Apprenticeship Interviews: Five Questions to Ask (Part 2)

So you’ve taken the reins, and found a construction company who wants to sign you on directly as an apprentice. Here’s five more questions to ask bosses at your apprenticeship interview.

If you haven’t already, be sure to read Part One to this article.

Disclaimer: This article is written for people who will be directly hired by their company, rather than contracted out through an apprenticeship organisation. I have always handled my own employment contracts.

1. How do you support your apprentices through their training and assessments?

Why this matters:

• You have to know if the company is able to teach you the skills that you need to sign off your paperwork.
• You should be exposed to a variety of work.
• It is common for companies to promise on-job sign offs, but end up not delivering on them. Apprentices are commonly encouraged to fake their paperwork.

Things to watch out for:

✅ Boss supports his apprentices during their studies, and tells you what kind of paper work you can get signed off at the company.

✅ There is an on-job signing system in place. Most companies have a supervisor who is responsible for signing off all the apprentices’ paperwork.

🚩 No details given, or the question is avoided. Interviewer just says that paperwork will be signed off. Quite often, this means that apprentices will be left to figure out their own learning.

Why this matters:

• You want to know how the company is doing before you join — are they currently busy and if there’s work lined up for the year ahead.
• This tells you if they’re hiring apprentices long-term. Some companies batch-hire apprentices as cheap labour, while senior tradespeople handle the real electrical work. Once a project phase ends, apprentices may be let go.

Things to watch out for:

✅ The boss should give you a clear description of the project. You’ll get a good idea of what you’ll actually be doing, and expectations are set out.

🚩 No real details are given about the project — just vague answers like “first fix” or “second fix”. It often shows that they are unsure of what is happening on the ground.

🚩 If the company can’t clearly explain what your role will involve, you might end up spending most of your time on non-electrical tasks instead of learning being trained.

3. Am I ever expected to work live or alone?

Why this matters:

• You have to ensure that you’re working along side a Tradesman. Many apprentices are ‘supervised’ on paper, but don’t actually get physically trained by a Tradesperson.
• Some companies leave their apprentices to work alone, especially if you’re on a big project – not ideal for a first year.
• Some Supervisors will pressure fresh apprentices into working live.

Things to look out for:

✅ You’ll be working along side Tradesmen – the two of you are working on the same projects, in close physical proximity. Multiple tradespeople is even better, as every tradesman has a different method of doing something.

🚩 You’ll be left alone because there are too may projects, or to ‘learn independence’ by the end of your first year. First year apprentices don’t run projects.

🚩 You should not be working on circuits live – while electricity is flowing through cables. Especially not in your first year.

4. What will I realistically be able to do by the end of my first year?

Why this matters:

• You have to know if they are interested in actually teaching you or just looking for cheap labour.
• You want to make sure your expectations are on the same page.

Things to look out for:

✅ Good learning opportunities. Bosses is aware of what’s happening on site, and talks about the boys who have made it through their apprenticeship.

✅ Expectations are set out and what you’ll be able to do by the end of the year as an apprentice.

🚩 The boss can’t give you a clear answer, other than ‘first fix’ or ‘running cable’. You have to be careful that you aren’t only doing non-electrical work, like pulling cables and cable tying.

🚩 They won’t give any specific details about what their apprentices can do, likely because they don’t know much about the team. They are just a number.

5. What do you see in a Good Apprentice?

Why this is important:

• You have to know what they prioritise in a person, and to see if it aligns with what you value.
• Their values tell you a lot about what the company cares about (e.g safety, staff wellbeing etc).

Things to look out for:

✅ When the focus is on getting the job done right, showing up to work on time, focus on enthusiasm, learning properly, and coming to work with a good attitude. Good values can’t be trained.

🚩 When the focus is on speed, clocking overtime hours and getting the work completed ‘no matter what happens’. They are usually focused on the job, not your wellbeing.

You’ve made it to the end…

Interviews are your chance to learn as much as you can about a company before committing. Ask the right questions and pay attention to how they answer. Remember, it’s not just about getting a job — it’s about finding a place where you can grow, build skills, and feel confident.