Building Confidence, Connection and Craft: Why mentoring matters more than ever
This National Mentoring Day, the Institute of Carpenters (IOC) and National Association of Shopfitters (NAS) are celebrating the craft within the craft, the passing on of skill, care and pride from one generation to the next: mentoring.
It all started with IOC’s Mentoring Champions – a CITB-funded pilot that paired 30 seasoned pros with around 50 carpentry and joinery students across ten IOC colleges. The brief was simple: could mentoring actually make a measurable difference?
Turns out, it could. Confidence shot up. Communication sharpened. Career paths appeared out of the fog. Colleges built stronger links with employers. Employers met young people who were switched on, self-aware and ready to contribute. And the mentors? They rediscovered the quiet joy of passing on their craft, that spark you only get when someone gets it.
That pilot is growing into Wood/Work, a new IOC and NAS collaboration supporting every participating carpentry student taking that step from learning to earning. It mixes mentoring, membership and mobile learning. Think hands-on guidance, peer networks, and bite-sized lessons like What to Expect on Your First Day at Work and Understanding Site Culture.
It’s already landing well, with early adopter colleges including West Suffolk College connecting apprentices to Wood/Work and its mentors, helping them step confidently into working life and feel part of the wider craft community.
Why does this matter? Because this industry doesn’t simply need more people; it needs people who stay. Retention starts with belonging, and belonging starts with someone saying, “I’ve got you.” Mentoring is how we keep skills alive. It’s how carpentry and joinery can lead the way in meeting the UK’s growing demand for skilled, confident professionals. This is transformation, one conversation at a time.
So, this National Mentoring Day, IOC and NAS are putting out the call: more mentors, more college partners, more employers ready to give an hour that could change a lifetime.
Fancy being part of it? Head to www.wood-work.co.uk and get involved. Because mentoring builds confidence, connection, and a future worth sticking around for.