There are more than 150 designated apprenticeship opportunities in Ontario in four (4) sectors – Construction, Industrial/Manufacturing, Service, and Motive Power. Some of these apprenticeships are Restricted/Compulsory, which means an individual must go through an Apprenticeship program to be a licensed practitioner journeyperson. Other apprenticeships are Unrestricted/Voluntary, which means that an individual’s other options to access employment opportunities in their field of choice. The Apprenticeship program is an excellent opportunity to get an education in a high-demand career while on-the-job and earning an income! This program is excellent for hands-on learners as 80-90% of learning is on the job, only 10-20% is classroom learning. For the Red Seal trades an individual may apply to write an interprovincial examination which, if successful, will receive a Red Seal Endorsement that allows this individual to work anywhere within Canada without having to write further exams. Each industry built their program; therefore each industry recognizes graduates of their program. This form of post-secondary education also offers a job immediately upon completion of the program as the employer that the apprenticeship was with will want to keep his newly licensed journeyperson. There is a skills shortage fast approaching, now is the time to ACT!

There are many financial incentives that are available to Apprentices. To learn more about these grants click on the Apprenticeship Grant link below. Did you know that in addition to these grants, you can also apply for employment insurance benefits during your technical in-school training?