Ontario Youth Apprenticeship Program (OYAP)

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What is the Ontario Youth Apprenticeship Program?
Who can participate?
Do you need experience in the trades to start?
Preparing for OYAP
What kinds of skilled trades do RRDSB OYAP students learn?
Check out the amazing employers who support our OYAP students!
Who to contact
Learn more

What is the Ontario Youth Apprenticeship Program (OYAP)?

The Ontario Youth Apprenticeship Program allows a Co-op student to begin to learn a skilled trade while completing the requirements for a high school diploma. A co-op student may be signed as an apprentice with the employer at the time of their placement. Students graduate with a diploma, skills in a trade, experience in the workplace, and a head start in a skilled profession.  OYAP also is responsible for the promotion of skilled trades and apprenticeship as a "first choice" pathway for students after graduation, on par with college or university programs. 

Who can participate?

To participate in OYAP a student must:

  • be enrolled in secondary school full-time or part-time;
  • be at least 15 years old*
  • have at least 14 secondary credits*
  • be enrolled in a Cooperative Education course through their school, where the placement is in a skilled trades setting;
  • be working towards an OSSD (Ontario Secondary School Diploma) 


For most students, this means they can start as soon as the summer before they enter grade 11! (Depending on availability of summer co-op programs and skilled trades placements, and minimum age requirements for workplaces as defined by the Labour Act.)


Do you need experience in the trades to start?

Previous experience in a particular skilled trade is not a mandatory requirement for OYAP participants. OYAP employers agree that the main thing they look for in a potential apprentice is a willingness to learn. 

OYAP is designed to encourage all young people to experience the skilled trades while they have the support of families and school staff. While experience helps, either through Tech Ed courses or other personal experience, not all students who want to explore a skilled trade have had the same opportunities to get that experience. OYAP is there to help! 

Check the video below for stories of some students who made the decision to try the skilled trades through OYAP, and haven't looked back!


Preparing for OYAP

Students interested in the apprenticeship pathway participate in OYAP by taking Co-operative Education where the work placement is in a recognized skilled trade. OYAP does not happen without Coop!

Students intending to participate in OYAP should start planning early by:

  • researching the types of skilled trades requiring apprenticeships that interest them.  (Try the Trades Explorer Survey for a start!)
  • researching the opportunities for apprenticeships in their area - see the list and map below for employers who have offered OYAP placements recently;
  • selecting and completing high school courses related to their skilled trade of interest as available;
  • selecting Co-operative Education courses for grade 11 and/or 12 during course selections;
  • speaking to a Guidance teacher to assist them in their research and course planning;
  • speaking to a Co-operative Education teacher to assist them in securing a work placement that fits their plans

What Kinds of Skilled Trades do RRDSB OYAP Students Learn?

 There are over 140 skilled trades in Ontariothat can be learned through apprenticeship. Some of the skilled trades that RRDSB OYAP students have gotten a head start on in recent years include:

MOTIVE POWER TRADES:

  • Auto Body Repairer, Automotive Service Technician, Heacy Duty Equipment Technician, Small Engine Technician, Truck and Coach Techinician

SERVICE TRADES:

  • Cook, Child Development Practitioner, Developmental Services Worker, Educational Assistant, Retail Meat Cutter

CONSTRUCTION TRADES:

  • Electrician - Construction and Maintenance, General Carpenter, Plumber, Powerline Technician, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Systems Mechanic

INDUSTRIAL TRADES:

  • General Machinist, Industrial Electrician, Industrial Mechanic Millwright, Welder

Thank you to the employers who support our OYAP students!

OYAP and Co-op could not happen without the amazing employers in the Rainy River District giving work experience to our high school students. For a list of employers who have recently offered OYAP placements, and the trades they offer, click here: RRDSB OYAP Employers

Are you a skilled trades employer? Should you be on this list, or would you like to be? Contact a Co-op teacher at your local high school, or the RRDSB OYAP coordinator (contact info listed below).

 Notes:
  • Placements with OYAP Employers are arranged only by Cooperative Education teachers at each school based on each student's interests and needs. Students seeking OYAP placements are asked not to try to make their own arrangements for placements.
  • This list is not necessarily complete. There may be opportunities for skilled trades placements that are not listed here. Some employers may be listed more than once, as they have offered placements in more than one trade.

Who to Contact

Please speak to your Guidance and/or Co-op teachers at your local high school, or contact the OYAP Recruiter for the RRDSB:

RobRoy Donaldson
OYAP Recruiter, Rainy River DSB
522 Second St E., Fort Frances, ON P9A 1N4
(807)-274-9855 ext. 5011
[email protected] or [email protected]


To Learn More:

Ontario Logo
Apprenticeship in Ontario

Information on how to prepare for, start, and finish an apprenticeship in Ontario. Includes financial incentives and supports for apprentices and employers. 

Employment Ontario Logo

Skilled Trades Ontario Logo
Skilled Trades Ontario

The agency responsible for skilled trades certification in Ontario. Find detailed information on all 144 trades; apprentices access services here through the STO Portal

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