenticeship begins.
For employers, this is an excellent opportunity to recruit talented new apprentices who are passionate about their chosen career path in mechanical, robotic and electronic engineering.
Click the link below for more information on the OEM Engineering Apprenticeship.