Short answer: Onboarding is your employer’s and your program’s job, and so is explaining it so you understand. Ask them to say it another way, show you, or go slower. Write down what you hear in your own words, and read it back to the person who told you. If you are in a registered apprenticeship, ask someone to walk you through your apprenticeship agreement line by line.
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Tsai Electro is an independent learning site. Not affiliated with TDLR, OSHA, the Department of Labor or any apprenticeship program.
Who explains onboarding
Ask your employer to explain your job duties and provide the required site safety orientation and training. Ask questions until you understand what you are expected to do. If you are in a registered apprenticeship, ask your program who can explain your classes and apprenticeship agreement. Apprenticeship.gov describes Registered Apprenticeship as a paid job combined with on-the-job learning and related classroom instruction. Both sides should tell you how their part works.
For safety training, OSHA states it plainly. Among the rights it lists for workers: receive workplace safety and health training in a language you understand. Site safety orientation has its own page, linked at the bottom of this one.
For the license, papers, starter tools and the daily hours log, use the first-week checklist. This page is about understanding what you are told.
What onboarding usually covers
Use these topics to organize your questions during onboarding. Your employer and program will explain which ones apply to you. Use the list to know what to listen for.
| Topic | What to make sure you understand |
|---|---|
| Your supervisor | Who you report to each day, and who to call if you are late or sick |
| Pay and hours | How hours are tracked, when you get paid, and what counts as overtime |
| Your agreement | What you signed, how long it lasts, and how your pay steps up |
| Classes | Days, times, place, and what happens if you miss one |
| Safety | Site rules, required gear, and who to tell about a hazard |
| Tools and gear | What the company gives you and what you bring |
Your apprenticeship agreement, in plain words
If you are in a registered apprenticeship, federal rules list what the agreement must include, directly or by reference (29 CFR 29.7). Read yours with someone from the program. The table puts each part into plain words.
| In the agreement | What it means for you |
|---|---|
| The occupation, start date and term | The job you are training for, when you started, and how long the apprenticeship lasts |
| On-the-job learning | The required on-the-job learning hours, skill sets, or a combination of both, depending on how the registered program measures progress. |
| Related technical instruction | Class hours. The rule recommends at least 144 hours a year |
| Schedule of work processes | The kinds of work you should rotate through, with rough time for each |
| Graduated wage scale | How your pay rises as you progress, and whether class time is paid |
| Probationary period | A specified period when either party may cancel the agreement, with written notice to the registration agency. |
| Contact information | How to reach the program sponsor and the registration agency |
| Complaints | Who handles a dispute that cannot be settled locally |
If you do not have a registered apprenticeship agreement, ask your employer what written information explains your training, pay and expectations.
How to ask for a plain explanation
Asking is normal. These lines work on any jobsite:
- “Can you say that another way? I want to get it right.”
- “Can you show me once while I watch?”
- “What does that word mean here?”
- “Let me repeat it back to you. Tell me if I miss anything.”
- “Is there a copy of this in Spanish?” (or your language)
Repeating instructions in your own words gives the other person a chance to correct anything you misunderstood before you begin.
If English is not your first language, say so early. Ask whether a coworker who speaks your language can go over the key points with you, and whether written papers come in your language.
What to write down
Keep a small notebook or a note on your phone. For each new thing, write four lines:
- The date and who told you.
- The word or rule, exactly as they said it.
- What it means, in your own words.
- Anything still unclear, to ask tomorrow.
Look up new words at night. Bring the unclear ones back to your supervisor or program coordinator. Write down questions as they come up, and ask your supervisor or program coordinator when you need an explanation.
Check what you have understood
Onboarding: can you explain it?
Tick a line only if you could explain it to a friend in your own words. Your answers stay in this browser.
- Who my supervisor is and how to reach them
- Who to call if I am late or sick
- How my hours are tracked and when I get paid
- What my apprenticeship agreement or company plan says about my pay steps
- How long my probationary period is, if I have one
- My class days, times and place
- What happens if I miss a class
- The site safety rules I was given and who to tell about a hazard
- What gear the company gives me and what I bring
- Who to ask when I do not understand something
When something still does not make sense
Go back to the person who explained it, or to your program coordinator. Say which part is unclear and what you think it means. If you do not understand a safety instruction, do not start the task. Ask your supervisor to explain it and provide any required training before you proceed. This page and its checklist do not replace your employer’s site safety orientation or required training.
Working toward the journeyman exam? The Texas Journeyman Electrician Exam Practice Pack is for apprentices preparing for the journeyman exam. It is built on the PSI two-part exam format and the 2026 NEC, with 1,000 practice questions, 10 timed two-part mock exams each scored against 70%, step-by-step solutions for the calculations, a list of code-book locations ranked by how many questions in this pack cite each one, and a printable workbook. US$39, one payment, 30-day refund if unused. It does not explain your company’s onboarding; your employer and program do that. Want to try first? Take the free 70-question practice set.
Who is supposed to explain my onboarding?
Your employer for the job, and your apprenticeship program for classes and your agreement. Ask them; it is part of their work.
Can I get safety training in my own language?
OSHA lists, among workers’ rights, receiving workplace safety and health training in a language you understand. Tell your supervisor early which language works best for you.
What is in an apprenticeship agreement?
For a registered apprenticeship, 29 CFR 29.7 lists items such as the occupation, term, on-the-job learning, class hours, a wage scale, a probationary period and contact details for the sponsor and registration agency.
Is it bad to ask the same question twice?
No. Repeat what you heard back to the person and ask them to correct you. That is faster and safer than guessing.
