Step 1:   Find an employer

Obtain employment with an employer who has a certified journeyperson in the same trade. The journeyperson will become your mentor and instructor on the job as s/he will directly supervise your work-based training. To receive credit for hours worked and skills obtained, you must be assigned to a certified journeyperson.

Please Note: Employers of new apprentices may be eligible for the Apprenticeship Wage Subsidy, or a new financial benefit under the Canadian Apprenticeship Service.

Step 2:   Sign a letter of understanding

A letter of understanding (LOU) is a written agreement entered into between you and an employer from another Canadian jurisdiction under which you agree to learn an occupation based on the on-the-job training as outlined in the plan of training. Every apprentice must sign a LOU with the employer at the start of employment or whenever there is a change in employer in another Canadian jurisdiction.

Please ensure that your LOU with each new employer is signed, and that you contact the Apprenticeship Program Officer for your trade, to process the LOU. If necessary, a short orientation session will be conducted with you and your employer at an appropriate time.

Please note: Only apprentices who have an LOU signed and submitted to their Apprenticeship Program Officer may be given credit for time worked and skills completed.

New apprentices: for a copy of a letter of understanding click here.

Existing apprentices: for a copy of a letter of understanding click here.

Step 3:  Register to become an apprentice

Once employment is secured, you must complete an apprenticeship application and submit it to the Apprenticeship and Trades Certification Division (ATCD) office nearest you.  To complete the apprenticeship application click here.

Step 4:   Receive a registration card and an apprenticeship logbook

After the apprenticeship application is approved, you will become a registered apprentice. You will receive a notification of acceptance to apprenticeship, an apprenticeship registration card and an official apprenticeship logbook.

Step 5:   Complete in-school training when required

Once registered, you will be eligible to attend advanced-level training after you log the required number of hours for each level of your trade (refer to the progression schedules for 5400 hour or 7200 hour trades).

If you completed an approved entry-level or pre-employment program under the current or previous two plans of training, you will be given credit for that program at the time of registration and moved on to level two training. If you did not complete an entry-level or pre-employment program, you must complete level one first.

To search the Provincial Post-Secondary Offerings List click here.

To view the Apprenticeship Level Training Schedule click here.