trainee's/apprentice

garyt · October 24, 2015

trying to develop a trainee program in the diesel shop.i have several interested guy's from our quick lane that would like to learn.are there tips that you can give me to help get this started?i have one young kid that has a good head on his shoulders and takes direction well,manager of the quick lane speaks highly of him.just trying to develop a package to give to my bosses.any advice would help,thanks.

Keith Browning · October 25, 2015

Not sure what you mean by a package but in dealing with apprentices and mentoring diesel techs, patience is required. My own approach has been to instruct and give them space to do it and figure it out. I encourage to ask a questions but please read the service manual first! If you can teach them to do that then you made good progress.

jimmy57 · October 25, 2015

You must be sure that he gets an understanding of verifying the problem and then diagnosing the problem is the way vehicles are repaired.

1. What do you want the tech to do? Be a low level tech that does component changes and maintenance work or a tech that can understand complex systems and diagnose and repair those systems? What does mangement want in regards to those two options?

2. Will your employer support your efforts? Do they think your trainee will be your clone in 3 months or know that in a year you can have a productive employee that still needs supervision for many types or repairs and may not yet be able to make a living wage if he is on flat rate?

Be sure that skills in using tools is something you include in what you train. Some practice in tightening fasteners of various sizes and then measuring the torque it takes to move that fastener is very valuable in getting someone to understand basic wrenching. Use different length wrenches and ratchets when doing this exercise. Purposely let him break bolts. Remember: you may have to work behind this guy, this impacts YOU. If he breaks something then quickly train him to deal with broken fasteners. This will drive home responsibility for one's actions.

Be sure you involve your trainee in diagnosis. Make a list of various types of diagnostics in various systems and check them off since you will likely not remember well enough to know what has been practiced. Be sure the trainee is doing these things with you and he is not sent to do something he already knows while you figure out this tough one.

Be sure you don't give trainee the tasks you dislike. He will also likely dislike them and can be soured by this. He will know he is doing your shit work.

BE PATIENT

KEEP ANGER IN CHECK

Brad Clayton · October 26, 2015

We are a small shop and don't do a whole lot of diesel work. The way I approached the powers that be went like this: When I get a diesel job (no start, runs rough, ect.) then I pull the line tech off whatever job he is doing, he clocks in on a "shop punch" to document his training time, we diag the truck together, he then clocks off the shop punch and goes back to his flat rate work. When the parts come in for the truck he clocks the shop punch again and installs the parts under my supervision. At the end of the week he gets paid for all the shop punches added up and at his normal flat rate wage.

It's a win win for everybody involved in my eye. However the shop I work at has no long term vision and it is a must to be able to see 2 or 5 years down the road and not just 15 minutes ahead. They opted not to follow this and then the guy who wanted to learn diesel and take my place, quit and went to another dealer.