Iron apprentice
While Cybertronians don't have have the same biological relationships humans do between parent and child, they still create bonds that are just as meaningful. An Iron Apprentice is taken on by an older Cybertronian, to teach them, train them, and keep them by their side. While just two bots at first, it forms the beginning of a clan, the Cybertronian equivalent of a family.
Fiction
Energon Universe
Iron Aprentices were an important part of Cybertronian society, forming the beginning of clans and creating close relationships between Transformers. Arcee was apprenticed to Ultra Magnus, and would then take on Carly as an Apprentice, the first non-Cybertronian to do so. Transformers #8