Not just an apprentice

A good psychosocial working environment can be health-promoting for the apprentices because it affects their experience of well-being and their motivation to complete the apprenticeship.

The psychosocial work environment effects the well-being, the motivation and the health of the employees. For young employees, the workplace's attitude towards the working environment can also influence their own attitude towards it, and which values they acquire. Among young workers, apprentices are a large group who are at the very beginning of their working life. This study has explored how young apprentices in the Norwegian public sector experienced the psychosocial working environment at their apprenticeship and what implication this could have for their well-being and motivation for further studies and/or working life. This has been examined qualitatively through semi-structured interviews with nine apprentices. Factors such as meaningful work tasks, the opportunity to influence their own working day, an inclusive collegial community and caring supervisors were important for the apprentices well-being and motivation for further apprenticeship. All in all, the psychosocial working environment was of great importance for both the experience of well-being and motivation to complete the apprenticeship. It may also have affected the apprentices' motivation for further studies and/or working life. They all appeared motivated for a further working life, but the the majority envisioned further studies first. The study indicated that a good psychosocial working environment at the apprenticeship can be health-promoting for the apprentices.