It is August, which means the “back-to-school” energy is in the air. For Mississippi apprentices, this often marks the beginning of a new semester of Related Technical Instruction (RTI) at a local community college or training center.
When you are exhausted from working a full shift, going to class at night can feel like an entirely separate, disconnected chore. It is easy to compartmentalize your life: “Work is where I use my hands, and school is where I pass tests.”
But keeping those two worlds separate is a massive mistake.
The most successful apprentices are “scholar-workers.” They understand that the classroom and the job site are two halves of the exact same puzzle. Here is how to bridge the gap between your RTI and your On-the-Job Training (OJT) this semester.
1. The Classroom Teaches the “Why,” the Job Teaches the “How”
On a busy job site, your mentor usually only has time to teach you how to do something. (“Push this button, turn this valve, enter this code.”) They don’t always have time to explain the physics, math, or logic behind it.
The Strategy: Look for the connections. When you are sitting in class learning about electrical theory, fluid dynamics, or anatomy, actively think about the tasks you did that morning. The classroom provides the “why” behind the “how.” When you understand the underlying theory of your trade, you stop being a robot just following instructions, and you start becoming a problem-solver who can troubleshoot when things go wrong.
2. Bring Your Job Site Problems to Class
Your community college instructors are often industry veterans who have seen it all. They are an incredible, untapped resource for your daily work.
The Strategy: Use your instructors as consultants. If you are struggling to master a specific technique on the job, or if your crew ran into a complex problem earlier in the week, raise your hand in class.
“Professor, we had a machine fault out on the floor yesterday because of a pressure drop, and the standard reset didn’t work. Based on what we are reading in chapter four, how would you have approached that?”
Bringing real-world context into the classroom makes the textbook material infinitely more interesting to learn.
3. Bring Your Classroom Theory to the Job Site
Just as you should bring work problems to school, you should bring school concepts to work.
The Strategy: Ask your mentor for a real-world demonstration. If you just spent Tuesday night learning about a new diagnostic software, blueprint reading technique, or safety regulation, mention it to your mentor on Wednesday morning.
“Hey boss, we just covered the new lockout/tagout standards in my RTI class last night. Can we walk through how our facility specifically implements that on the main line?”
This shows your employer that you are actively engaged in your education and looking for ways to apply it immediately to their business.
Navigator’s Note: Don’t sleep on your classmates! The other apprentices in your RTI classes are working for different companies across the region. Talking to them about how their job sites operate is one of the best ways to broaden your understanding of the industry.
The Bottom Line
You are not just a student, and you are not just a worker. You are an apprentice. By actively connecting the theory you learn in the classroom to the physical work you do on the floor, you will accelerate your mastery and get the absolute most out of your training. Have a great fall semester!
Note: The Mississippi Apprenticeship Program (MAP) helps companies build training programs, but we do not hire apprentices directly. Looking for an open apprenticeship? Contact your local community college workforce division, visit your local WIN Job Center, or search at apprenticeship.gov.