What is OYAP?

These pre-trade programs give students the knowledge and experience necessary to start their career in one of the many skilled trades. OYAP programs teach the curriculum for level 1 Ministry of Labor, Training and Skills Development (MLTSD) apprenticeship courses, as well as meeting Ministry of Education Secondary School expectations.

Why take OYAP?

There are many practical benefits from apprenticing:

  • It allows you to explore and find the right career for you.
  • The transferrable skill you learn can be used in many different careers.
  • You can start training in a skilled trade while completing the requirements for an Ontario Secondary School Diploma.
  • Skilled trades people feel a sense of accomplishment seeing the result of their efforts at the end of the day.
  • You get paid while getting work experience, and wages increase with skill levels.

If a High School student signs a Registered Training Agreement (RTA) with his Cooperative Employer, there can be a chance that they will be paid while still gaining their last credits before graduation. Once the students graduate with an OSSD, they become a regular Apprentice under the Ministry of Labour, Training and Skills Development.

In what sectors can I apprentice while still in high school?

  • Carpenter
  • Chef
  • Automotive Service Technician
  • Plumber
  • Electrician
  • Millwright
  • Information Technology
  • Educational assistant
  • Hairstylist
  • Painter
  • and more…

How long is an apprenticeship?

Becoming certified in a trade requires on-the-job and in- school training done at college, and lasting 2-5 years.

Is apprenticeship right for me?

Consider pursuing an apprenticeship if:

 

  • You enjoy hands-on learning and have good mechanical and spatial abilities.
  • You enjoy fixing things, assembling and disassembling structures.
  • You are able to solve problems, determine why something does not work and how it can be done better.
  • You are prepared to complete an apprenticeship.
Contact Information

Stephen Charkavi – Board Lead
Phone: (613) 585-8290
Stephen.Charkavi@rccdsb.ca

Additional Resources