SKILLS CONNECT
Apprenticeship Training
"The skills you learn can lead to so many different opportunities such as working for a wide range of employers, being your own boss, estimating the cost of projects, or teaching."- Ruhi, apprentice construction and maintenance electrician
Apprenticeship is hands-on training for people who enjoy learning by doing. The training provides access to well-paying jobs that demand a high level of skills, judgement and creativity. Apprentices are paid while gaining work experience, and their wages increase with their level of skills.
About 90 per cent of apprenticeship training is provided in the workplace by employers or sponsors who provide training to standards of skill and safety set by industry. The remainder involves classroom instruction on theory, which is usually given at a local community college or provided by another approved training organization.
To become an apprentice, you must find an employer who is willing to train. Employers often rely on word of mouth to attract apprentice applicants. People who want to become apprentices usually apply directly to an employer, union, or local apprenticing committee.
After being hired, many apprentices will, because of their skills, be asked to train new apprentices, or will find opportunities to manage operations, start their own businesses, or use their experience as a base for technological or engineering studies at a college or university.
Employment Ontario Hotline
- Toll-free Hotline: 1-800-387-5656
- TTY (telephone service for the deaf) 1-866-768-1157
