Didn't say what the apprenticship was in... If its the com side, I would figure static being an issue. Some people are neurotic about static, although I don't see steel toes being an issue with it either.

Don't forget to ask what the reasoning is for this.

Personaly I wear steel toed sneakers. Doc Martin's, simular to these, but no laced slip-ons. [Linked Image from wildfree.com]

Mark Heller
"Well - I oughta....." -Jackie Gleason