1. Apprenticeship. A smart investment!

TRAINING. Hands-on training is one of the best ways to learn. As the owner or manager of a business, it’s probably how you started out. Ambition, eagerness to learn, and hard work got you where you are today. Hiring apprentices helps pass on your – and your journeypersons’ – knowledge and experience. In addition, training a new generation of tradespeople will help your business stay on the leading edge.

SKILLED WORKFORCE. Ensuring a skilled workforce is available now and in the future is important for the sustainable growth of your business. By hiring apprentices, you’ll ensure that you have qualified and productive employees today and tomorrow.

COMPETITIVENESS. You’re concerned about your bottom line and competitive advantage in the marketplace. That’s natural. But you also have to think about how to stay competitive. With an apprenticeship program, you get workers with on-the-job and in-school training laying the foundation for improving your competitiveness in the future.

PROFITABILITY. Given the importance of a healthy bottom line, it’s critical to train a motivated and skilled workforce to meet your needs and to ensure a competitive advantage. Apprentices require good academic skills and with your on-the-job training, it makes for a profitable and smart investment for you and your business.

Training. Talent. Profit. That’s what apprenticeship is all about. Hiring apprentices makes good business sense.

2. Grants and Scholarships:

The Government of Ontario is supporting training and employment for youth who have left school and require upgrading to meet the minimum academic requirements for entry to an apprenticeship training program. The initiative encourages young people to continue learning and to enter apprenticeship and the trades, thereby reducing the average age of apprentices.

It includes:

• A $1,000 scholarship for a young person who returns to and completes upgrading to qualify and registers as an apprentice; scholarship is awarded when the candidate has successfully completed upgrading, is employed & registered as an apprentice.
• A $2,000 per apprentice signing bonus for the employer who supports the candidate’s apprenticeship registration and provides apprenticeship training; signing bonuses are awarded to the employer when the candidate is registered as an apprentice (50%) and six months later (50%) if the apprentice is still working and training with the same employer.

To qualify for an apprenticeship scholarship:

The participant must:

• Be under 25 years of age.
• Have left school before completing the necessary academic requirement for registering in a trade.
• Be committed to achieving the necessary academic requirements within 1 year.
• Demonstrate an interest in the skilled trades.

The Employer must:

• Be licensed to operate in Ontario.
• Provide employment in Ontario.
• Must hire, train, and register a scholarship candidate as an apprentice.
• Be approved by the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities to provide apprenticeship training.

3. How Employment Services Can Help

If you are an employer, Employment Services can help you!

• Offer a preliminary screening of potential candidates.
• Provide a selection of motivated candidates who meet your skill requirements.
• Assist with apprenticeship registration.
• Offer bilingual candidates.
• Assist financially by providing on-the-job training incentive of up to $4,000 per apprentice Eligible to receive a $2,000 signing bonus to hire a suitable candidate who has not completed their secondary school diploma