---
name: design-apprenticeship-transfer
description: "Design apprenticeship and mentor-led transfer for tacit skills through shared work, observation rubrics, and transfer tests. Use when the user wants to build onboarding, pair practice, or expert-to-novice transmission."
---
# Design Apprenticeship Transfer

Core judgment: tacit knowledge transfers through shared practice before it transfers through explanation.

## Use When

- The user wants to build onboarding for judgment-heavy work
- A mentor, lead, clinician, or senior operator needs to train a novice
- Pairing exists, but improvement is inconsistent or impossible to evaluate

## Use a Real Task

Pick a live task or a realistic simulation with stakes, constraints, and visible output.

Do not anchor the apprenticeship around passive watching alone.

## Workflow

### 1. Build the Progression

Use this sequence:

1. observe the expert on a real task
2. shadow with commentary at key decision points
3. assign partial ownership
4. assign independent execution
5. run a transfer test on a new case

### 2. Score What Matters

Evaluate:

- cue recognition
- decision quality
- handling of uncertainty
- escalation timing
- ability to transfer to a new case

If you need a format, read `references/pairing-rubric-template.md`.

### 3. Keep Feedback Local

Feedback should point to specific missed cues, weak decisions, or premature confidence.

Avoid vague comments like "needs more judgment."

## Output

Return:

- apprenticeship plan
- stage progression
- observation rubric
- transfer test
- pass or fail criteria

## Do Not

- confuse exposure with learning
- score only polish or confidence
- call it complete before a new-case transfer test