Apprenticeship Process in BC

Apprenticeship is a type of learning or internship for a trade that consists of on-the job training combined with post-secondary trades training. An apprentice spends 80% to 90% learning on the job and 10% to 20% learning in a trades classroom and/or shop environment.

Apprenticeship
is a three-way agreement between

EMPLOYER

APPRENTICE

& ITA

The Role of the Employer

To become a registered employer with the Industry Training Authority.
To provide a safe learning and work environment to expose the apprentice to all areas of the trade to the extent that the facilities and working conditions of the business allow.
To provide a competent journeyperson(s) to ensure a comprehensive exchange of trade knowledge and transferable skills.
To allow the apprentice to attend technical training and to write examinations as required.
Pay the apprentice's wages while the apprentice is on the job.
To maintain a record of employment for the apprentice and to assist the apprentice in the maintenance and updating of their Apprenticeship Record Book.
To recommend the apprentice for certification upon completion of their technical and on-the-job training.

The Role of the Apprentice

To locate an employer willing to undertake them as an apprentice.
To become a registered apprentice with the Industry Training Authority
To know what is involved in your trade: to learn; to apply skill; and to work diligently and honestly for your employer.
To take control of your own training and learning. You are responsible for your own success. You are responsible for selecting a recognized training institution that will meet your technical training needs.
To maintain your Apprenticeship Record Book and ensure that your learning experiences are accounted for in a useable format.
To work safely and familiarize yourself with the safety rules and regulations of each jobsite you encounter.

The Role of ITA

ITA is the Industry Training Authority recognized by the Province of British Columbia. Most services that apprentices and employers will access are delivered through the Industry Training Centre. The authority is mandated with:

Registering apprenticeship agreements
Assessing the exams and training hours for trades qualification challengers
Accepting required assessment and exam fees
Processing journeyperson certificates and wallet cards for qualified apprentices and challengers
To work with Industry and Training Providers to ensure that standards of training and completion of credentials are met and are consistent with industry needs, provincial regulations and the interprovincial Red Seal program in the applicable trades.

In terms of educational requirements, it is recommended that the apprentice have a Grade 12 education that includes English and Math courses. It is also recommended that the apprentice have a Grade 11 Physics and a basic computer course to deal with the technology required in industry.

Two Routes to Apprenticeship

There are two routes an apprentice can take to receive a trades qualification in BC or an inter-provincial trades certificate which is recognized across Canada. A person interested in pursuing a trade can prepare for an apprenticeship by taking an ELTT (Entry Level Trades Training) Program at a recognized training institution. An alternate method is to find an employer (in the trade you are interested in) who is willing to hire you and consider offering you an apprenticeship with their company.

Entry Level Trades Training Programs

These program allows an individual with no previous trades training to register at a recognized trades training institution and take an entry-level program specific to the trade they are interested in pursuing. The programs vary from 12 weeks to 10 months in length. These programs will provide the individual with an opportunity to acquire basic skills and knowledge required to work in industry in entry level positions. Students wishing to access entry level trades training may do so without a connection to an employer or industry. After the initial training period it is up to the student to search for employment in their industry of choice. ITA is available to assess prior learning and credit may be granted to individuals who successfully complete a recognized entry level trades program. In some trades the entry level training may be applied toward the first year requirements of a four year apprenticeship.

Although Entry Level Trades Training is not mandatory in British Columbia, it is considered by many employers and industries to be a pre-requisite for employment or apprenticeship agreements.

Apprenticeship

For most trades, the apprentice must complete up to 4 years of training on-the-job training in addition to formal training programs. Each year consists of both time spent on the job, usually working with or supervised by a qualified journeyperson, and time spent in technical training classes. On-the-job training is meant to provide an opportunity for students to put into practice the theory that they learn in the classroom and lab environments. Technical training programs are designed to ensure that apprentices receive a broad based education related to their trade of choice and not all material learned in the classroom will be available to every apprentice on every jobsite. In the interest of receiving the best of multiple work opportunities apprentices may want to consider the Apprentice-Share alternative.

Technical Training Classes

On-the-Job Training

Employers are to have certified ticketed journeypersons working in the same trade onsite for the apprentice to train under. These journeypersons will verify the training the apprentice receives in the workplace.

After each year of training the apprentice will write a test before he/she can proceed to the next level/year of training. At the end of the apprenticeship, once technical training and on-the-job training requirements have been completed, the apprentice will write the final trades qualification exam and will become certified as a journeyperson in the trade. Currently in approximately 45 of the trades in BC an apprentice can elect to write an inter-provincial trades test and become a certified journeyperson with a Red-Seal Certificate which is then transferable from province-to-province.

"The Government of Canada has contributed funding to this initiative."