2. An overview of the apprenticeship training system in Canada

View the most recent version.

Registered apprenticeship training is well-established in Canada. All provinces and territories require, as part of the training programs, periods of in-class and on-the-job training over the designated length of the apprenticeship program. In most provinces and territories, the in-class and on-the-job training are taken together each year of the program, but in separate sessions during the year. Only in Quebec is all the technical in-class training completed prior to beginning the required period of on-the-job training.

The length of apprenticeship training in each trade depends on the province or territory and, in most cases, is two to five periods in length (either years or levels depending on the province and territory). The in-class technical training over these years is anywhere from 4 to 12 weeks each year, again depending on the jurisdiction, and can be taken in full-time blocks or as modular, part-time evening or weekend courses. The actual elapsed time taken by some individuals to complete their apprenticeship training can be considerably longer than the standard program length.

Upon completion of the in-class and on-the-job training portions of the program, the apprentice is eligible to write an examination and, if successful, is given a Certificate of Apprenticeship and a Certificate of Qualification, allowing them to become a certified Journeyperson. A certified Journeyperson is recognized as a qualified and skilled person in a trade and is entitled to the wages and benefits associated with that credential. Journeypersons are allowed to train and act as mentors to registered apprentices.

In order to become a registered apprentice, most provinces and territories require the individual to be a minimum age of 16 and again, depending on the jurisdiction and trade, to have successfully completed grade 12 or have an equivalent amount of work experience and related education. The prospective apprentice must then find an employer who is willing to provide the required training and who employs qualified journeypersons to train and mentor the apprentice. The apprentice and the employer sign an agreement that outlines the terms of the apprenticeship; this contract is registered with and administered by the apprenticeship branch of the respective province or territory.

Registered apprenticeship training in a trade can be either compulsory or voluntary, depending on the regulations of each province or territory. If a compulsory trade, work is restricted to individuals who must be either a journeyperson with a Certificate of Qualification or a registered apprentice receiving training. In voluntary trades, persons working in the trade are not required to be a licensed journeyperson or a registered apprentice; however, the trade is regulated by the province or territory and formal apprenticeship training is available.

Certain trades across Canada have been recognized as Interprovincial Standards Red Seal trades. The Red Seal Program is based on nationally accepted national occupation standards and inter-provincial examinations. Upon successful completion of the Red Seal exam, a journeyperson will receive the Red Seal endorsement and may work anywhere in Canada where the trade is Red Seal designated without having to be recertified. There are currently 49 Red Seal trades in Canada.