Choose a Trade
Apprenticeships can be found in a broad range of occupational areas including areas such as residential,
commercial or industrial construction, maintenance, manufacturing, transportation, forestry, mining, and
film production. Review the list of
apprenticeable trades 
and narrow your interests.
It’s also a good idea to speak with people working in trades that interest you. Talk to employers and journeypersons. Ask questions about the type of work, the working conditions, employment opportunities, and future opportunities. Ask yourself whether or not you are you suited to this type of work?
Essential Resources
Find an Employer
Direct Entry
Often it is not easy to immediately secure an apprenticeship without prior training. Employers may first hire you on a trial basis to find out about the type of employee you are, before committing to an apprenticeship agreement.
It is often suggested that initially unskilled apprentices do not earn money for an employer until after about the 2nd year of an apprenticeship. Consequently employers are sometimes not eager to enter directly into an apprenticeship agreement.
Foundation (Pre-Apprenticeship) Programs
Foundation (Pre-Apprenticeship) programs are designed to provide individuals with both the core trade and essential skills to be employable in a specific trade area.
Upon successful completion of a Foundation program, the student then seeks employment as an apprentice with a company. Graduates are generally eligible for at least first year technical training and a time credit toward the completion of their apprenticeship. To complete their apprenticeship technical training the apprentice then returns to College for a period of 6 to 10 weeks, for a period of generally 3 to 4 years, depending on their specific trade.
Graduates of Foundation programs, as they have the skills to be immediately productive in the workplace, tend to be more employable than those seeking employment without those skills. Research also indicates that those successfully completing an Foundation program prior to securing an apprenticeship are almost twice as likely to complete their apprenticeship as those directly entering an apprenticeship.
Secondary School Apprenticeship (SSA)
Secondary School Apprenticeship is a high school career program that provides students at the age of 15 with the opportunity to begin an apprenticeship while still in high school and receive high school credits. For more information about SSA, see the ITA website .
Apply to the ITA
Once you have a verbal agreement with your employer, download and print a copy of the apprenticeship agreement, complete with your employer, and submit it to the Industry Training Authority. The form and further information about the process are available through the
ITA website .
Proceed Through Your Apprenticeship
To move from one year of your apprenticeship to the next, and to be eligible for your wage increases, each year you need to:
- Complete the required number of hours of on-the-job training;
- Register in and successfully complete your technical training levels, such as those offered at North Island College;
Note: It is suggested that under the new Industry Training Model in BC, progression through a trade will be dependent upon the apprentice successfully demonstrating competency in each element of the trade, rather than only completing a required number of hours in the trade.