The TVET Apprenticeship Program: Mentor-apprentices perspective

Abstract

The major objective of this research is to assess the degree of appropriateness and relevance of the apprenticeship program has in relation to mentor-mentee relationship. Apprentices’ questionnaire was used as a major data collecting instrument. Focus group discussion was another tool which served as a device to compare, contrast, and integrate the data acquired. Findings suggest that a moderate knowledge exist of what apprenticeship is and what an effective mentoring should involve on the part of mentors. Despite this moderate awareness, findings even depict that there is a major setback regarding execution of an effective and professional mentoring responsibilities. Also, the apprenticeship program is found to prove some pattern of consistency with the apprentices’ field of study and what they perform in the cooperative delivery program: with law students, that appeared to have higher level of relevance and in the Department of Accounting was found to be lower than those in the Department of Law. An alarmingly unprofessional and inept mentor evaluation trend is clearly observed in this study, while the chances to allow apprentices to be involved in problem solving schemes were found to be moderately sufficient.