Apprenticeships are a form of post-secondary education offering hands-on experience in your skilled trade. They combine paid on-the-job training and classroom education, leading to a trade credential or “ticket.” Typically, apprenticeships involve choosing a trade, finding an employer, becoming registered, and completing your in-class learning and on-the-job hourly requirements.
Quick look
- Apprenticeships are a form of post-secondary education that combines paid hands-on experience in your skilled trade and in-class job-specific learning.
- Most apprenticeships take two to five years to complete.
- Applying for an apprenticeship allows you to get hands-on experience while getting paid and almost guarantees a job upon completion.
- Applying for an apprenticeship in Canada and the US involves finding a trade and apprenticeship opportunity, securing an employee sponsor, and completing your hours.
What is an apprenticeship?
An apprenticeship is a type of post-secondary education that combines in-class learning with hands-on experience in the workplace. Once you have completed both the in-class and on-the-job training, you can apply for your certificate of qualification or your “ticket.”
Most trades offer a combination of work and study. Students will work for a year or complete a specified number of hours, then go back to school to study for eight to twelve weeks (full-time or part-time) and repeat until the apprenticeship is completed. About 80% of your time is spent on the job and 20% in technical in-class learning.
In most cases, it takes between two to five years to complete an apprenticeship.
The lowdown: As an apprentice, you learn the skilled trade of your choice by mentoring experienced workers—and you get paid to do it.
Why become an apprentice?
Being hired for a job with little to no experience is virtually impossible, especially in the skilled trades. How do you get around that? Apprenticeships.
Skilled workers are in high demand. With hundreds of careers, there’s a skilled trade for every interest and aptitude. A good work ethic, a positive attitude, a willingness to learn, and a Certificate of Qualification almost guarantee a job upon completing an apprenticeship.
Enrolling in an apprenticeship program and learning a trade also allows students to ‘earn as they learn.’ Rather than accruing student debt throughout a university program, apprenticeships can help students decrease debt during their post-secondary education.
How to secure an apprenticeship: A step-by-step guide
Finding an apprenticeship in Canada
1. Choose a trade
With more than 300 designated trades in Canada, career paths in the skilled trades are full of potential. Of these trades, 54 can have a Red Seal Trade designation.
Typically, skilled tradespeople work in one of the following sectors:
- Construction
- Transportation
- Manufacturing and Industrial
- Services
- Information and digital technology
You can learn more about in-demand skilled trades across Canada broken down by province by visiting the Government of Canada’s website.
2. Find apprenticeship opportunities
Once you’ve picked the trade you want to get into, it’s time to find potential apprenticeships to apply for. Here are some places to start looking for apprenticeships:
3. Find an employer
Depending on your educational institution, you may be given an apprenticeship opportunity or have to find one independently. If you attend trades school, they may help you find opportunities for an apprenticeship; if you don’t, you’ll need to find and apply to one on your own.
Once you find an apprenticeship opportunity, you must find an employer to sponsor you. When this happens, your employer agrees to provide you with on-the-job training. At this stage, you are entering into an agreement with your employer.
Note: Apprenticeships in Quebec work a bit differently. You will be required to attend an in-class training session at a CEGEP, college, or training institution before you can complete on-the-job training with an employer.
4. Register your agreement
Registering your apprenticeship is important to ensure your work hours are valid. You can register your training agreement with your provincial or territorial apprenticeship authority.
Here’s where you can start for each province:
5. Apply for financial aid (if you need it)
Tuition fees can be steep. If you need financial assistance for your apprenticeship, here are some options:
- Apprenticeship Incentive Grant: Offers up to $2,000 total per person to help apprentices cover the costs of continuing a career in the skilled trades.
- Apprenticeship Completion Grant: Offers $2,000 total per person to help apprentices after they have completed their apprenticeship training.
- Canada Apprentice Loan: Offers up to $4,000 in interest-free loans per period of technical training.
- Tax deductions and credits for apprentices and tradespersons: Tax credits and incentives that apprentices can benefit from.
6. Work, learn, and earn
Now that you’ve secured an apprenticeship and are registered with your province, it’s time to start working and earning! Most apprenticeships take two to five years to complete, depending on your trade and the hour requirement.
7. Become certified
Congratulations! Once you’ve completed your in-class learning and on-the-job training, you can apply for your journeyperson certification. This certification is also called a certificate of qualification or your “ticket.”
Note: If you’re completing your apprenticeship in a Red Seal trade—doing so allows you to work anywhere in Canada—you will need to complete a Red Seal Examination. You can find all the information you need about studying and writing your exam on the Red Seal website.
Finding an apprenticeship in the United States
1. Choose a trade
The United States has hundreds of designated trades, most offering apprenticeship opportunities. According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, some skilled trades require an apprenticeship to enter. These include:
- Boilermakers
- Carpenters
- Electricians
- Elevator installers and repairers
- Glaziers
- Insulation workers, mechanical
- Ironworkers
- Masonry workers
- Millwrights
- Musical instrument repairers and tuners
- Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters
- Sheet metal workers
2. Find apprenticeship opportunities
Once you’ve found a trade that interests you, you’ll need to look for potential apprenticeships to apply for. Here are some places to start looking for apprenticeships:
- ApprenticeshipUSA Job Finder
- CareerOneStop American Job Center Finder
- Indeed – Paid Apprenticeship Search
3. Find an employer
The minimum starting age for registered apprenticeships in the United States is 16—but in certain occupations, the minimum age is 18.
Once you find an apprenticeship, you’ll need to ensure you meet the qualifications before finding an employer—qualifications vary by apprenticeship program. Finding an employer involves entering into an agreement whereby the employer agrees to provide you with on-the-job training.
4. Register your agreement
To legitimize your apprenticeship, you’ll need to register with the state.
There are two types of entities responsible for registering and overseeing Registered Apprenticeship Programs (RAPs):
- U.S. Department of Labor’s (DOL) Office of Apprenticeship (OA) a
- State Apprenticeship Agencies (SAA)
You can find a list of national, regional, or state apprenticeship offices on the ApprenticeshipUSA website. Contact your local office to ask about how to register as an apprentice.
5. Apply for financial aid (if you need it)
There are still fees that apply to apprenticeships, and for people who need financial aid, now is the time to secure it. This financial support may help cover the cost of tuition, fees, books, supplies, and other required class materials.
Some employers and apprenticeship sponsors work with local educational institutions to ensure their apprenticeship programs are applicable with the following sources of financial assistance:
- Federal Pell Grants
- State Tuition Support (contact your state agency or Apprenticeship.gov to find out if your state qualifies)
- Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF)—May be applicable only if your apprenticeship training or program was affected by the COVID-19 pandemic
- GI Bill Benefits
6. Work, learn, and earn
Now that you’ve secured an apprenticeship in the skilled trade of your choice and registered with your state, it’s time to start working and earning! Most apprenticeships take two to five years to complete, depending on your trade and the hour requirement.
7. Become certified
Congratulations! Once you complete your apprenticeship program, the Department of Labor’s Office of Apprenticeship or your local State Apprenticeship Agency will provide you with a nationally recognized certificate of completion.