Apprenticeship

What is an apprenticeship?

As an apprentice, you learn a skilled trade on the job. You work with and learn from experienced workers, and get paid while you do it.

You also learn in a classroom from instructors who know the trade. This may take place on a college campus or in a union training centre.

For most trades, you work for a year and then switch to studying in class for eight to 12 weeks, either full or part-time. It takes between two to five years to complete an apprenticeship.

To learn more and find out how you qualify to be an apprentice in a skilled trade, visit: https://www.ontario.ca/page/start-apprenticeship

What trades can I learn?

Trades fall into the following sectors:

View the full list of designated trades.

Search trades-related job profiles to see what’s in demand, how much you can earn, education requirements and more.

I'm interested! What do I do?

Talk to your teachers and guidance counsellors to help you:

find an Ontario Youth Apprenticeship Program (OYAP) Cooperative Education placement
take courses that match your career goals
start your journey into the skilled trades through the Specialist High Skills Majors and dual credit programs

What is OYAP?

OYAP is a high school program that allows you to try a huge variety of apprenticeship-based careers in skilled trades, starting in Grade 11 or Grade 12 through the Cooperative Education program.

To learn more, check out the website:

Ontario Youth Apprenticeship Program

Ontario Youth Apprenticeship Program (OYAP) - Focused Apprenticeship Skills Training (FAST) &

SHSM - Cooperative Education Considerations

As of September 2025, high school students will have the opportunity to engage with the Ministry’s new OYAP Focused Apprenticeship Skills Training (FAST) program. OYAP-FAST is an accelerated pathway for Grades 11 and 12 students which will allow them to gain valuable apprenticeship experience that will be recognized by the Ministry of Education and industry partners. It allows students to earn 8 to 11 cooperative education credits with a focus on placements in the skilled trades, leading to faster apprenticeship registration and a designated seal on their Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD).

Registration Requirements

To participate in OYAP-FAST, students must:

● Meet the OYAP eligibility requirements:

○ Be in an OSSD pathway;

○ Be at least 15 years of age;

○ Have already earned 14 credits;

● Complete the parent/guardian Laserfiche consent form to participate in OYAP-FAST. This must be filed in the student’s Ontario Student Record (OSR)

● Be flagged in Aspen (Note: This will be a change made in Aspen prior to September 2025)

OYAP FAST Program and SHSM Co-op Considerations 1

An OYAP-FAST expression of interest code has been added in Xello Course Planner to help inform student pathway planning. This option is centrally turned on, and schools are asked to leave it marked as available for students. Once registration materials have been provided to schools, the OYAP-FAST registration information will be available to students in Student Services.

Graduation Requirements

Schools will support their students in the tracking of the OYAP-FAST graduation requirements. To earn an OSSD with the OYAP-FAST blue seal, students must:

● Earn 8 to 11 cooperative education credits in skilled trades;

● Register as an apprentice [obtain a Registered Training Agreement (RTA)] before

earning the eighth cooperative education credit; and,

● Satisfy all requirements for the OSSD.

The OYAP-FAST program will also be noted in the Specialized Program section on the Ontario Student Transcript (OST). A student can not receive the OYAP-FAST specialized seal if they have already earned an OSSD. If a student has already been granted an OSSD, it cannot be exchanged for an OSSD with the OYAP-FAST seal.

INTERESTED in OYAP-FAST? Make an appointment with your Guidance Counsellor!

TURNING GRADUATES INTO SUCCE$$ STORIES.pdf

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