Apprenticeship Explained

Apprenticeship is a mode of learning in which trade experts (certified journeypersons) pass on knowledge and skills to learners (apprentices). Apprenticeship begins with an agreement between an apprentice and an employer. The apprentice agrees to work for the employer in exchange for supervised, on-the-job training and experience, and the opportunity to participate in the technical training necessary to complete the program. 

In the workplace, apprentices are supervised by a certified journeyperson who tracks both their hours and competence in the practical skills of the trade. Technical training is offered in class and/or online and is administered and arranged by the division.    

Upon completion of the apprenticeship program (including on-the-job hours, technical training and competency in workplace practical skills), apprentices are eligible to write a Certification of Qualification exam. If the apprentice receives a mark of 70% or greater, they receive both a Certificate of Qualification and a Certificate of Apprenticeship and become a journeyperson.  

Please note: If the trade is a Red Seal trade, the Certificate of Qualification exam is an Interprovincial (IP) Exam. If an apprentice receives a mark of 70% or greater, they receive a Nova Scotia Certificate of Qualification with a Red Seal endorsement which is recognized anywhere in Canada without further examination. (They also receive a Nova Scotia Certificate of Apprenticeship.)