Is it Time to Hire Apprentice #2?

Letting Go of the One-Man-Show

I run a small business here. A tiny business might be a more accurate description. Maybe that is what you do too? I know how it is. Everything is your responsibility. You have to keep materials in stock, pay the bills, straighten out employee errors, supply quality control among other duties every day. So the last thing you (we) need is to cause ourselves extra headaches by bringing a bad choice into our line-up of workers.

In the shop there are only two of us after all. Sure my daughter helps with behind the scenes work like web site and advertising, and everybody helps with moving furniture from time to time. But essentially, there are only two of us in the shop every day. And now I have an application from a second apprentice. This young guy found me by searching ‘apprentices’ on line. So, I suppose since I am talking about apprenticeships every week, more applications will, Lord willing, keep rolling in.

Building an Army … of Two or Three

I have a vision of running a busy shop and training a small army of young apprentices to earn a living doing what I do. But my vision includes more than simply teaching people a trade. I want to teach them to run businesses as Christian leaders and as people of integrity. I want them to understand their lives as a gift from God and as an opportunity to build God’s kingdom. They should leave inspired to build a business for God’s glory and for the good of man. Apprenticeship training ought to be discipleship: distinctively Christian, infused with scripture, and goal-oriented in every respect.

With all that in mind I must figure out how to communicate the vision with a new apprentice. I am convinced that my apprenticeship contract ought to make clear the purpose of the business. It won’t do to hire a person who is not on board with the direction of the work here. Along with that I must develop clarity about what it is that makes a Christian apprenticeship Christian. How is Christian apprenticeship different from just regular apprenticeship? How is apprenticeship different from a job? I am working to understand these issues before I hire on another person.

Timing Your Hiring is Tricky

Then there is the practical matter about when to hire anybody. How do I know if I will have enough work to keep the new worker busy? It seems like the amount of work available increases when help is added—sometimes. It can be confounding. I think I am going to ask my next apprentice to start with only one day a week. That way I can measure his giftedness in relation to this trade. I can evaluate his character without a lot of commitment.

Business Development + Character Development

I know one thing for sure. The first apprentice has to teach the second apprentice. I have already gotten some push-back on that idea but I do not care. It will be good for the first apprentice to learn how to train another person. It is part of the trade. I am training my apprentices to learn how to start their own businesses not just do a trade. Plus it forces the first apprentice to work through the issues about his personal importance to the business. Is he still needed? Who is the top dog now? Was the second apprentice hired to take the place of the first apprentice? Like Cain—sin is at the door but you (and they) must learn to master it. This situation will be good for character development for everybody involved. We can ruminate about this some more another day. The second apprentice, Pitfall or Paradox, the second apprentice, Mission or Malady, Rescue or Reversal…