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To learn all about what it means to be an HVACR Apprentice, check out this page: What is an HVACR Apprentice?
Apprenticeship is a hands-on training program for people who want to work in skilled trades or occupations. About 90% of an apprenticeship involves on-the-job training by sponsors of training or employers. The remainder consists of theoretical training, usually obtained at a college of applied arts and technology or another approved training delivery agency. Training agreements between apprentices and their training sponsor or employer are prepared by an Employment Ontario employment and training consultant. In accordance with legislation, each training agreement is an individualized contract or training plan between a person who wants to learn a skilled trade and the training sponsor or employer. Apprentices and training sponsors or employers benefit from apprenticeship training. Apprentices learn to become qualified tradespeople or “ journey persons”, and training sponsors or employers gain highly skilled employees with up-to-date knowledge and work techniques. Jobs in skilled trades or occupations provide challenging work and good careers.
All educational requirements are mandatory and must be met prior to applying (or equivalent as per above). Applicants will be required to upload to their applications, all original high school transcripts, college/university transcripts or letter(s) of equivalency, and/or official foreign assessments of successful completion, for each of the educational requirements in order to be considered.

 

If selected for testing, applicants will be contacted at the latest by March 31 (intake one) and July 31 (intake two).

Click on the above ‘Resources‘ page for links to more information on how to obtain the necessary requirements or contact your local Board of Education to find out about eLearning or self-reliant courses that can be done on your own time for low to no cost. 

When (or equivalent for those educated outside of Canada) is indicated, original documents plus an official translation in English or French must be assessed by an official assessment service recommended through the Canadian Information Centre for International Credentials (CICIC), a unit of the Council of Ministers of Education, Canada (CMEC), and referred by Human Resources and Development Canada. The Ontario Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities – Official Document Services and the International Centre for Assessment Services of Canada (ICAS) and World Education Services (WES) are commonly recommended services. The candidate is responsible for all fees associated with translation and assessment.

 

The candidate must upload the official translation and original documents from the assessment service to their application that clearly outlines each Ontario Secondary School course requirement equivalency including grade level, when they apply and before the application deadline of February 28 and June 30 each year. The Committee will then evaluate this assessment for course matter materials that may or may not be equivalent to the Grade 12 Secondary School Diploma including; Grade 12 English, Grade 12 Math, Grade 11 or 12 Physics or Grade 11 or 12 Chemistry. Based on this assessment, the Committee will determine if the candidate fulfills the basic educational requirements.

Those who have completed the Ontario Secondary School Diploma but have failed to successfully complete all of the Ontario Secondary School required courses but have successfully completed college/university level “Math”, ”English”, “Physics,” or “Chemistry” courses that may or may not be equivalent, will be required to indicate “equivalency” under each requirement and to upload original transcripts from their college/university to their application, outlining course level and specific required course (“Math”, ”English”, “Physics,” or “Chemistry”) equivalencies.

The Committee will then evaluate the transcripts for the course that may or may not be equivalent to the Grade 12 Secondary School Diploma including; Grade 12 English, Grade 12 Math, Grade 11 or 12 Physics OR Chemistry. Candidates are responsible for any fees that may be associated with this process and for uploading all required transcripts to their applications when they apply. Based on the uploaded transcript(s), the Committee will determine if the candidate fulfills the basic educational requirements.

Those who have completed the Ontario Secondary School Diploma but have failed to successfully complete all of the Ontario Secondary School required courses but have obtained a college HVACR diploma, can request a course requirement equivalency letter from their HVACR college program coordinator. Many Ontario HVACR college programs will provide course equivalency letters for their HVACR program graduates for this application, which must be uploaded to the application as proof of equivalency prior to the application deadline of February 28 and June 30. 

The GED is sufficient equivalency for the Grade 12 Secondary School Diploma requirement, however, it is not sufficient for the Grade 12 English, Grade 12 Math, Grade 11 or 12 Physics or Chemistry course requirements. In addition to the GED, these courses (or college equivalencies including college/university transcripts outlining detailed course equivalencies) must be obtained for uploading to the application prior to applying.

 

The ACE (Academic and Career Entrance) Certificate is also accepted as equivalent to the Grade 12 Secondary School Diploma. The English, Math, Physics and Chemistry courses in this program are considered equivalent to the required OSSD courses. The ACE Certificate is offered at many accredited colleges across Ontario.

The Co-op Diploma Apprenticeship program allows students attending college to receive apprenticeship training while earning a diploma. The Pre-apprenticeship Training program helps unemployed individuals strengthen their skills and increase their eligibility for apprenticeship training in a specific skilled trade. 
The Ontario Youth Apprenticeship Program (OYAP) allows high school students to register as apprentices while earning cooperative education credits through work placements in skilled trades. Interested students should contact their guidance counselor, technical teacher, or apprenticeship staff at the local Employment Ontario office for more information. Contracts obtained through this program will need to be absolved prior to applying to this program.
Ontario needs more skilled workers, and more employers training skilled workers. To this end, the Ontario government provides the Apprenticeship Training Tax Credit to corporations and unincorporated businesses that hire apprentices in certain skilled trades, and an Employer Signing Bonus to employers who register new apprentices in sectors in which skilled workers are in high demand.
Apprentices can benefit from the Ontario government’s Apprenticeship Scholarship and Loans for Tools programs. The federal government offers assistance through its Apprenticeship Incentive Grant and Apprenticeship Completion Grant programs. 
The Inter-provincial Standards Red Seal Program was established to provide greater labour mobility for skilled workers who wish to move from one part of Canada to another. It encourages the standardization of provincial/territorial training and certification programs. Many Ontario trades are part of the Red Seal Program. In these trades, people who successfully challenge a Red Seal trade examination receive a Certificate of Qualification with a distinctive red seal that is recognized across Canada.
You must have a valid full G driver’s license to apply to this program.
Once you have submitted your application, you will be notified when the intake period has ended about the next stage of the application process. The Apprentice Intake Committee will review your application and you will be notified via email about whether or not you have made it to the next stage of the process.  

 

All formal communication is sent via email. Once you submit your application, please ensure you check your email regularly, including your junk and/or spam folders, as we may request additional information. Once your application has been reviewed and your documents have been verified, you will receive an email confirmation.

If you are unsuccessful with your application to the Apprentice Intake Program you can reapply in the next intake. There is no limit to how many times you can reapply. However, you must submit a new application and pay the applicable fees for each intake.
All fees paid are non-refundable. It is imperative that you carefully read all the information regarding this program on this website, have all the necessary documentation and satisfy all the mandatory requirements before paying any fees.
Inquiries about the first year apprenticeship program or information on this website are responded to by email only. Please click on the Contact Us section in the top right of the screen, fill out the inquiry form and you will receive a response within 24-48 business hours. If you have been selected for testing, you will be contacted by the Apprentice Intake Committee by March 31 or July 31. If you have not been contacted by those dates, you have not been selected for testing for the program this year although you are welcome to reapply next year.

 

Due to privacy concerns, we can only discuss the details of your application with you. Please contact us if you require more information.