Employer’s Guide to Apprenticeship (printable): Click here
Employer Benefits
Research by the Canadian Apprenticeship Forum suggests that apprenticeships can boost productivity, improve the quality of services and products, enhance employee skills, improve health and safety, reduce employee turnover and costs, increase competitiveness, and help with future planning.
Employer Responsibilities
As part of the apprenticeship program, employers have a responsibility to:
- Provide a high-quality work experience for the apprentice.
- Document the apprentice’s work experience when skills are achieved.
- Release the apprentice for in-school training at each Level of the apprenticeship program.
- Ensure a certified journeyperson (recognized by the Apprenticeship and Trades Certification Division) is on staff in the same trade as the apprentice.
- Maintain communication with an Apprenticeship Program Officer and notify them of any changes in contact information, the apprentice’s employment status, or staffing changes that affect the apprentice’s supervision.
Become an Apprenticeship Employer
Employers sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) or Letter of Understanding (LOU), with the potential apprentice. This written agreement allows the apprentice to obtain the required skills from the workplace (as outlined in the Plan of Training) as well as take the required time from work to attend in-school training.
Financial Supports, Programs and Resources for Employers
- Apprenticeship Wage Subsidy (AWS): This program helps apprentices gain work experience in a skilled trade and progress to journeyperson certification by providing employers with a wage subsidy. Learn more here.
- Other Supports, Programs and Resources: Learn more here.
Hiring Female or Indigenous Apprentices
With a growing shortage of skilled workers, hiring a female or Indigenous apprentice makes good business sense.
- The Office to Advance Women Apprentices (OAWA) helps enhance employment opportunities for female apprentices by working with employers, government, and unions. To learn more, visit: http://www.womenapprentices.ca/
- The Indigenous Skilled Trades Office (ISTO) helps to create employment opportunities and reduce barriers for Indigenous apprentices and journeypersons, increase apprenticeship completion rates, and foster greater commitment and participation of employers and unions. To learn more, visit http://tradesnl.com/indigenous-office
Membership on a Provincial Trade Advisory Committee (PTAC), Examination Committee or Accreditation Team
Are you a certified journeyperson? You can give back to your trade and help maintain high quality apprenticeship standards in the province by joining a PTAC, examination committee or accreditation team.
Ready to get started? Click below to learn more information:
Provincial Trade Advisory Committees
Accreditation Teams