Apprenticeship is a very old and trusted method of training. In Ontario, the new Bill 55 has given apprenticeship a new and revitalized look. The new legislation was created in response to a more mobile work force, the emerging communication technologies, and the expectation that training should occur where and when you and your employer want it.

An apprenticeship is an agreement between an employer and an employee. You cannot apply to the college for admission to an apprenticeship. Apprenticeship is a combination of on-the-job training and in-school training. Under the new legislation, the on-the-job portion of the training is measured as performance objectives. Once the required objectives are met, the apprentice is considered ready to write for certification. In most cases, this can take from two to five years.

In order to complete the apprenticeship, you must also attend in-school training. This in-school training can be delivered in several different formats. The traditional in-school delivery of apprenticeship is called block release. In this system, you attend classes for a fixed block of time, typically eight weeks. This delivery model tends to be somewhat rigid and forces you as well as the employer to conform to a specific timetable. In addition to this, you often have to endure the financial hardship of travelling to a large centre in order to complete the training. Day release training was devised to allow you to continue working while completing the inschool portion of the training. Typically, this format allows you to remain on the job about four-and-onehalf days a week and take the in-school portion for the remaining half-day.

Recent trends have been towards several distance delivery models. The latest model provides for the delivery of the in-school portion of apprenticeship via the Internet. This affords the maximum amount of flexibility to you and the employer.

At Canadore, apprenticeship training is offered in traditional as well as alternative delivery models.