Education · 1 of 4

The path

An apprenticeship, not a degree. Most of it is paid work on site.

1. 1

   High school diploma

   Grade 12

   Grade 12 with math and a shop class. OYAP (Ontario Youth Apprenticeship Program) or RAP (Registered Apprenticeship Program) in Alberta let you start in Grade 11 or 12.

2. 2

   Find a sponsor

   Weeks to months

   A builder, a formwork contractor, a renovator or the union hiring hall. A pre-apprenticeship program helps you get noticed.

3. 3

   Register the apprenticeship

   Days

   With Skilled Trades Ontario, Alberta Apprenticeship and Industry Training, or your province's equivalent.

4. 4

   Work and study

   4 years

   About 7,200 hours in Ontario: roughly 6,500 on the job plus three in-school levels of 8 to 10 weeks at a college.

5. 5

   Certificate of Qualification and Red Seal

   After your hours

   Pass the provincial exam. The Red Seal endorsement lets you work in any province.