Hiring and training apprentices
Apprentices are the cheapest long-term labor strategy most shops never commit to.
Hire for character, train for skill
Show up on time, follow directions, ask questions: those are the traits to screen for. The trade can be taught. The work ethic can't.
Pair them with your best, not your most available
Whoever the apprentice shadows for the first 90 days shapes them for years. Pick the mentor on purpose.
Pay a path, not just an hourly
A written ladder from apprentice to journeyman to lead, with raises tied to milestones, is the retention strategy. Vague 'we'll see' loses good apprentices fast.
Take your version of this question further
This is one operator-tested angle on the question. Your shop, your size, your trade, and your team change the answer. Ask your specific version inside Ask a Shop Owner to get a response grounded in how owners like you actually handled it.