Apprenticeships and the Kingdom of God

One of the most underrated means of practical education and long-term economic success in the world, and in the kingdom of God, is the use of apprenticeships as the means of training up young men.

In this article we’ll look at how a couple of Christian business owners in the town that I live in are using apprenticeships as the means of recruiting young Christian men to their businesses; providing them with the trading and education in exchange for a multi-year commitment to work in the business. It’s a win/win for the businesses and the young men.

How it works

Both businesses owned by Christians referred to in this article are electric companies. That field lends itself well to the apprenticeship recruiting and training model.

First, the business owners go to the same church as the young men they’re recruiting, and so have a good idea of their character and their potential to help the business.

One thing to keep in mind when considering apprenticeships, is they shouldn’t be considered some type of means to rehabilitate someone that has enormous problems. It may sound good when thinking about it, but the truth is it would not only set up the recruit for failure, but would be hard on the company as well. You want to recruit individuals that have the potential for success and a good attitude.

As for the process, what the business owners do is approach a young man and offer them on-the-job training, as well as send them to school to learn the foundations of the discipline.

In return, the recruit commits to working with the company for a set period of time.

Benefits for all

What this does is provide a young man with the potential to have a lifetime job that pays very well, and the business business with an employee that will hopefully be reliable for many years.

And even if something happens to the business, the worker will have a skill that can be used anywhere he lives.

On the spiritual side – which is part of the motivation for the apprentice programs the business owners initiated – is that the young men can work in an atmosphere that is wholesome and beneficial to their faith in Jesus Christ.

My thought on that is that is why it’s helpful for the business owner and recruit to go to the same church together. It doesn’t have to be that way to be successful, but it makes it easier on the spiritual side of things for all parties involved.

Conclusion

Apprenticeships are an excellent option for training for a good paying job, and when offered by businesses owned by Christians, can have multiple benefits for everyone involved – both financially and spiritually.

The young men can be trained without going into debt, or at least very minimal debt, and business owners, because they know the young men well, can get the benefit of a trusted and loyal employee over the long term.

This is something churches should seriously think about in an age when Christians are under attack for what they believe, think, and say. This is one key way to make them antifragile to the whims of their enemies, which don’t mind engaging in tactics to disemploy Christians who live and speak their faith.