Apprenticeship
Apprenticeship is a combination of on-the-job training and classroom instruction.
There are over 140 apprenticeable occupations in Ontario.
There are a number of different paths to finding an apprenticeship in Ontario. Most people follow the traditional route of finding an employer who will do the training, many people are pursuing the options described below.
- Traditional Route - The individual looking for an apprenticeship is responsible for finding an employer who will hire him or her and sponsor him or her for an apprenticeship. The employer and the apprentice register with the Ontario Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities Apprenticeship Office, sign a Contract of Apprenticeship and the official apprenticeship training period begins. http://www.tradeability.ca/assets/ListofApprenticeableTrades.pdf
- Ontario Youth Apprenticeship Program - While still in secondary school, young people with the help of their OYAP coordinator, register as apprentices. These students complete a co-operative work placement in a skilled trade at the same time they are receiving credit for the skills they are developing and demonstrating to their employer. A successful OYAP placement can even lead to paid employment and continuation of the apprenticeship after graduation. Interested students should talk to a guidance counsellor or co-op teacher at their secondary school.
- College Route - Many Ontario Colleges of Applied Arts and Technology offer diploma programs related to skilled trades. These programs require a high school diploma and can take two or three years to complete. A college graduate with a diploma in a skilled trade may be successful in finding an employer willing to register him/her as an apprentice.
Useful websites: