Apprenticeships

Looking for an apprenticeship?

An apprenticeship is hands-on training for people who enjoy learning by doing. Apprentices are paid while gaining work experience, and their wages increase with their level of skills.

What is an apprentice?

An apprentice is someone who learns a skilled trade on the job, under the direction of more experienced workers. Apprentices also complete classroom instruction as a part of their training. Apprentices are employees and earn a salary while they learn a skilled trade.

Why would I want to become an apprentice?

Skilled workers are in high demand in many industries. Becoming an apprentice can be an important first step to learning new skills and building a rewarding career. Jobs in the skilled trades pay well and are interesting and challenging. Plus, you can earn while you learn.

How do I become an apprentice?

Visit the YMCA Employment Services to help connect you with local employers and on the job training experience. We will also help guide you in the direction best suited to meet your apprenticeship goals.

What's involved in the registration process for an apprenticeship?

Choosing any career is a combination of matching your skills and interests to job opportunities. In Ontario, there are more than 140 skilled trades, ranging from auto mechanics to carpentry and from chefs to welders.

Does the government provide any support or incentives to me as an apprentice?

The government provides several supports that may help you:

If you're still in high school, you may be interested in the Ontario Youth Apprenticeship Program.
At the college level, there's the Co-op Diploma Apprenticeship Program.
If you've left high school before graduation, you may want to consider Pre-Apprenticeship Training or Apprenticeship Scholarships. Academic upgrading is available.

How can YMCA Employment Services help me?

YMCA Employment Services can help you through this process, by providing up to date information on where to get on the job training,in-class training and the relevant experience you need to achieve your goals!

Apprenticeship Grants

Apprentices can receive grants to pay tuition, travel, tools, or other expenses through the Apprenticeship Incentive Grant and the Apprenticeship Completion Grant.

http://www.servicecanada.gc.ca/eng/goc/apprenticeship/index.shtml

Apprenticeship Scholarship

Apprenticeship Scholarship may be right for you if you have left school before completing the necessary academic requirements for registering in a trade, are committed to achieving the necessary academic requirements within one year and demonstrate an interest in the skilled trades. A young person participating in the program will receive a scholarship if they complete academic upgrading, are employed and register as an apprentice after the one year period has ended.

http://www.tcu.gov.on.ca/eng/apprentices/app_schol.html

Loans for Tools

Loans for tools is available to newly registered apprentices. To apply for a loan, apprentices should complete in full the loans agreement contained in the information package sent automatically to each newly registered apprentice.

http://www.tcu.gov.on.ca/eng/training/apprenticeship/loantool.html

Employer Benefits of Apprenticeship

Apprenticeship programs offer many unique benefits to employers:

Participating in an apprenticeship program ensures you will have an employee who is not only trained to provincial industry standards but also understands your unique workplace conditions.
Apprenticeship training allows you to benefit from the government-supported in-class training portion of the program while supporting your future workforce needs and those of your industry.
An apprenticeship program allows you to have a pool of experienced employees of different ages within your company. As an employer, you will be better able to plan to meet future workforce needs due to expansion plans or the retirement of older tradespersons.
A survey of apprentices found that participants developed a loyalty to the company that hired them, which leads to a more stable workforce.

http://www.tcu.gov.on.ca/eng/employmentontario/employers/apprenticeship.html

Apprenticeship Completion Employer Bonus

A taxable cash grant to Employers for each apprentice they hire and train that has completed his or her apprenticeship and received a Certificate of Apprenticeship and, where applicable, a Certificate of Qualification.

http://www.tcu.gov.on.ca/eng/employmentontario/employers/appr_completion.html

Tax Credit

The ATTC is a refundable tax credit provided to corporations and unincorporated businesses employing apprentices in certain skilled trades. This credit allows qualifying businesses to claim a percentage of eligible expenditures made during the first 48 months of an apprenticeship program.

http://www.tcu.gov.on.ca/eng/employers/taxcredit.html

Please talk to us to find out if your trade is eligible.

Employer Signing Bonus

The Employment Signing Bonus encourages employers in the trades to register new apprentices in sectors where there is a high demand for skilled workers. This bonus is delivered in two equal payments to eligible employers.

http://www.tcu.gov.on.ca/eng/employers/emp_bonus.html