Apprenticeship is a hands-on training pathway for students interested in pursuing a career in the skilled trades and who enjoy learning by doing. It combines practical, on-the-job training with in-school instruction to help students develop the skills needed to succeed in a specific trade. While some training takes place in a classroom setting, the majority occurs in the workplace under the guidance of experienced tradespeople.
Ontario recognizes 150+ skilled trades, many of which offer strong earning potential and rewarding careers due to their specialized skill requirements and the ongoing learning involved.
Students working toward their Ontario Secondary School Diploma can begin exploring the skilled trades through Co-operative Education or a Specialist High Skills Major (SHSM) program. These placements provide practical, real-world experience that may count toward an apprenticeship.
The Ontario Youth Apprenticeship Program (OYAP) allows students to begin their apprenticeship journey while still in high school. Starting with a Co-op placement in a skilled trade, students can be registered as apprentices with Skilled Trades Ontario if they demonstrate commitment and aptitude in their chosen trade.
What is a skilled trade?
Over time the small scale production of goods and services was performed by craftspeople who formed a profession that acknowledged the degree of skilled work that was being completed for money. To be considered skilled in these areas a higher level of education was required both in hands on training and through a close working mentorship provided by an experienced craftsperson/mentor. A skilled trade today is a career or occupation where a provincial or territorial apprenticeship program is available where the same skills and learning is expected. Skilled trades are an integral part of the education programs youth receive in secondary and beyond. The use of technology related to the skilled trades is essential to our daily existence from the homes we build, the cars we drive to the food we produce.
Unlike other post secondary destinations, apprentices in a skilled trade can earn wages while they receive on the job training. A Certified tradesperson is someone who has registered as an apprentice, completed all of the terms of their Registered Training Agreement (RTA) and have passed the provincial Certificate of Qualification test in the trade or craft of choice.
There are more than 150 recognized skilled trades in Ontario that offer career opportunities that appeal to almost everyone.
How does a student get started?
- explore interests in courses related to technology and business in Grade 9 and 10;
- consider a cooperative education program in Grade 11 or 12;
- decide on a pathway that includes more specific learning in a sector of interest;
- speak to teachers, counselors, employers or relatives involved in a skilled trade or training program;
- research various Labour Market sources to find out where the needs are in your community; and
- identify as an OYAP participant with the Ministry of Labour, Immigrant, Training and Skills Development (MLITSD) by connecting with your schools co-op teacher or OYAP Recruiter.
What's next?
Students in Grade 12 who are continuing to work in the skilled trades can take the next step and register as an OYAP apprentice while still in secondary school. Registration is the next step in the MLITSD process where the coop employer commits to signing a Registered Training Agreement allowing the hours of on-the-job training to be counted towards apprenticeship while still in secondary. Depending on each student's co-op experiences, the time spent while on the job could reduce the overall time needed to complete the apprenticeship training, which is usually three to five years to be registered as an OYAP apprentice while in secondary school, the student has to work with an employer (co-op) who is willing to sign a training contract that must be verified by Skilled Trades Ontario (STO).