First-Week Apprentice Onboarding Checklist
The first week should teach safe habits, shop expectations, and proof standards. Keep it small: one daily task, one submitted artifact, and one short review.
Five-day onboarding loop
Review PPE, hoist boundaries, fire exits, spill response, parts counter etiquette, and who can approve work.
Submit a sample photo set with clear lighting, context, close-up, and label notes.
Complete a bay-reset checklist and explain why each item matters for the next job.
Write a parts request with VIN, system, symptom, preferred brand notes, and urgency.
Review the week’s artifacts with a lead tech and choose the next week’s workflow.
What the trainer reviews
The trainer should look for repeatable habits, not perfection. Did the apprentice ask before crossing a safety line? Did the photos show enough context? Did cleanup leave the bay ready for the next job? Did the parts request contain enough information for the counter?
Skill Coach works best when these standards are explicit. A new apprentice can improve faster when the expected proof is visible before the task starts.
Readiness decision
At the end of the week, choose one path: repeat the same checklist, move to a supervised inspection workflow, or assign direct coaching for the weak habit. Avoid moving forward just because the calendar changed.