Top 11 Benefits of An Apprenticeship

Traditional four-year college degrees aren’t the only road to a fulfilling career—more and more young professionals are forging their own paths and choosing to work in the trades!

Canada saw a huge spike in individuals registering for apprenticeship programs in 2022. At just over 81,000 registrants, these numbers mark the highest recorded since 2014. When looking at the data, a vast majority of apprenticeship registrations were in the skilled trades like carpentry and electrical.

There are many benefits to completing an apprenticeship, but for many, it comes down to job security and ensuring long-term career success. Keep reading to learn the top benefits of apprenticeship training!

1. Earning While You Learn

One of the best benefits of an apprenticeship is that you can earn money while honing your skills through on-the-job training.

Apprentices are paid employees, unlike many interns who are often working for free. This provides them with income they can use to help cover living expenses, offset any costs of their apprenticeship training, and achieve financial independence sooner.

💡The average apprentice in Canada makes $50,000 to $100,000, but this varies greatly depending on the trade.

2. Getting Practical, Hands-On Experience

Forget textbooks—apprenticeships are all about learning by doing. In your time as an apprentice, you will spend a significant portion of your days working alongside skilled workers while applying theory to real-world scenarios.

This work isn’t just educational; it also counts as valuable experience on your resume. This means apprenticeships are viable for young people looking to join the workforce, but also experienced workers looking to make a career change.

An aspiring journeyperson learning from a skilled worker ‍

3. Acquiring Industry-Recognized Certifications

One of the key benefits of apprenticeship training is obtaining industry-recognized qualifications employers value.

During your apprenticeship, you will gain the necessary skills, knowledge, and experience required to take and pass trade certification exams in Canada. This includes trade-specific licensing or even Red Seal certification.

Some of these qualifications are necessary to work as a professional, while others will increase your earning potential. Either way, an apprenticeship is an all-important professional development step on the road to becoming a certified master of your trade!

Completing a pre-apprenticeship program can also earn you important certifications like first aid and CPR, WHMIS, Working at Heights, Lockout & Tagout, and more.

4. Developing Valuable Soft Skills

While apprenticeships help you learn technical skills to meet industry standards in your chosen trade, they also develop soft skills that are necessary for success in any career.

Your experience in the workplace will teach you:

Communication
Teamwork
Time Management
Problem-solving
Adaptability
Work Ethic
And more!

💡A pre-apprenticeship program will provide extensive opportunities to work on these areas before diving into a full-blown apprenticeship!

5. Building a Strong Professional Network

Few recruiting methods are more effective than word-of-mouth hiring. That’s why another huge apprenticeship advantage is the strong relationships you’ll inevitably form with your mentors and other experienced workers during pre-apprenticeship and apprenticeship training.

The professional network and reputation you build during this time will set you up for plenty of job opportunities after the program. An apprenticeship program enables employers to hire talent permanently or give them job leads in different businesses or industries after their placement.

6. Minimal Educational Requirements

Possibly one of the biggest apprenticeship benefits for aspiring professionals is the minimal educational requirements needed to qualify. For most trades, a high school diploma or equivalent will suffice.

This stands in stark contrast to other postsecondary options, such as going to college or university. In particular, the latter often requires you to have a high GPA, write essays, or complete tests if you even want to be considered for acceptance.

7. Not Putting Yourself in Student Debt

Speaking of college and university, one of the most stressful parts of pursuing a degree is the inevitability of racking up tens of thousands in student loan debt.

Apprentices earn while they learn, meaning there’s usually no need to take out any huge loans that put you in the red. It’s hard to ignore this as one of the biggest benefits of an apprenticeship.

Additionally, if you decide to take a pre-apprenticeship course, many schools offer scholarships or financial aid services, like OSAP, to help mitigate the costs. You may also be eligible for government-issued tax credits or deductions to further reduce the costs associated with your apprenticeship.

8. Opportunities for Career Advancement

Many industries offer opportunities for further education and training after completion of an apprenticeship. This means you will have a ton of ways to specialize, acquire the additional certifications we mentioned, and advance your career.

Apprenticeships (and the doors they open) put you on the path to becoming a supervisor, project manager, or even opening your own business down the road!

Trades students learning from an instructor in a classroom

9. Diversify Your Trades Knowledge

Many apprenticeship programs allow you to rotate through specializations in your trade. If you’re apprenticing to become a plumber, you can dabble in residential, commercial, and industrial plumbing and see where you fare best.

Determine which aspects of your trade you enjoy the most and where your strengths lie. So if you want to specialize in, say, pipefitting, you’ll already be one step ahead!

10. Building Confidence in a Controlled Environment

When talking about apprenticeship advantages, we can’t ignore the impact of growing into yourself as a professional in a controlled environment.

Rather than jumping into the deep end right after high school, an apprenticeship allows you to grow under the watchful eyes of seasoned professionals. You can build your confidence and competence in a safe space where you can experiment and learn from mistakes.

11. Get Personalized Mentorship

With a mentor by your side, you’ve got the expert guidance you need to learn any skill you want. Whether it’s mastering a particular skill, troubleshooting a problem, or simply seeking career advice, you’ll find personalized support and valuable insight from your mentor.

Get Apprenticeship-Ready at Skilled Trades College of Canada

The benefits of an apprenticeship speak for themselves, but finding the right entry point can be tricky. There are a lot of people out there who see the value in these programs and intend to apply for them—that's where Skilled Trades College comes in!

We offer comprehensive pre-apprenticeship programs in plumbing, electrical, and general contractor or home renovation designed to help you gain the foundational skills needed to become a standout candidate for an apprenticeship. Our smaller class sizes facilitate a supportive learning environment and feature an 80:20 ratio of hands-on learning to classroom theory to maximize your time with us.

What are you waiting for? Enrol today to start building your future!