Apprenticeships are paid jobs that provide hands-on training programs for people who want to work in a skilled trade and who enjoy learning by doing.
About Apprenticeships outlines the process of becoming an apprentice, provides detailed information on all types of apprenticeships and tells you how you can prepare for an apprenticeship during your years in high school.
There are four main pathways to an apprenticeship.
- Enrol in an Ontario Youth Apprenticeship Program (OYAP).
- Find a qualified employer who will hire you as an apprentice - See After Secondary School below.
- Take a pre-apprenticeship program offered through many colleges as well as unions and trade associations
- Enter a Co-op (College) Diploma Apprenticeship Program.
Although an apprenticeship is a paid job there are some expenses, such as:
- Registration fee (waived for OYAP students)
- Tools of the trade
- Tuition for the in-school sessions (usually at a college) that are a compulsory part of your apprenticeship.