Made in the Trades - Job Seekers: Get Started

How to Enter the Trades & Complete Your Apprenticeship

Trade Flow Chart: Full description of each step is provided to the right.

1. Compulsory & Voluntary Trades

2. Optional: Complete a Pre-apprenticeship, or College Certificate, or OYAP Program

3. Find an employer and get your job

4. Register as an apprentice (MLSTD and Ontario College of Trades)

5. Complete an apprenticeship and complete required hours for on-the-job training

6. Complete your training standards and complete the Certificate of Qualifications Exam.

Choosing a Trade

Skilled trades fall into four categories. Some examples of trades in each category are listed below.

Construction

Electrician
Carpenter
Plumber
Pipefitter
Heavy Equipment Operator

Transportation

Automotive Service Technician
Aviation Technician
Auto Body Repair
Fuel/Electrical Systems Technician

Service

Horticultural Technician
Chef
Hairstylist
Arborist

Manufacturing / Industrial

Tool and Die Maker
Millwright
Precision Metal Fabricator

For a complete list of all skilled trades, visit the Ministry of Labour, Training and Skills Development’s Skilled Trades page.

Compulsory vs. Voluntary Trades

A male electrician cutting electrical tape.

Trades are divided into two groups: 1) compulsory, and 2) voluntary.

Compulsory Trades:

To work in a compulsory trade, you need to be registered with the Ontario College of Trades as one of the following membership classes: Apprentices Class, Journeyperson Candidates Class, Tradespersons Class, Journeypersons Class or Employers / Sponsors Class. As an apprentice working within a compulsory trade, you will need to complete the following steps: 1) register as a member of the Ontario College of Trades, 2) complete on-the-job training, 3) complete in-school training, and 4) pass a Certificate of Qualification exam.

There are 22 compulsory trades in Ontario. To work in one of these trades, you need to be an apprentice, journeyperson candidate, or journeyperson. You must be a registered member of the Ontario College of Trades to be employed in a compulsory trade.

Search compulsory trades job profiles (gov.on.ca). On this page, use the Apprenticeship filter to search for compulsory trades.

Voluntary Trades:

A plumber (voluntary trade) works on a sink in a residential building.

Voluntary trades are trades that do not require you to become an apprentice, journeyperson candidate, or journey person to work within the industry. To be employed in one of these trades, you do not need to complete a specific training program. Even in the voluntary trades, however, some industries or employers may request journey person status when hiring or request that someone become an apprentice.

Having qualifications or training in a specific trade shows that you have a certain level of experience and skill, and helps you market yourself to employers and clients.

Search voluntary trades job profiles (gov.on.ca). On this page, use the Apprenticeship filter to search for voluntary trades.

Research

Do you have the skills to be successful in the first two years of technical training? Find out with this free online assessment.
You can also explore the construction trades specifically with this Career Finder.

Choose five skilled trades that interest you using the above tools, and find out more about them. You might want to ask yourself the following: