Finish an apprenticeship
Find out what you get when you finish an apprenticeship in a skilled trade – and what you can do next.
Certificate of Apprenticeship
When you complete your training as an apprentice, you get a Certificate of Apprenticeship. We send it to you within six weeks of the date you let us know you’ve completed your training.
Depending on the trade, proving you have completed your training could be:
- a letter from the sponsor confirming hours and/or skills
- proof of sign-off on all mandatory skills in the apprenticeship logbook (training standard)
- a completed apprenticeship completion form in the apprenticeship logbook (training standard)
- a signed skill set completion for sponsors from the apprenticeship logbook (training standard)
Access the apprenticeship logbooks, which are also known as apprenticeship training standards.
We encourage you or your sponsor to speak with your ministry consultant to confirm completion requirements when you’re ready to complete your apprenticeship.
Certificate of Qualification
Once you have your Certificate of Apprenticeship, in many trades you can go for the next level of certification, a Certificate of Qualification (C of Q).
If the trade is a compulsory trade, a Certificate of Qualification (C of Q) is required to be a licensed journeyperson. In some cases, it may also help you get better pay, or more job opportunities.
Certificates of Qualification are only issued in trades that have a certifying exam.
Who has to write an exam
Some trades that have a certifying exam include:
- plumber
- electrician
- automotive service technician
- hairstylist
- cook
- tool and die maker
- arborist
- drywall finisher and plasterer
The Skilled Trades Ontario website lists all compulsory and non-compulsory trades.
If your trade has a certifying exam, you will be required to write the exam as part of getting a Certificate of Qualification.
The certifying exam is multiple-choice for all trades. You need to score at least 70% to pass, regardless of your trade.
Arrange the exam
To arrange the exam, you need to:
- contact Skilled Trades Ontario to pay exam fee of $150 (+HST)
- 1-855-299-0028 (toll-free in Ontario only)
- 647-847-3000 (GTA)
- contact your local apprenticeship office to book a date for your exam
- exams are offered year-round in ministry exam centres across the province
Once you’ve paid the fee and scheduled the exam, you can start preparing for it using Skilled Trades Ontario's Exam Preparation Guide.
Provisional Certificate of Qualification
When you complete your apprenticeship in a trade that has a certifying exam, you will receive a Provisional Certificate of Qualification from Skilled Trades Ontario.
This certificate allows you to continue working in a compulsory trade. The term of this certificate is one year, in which you must write and pass your certifying exam.
Red Seal
Having a Red Seal qualifies you to work in your trade in other provinces and territories without more tests and paperwork.
In Ontario you can get a Red Seal in more than 50 trades, including:
- carpenter
- cook
- industrial millwright
- general machinist
- welder
- truck and coach technician
View the full list of Red Seal trades.
You have to write and pass an exam in a Red Seal trade to get a Red Seal. Find out how to prepare for a Red Seal trade exam.
Apply for money
You may be eligible to apply for the following grants after you complete some or all of your apprenticeship training.
Apprenticeship Incentive Grant (AIG)
The AIG is a taxable grant worth $1000 per level of schooling (up to maximum of $2000) awarded to registered apprentices in a Red Seal trade. You can apply after completing your first level of schooling.
Learn about qualifying and applying for the AIG.
Apprenticeship Completion Grant (ACG)
The ACG is a one-time $2,000 taxable cash grant for registered apprentices who successfully complete their apprenticeship training program and get their journeyperson certification in a Red Seal trade.
Learn more about qualifying and applying for the Apprenticeship Completion Grant.
Apprenticeship Completion Bonus in Non-Red Seal Trades
This $2,000 taxable cash grant is available to those apprentices who are out of high school and have completed their training in any Ontario non-Red Seal trade.
To qualify, you must have completed an apprenticeship in Ontario in a non-Red Seal trade and received your Certificate of Apprenticeship, and where applicable, your Certificate of Qualification.
We will send you an application when you are eligible to apply for this provincial bonus. You must submit your application within 180 days from receiving your C of A, or C of Q. For more information, contact your local apprenticeship office.