Flogging Apprentices Out of Artisanship: Matters Arising

This piece is not an attempt to repeat what you may already have seen in conventional media reports about the declining number of apprentices in informal vocational training.

Rather, it is to draw your attention to what should concern you as an end user of essential service providers like auto mechanics, plumbers, barbers, tailors, painters, welders, electricians, and other skilled trades.

You may need to start preparing for a future where you pay significantly more for these services, comparable to what people abroad already pay.

This is a simple case of demand and supply. As fewer young people enter these vocations, scarcity will emerge. And when supply drops while demand remains, prices will rise.

Yes, formally trained technicians and graduates of technical schools may step in to fill the gap but not at the low rates you are used to paying today.

So, what is driving this declining interest among young people?

You might point to factors such as poor work ethic, the desire for quick money, declining respect for skilled labour, economic pressures, weak apprenticeship systems, or the lure of technology-driven alternatives. These are all valid.

However, there is a silent issue we must confront: poor leadership habits within the traditional apprenticeship system.

For decades, many apprenticeship environments have been marked by troubling practices:
* Tortuous physical punishment in the name of discipline
* Dehumanising treatment
* Exploitation and extortion
* Emotional and psychological hurt

These practices have become normalised, passed down as part of the system itself.

While some may argue that this is not the primary cause of declining interest, it is undeniably a significant underlying factor. Young people are no longer willing to endure what previous generations tolerated. And they shouldn’t have to.

From a habits and mastery perspective, leadership behaviour (good or bad) compounds over time. When negative habits dominate a system, they gradually erode trust, dignity, and long-term sustainability.

Impact Assessment:
The signs are already visible.
Fewer young people are entering these trades. It is increasingly common to visit a workshop and find no apprentice present. Service providers now frequently say, “I have no apprentice.”

What we are witnessing is a quiet but dangerous crisis. It may not dominate headlines like politics or trend like entertainment, but its implications are far-reaching. The gradual disappearance of artisans is real and the consequences will eventually reach every household.

Like an auctioneer’s final call “Going, going, gone!” this system may fade before we fully grasp what we’ve lost.

What Must Be Done
There must be a deliberate effort to rebuild trust in the apprenticeship system. This includes:
* Introducing basic standards for humane treatment
* Promoting emotional intelligence and people management among master artisans
* Establishing oversight or regulatory guidance where necessary
* Providing structured incentives and dignity for learners

Artisans are critical to economic stability and everyday living. If the current generation of master craftsmen retires without willing successors, the cost will be borne by all of us. The time to act is now.

Enjoy the rest of your week as you Mind Your Character.

I’m Bosede Olusola-Obasa,
Character Development Trainer | Trust Culture Strategist | Best Workplace Attitudes Advisor