Trades and Apprenticeship

HRSDC works with key apprenticeship stakeholders, including provincial and territorial governments, to ensure an adequate supply of skilled trade workers and to enable them to practice their trade anywhere in Canada.

Financial incentives and support

• Apprenticeship grants
• Tax deductions for skilled tradespersons and apprentice mechanics 
• Tax credit for employers to hire apprentices
• Employment Insurance (EI) for apprentices
• Economic Action Plan - Support for workers and the unemployed

Promoting skilled trades, apprenticeship
and labour mobility

Job-search and other resources

What is apprenticeship?

Definitions

Financial Incentives and Support

Apprenticeship Grants

The Government of Canada’s Apprenticeship Grants provide up to $4,000 in taxable cash grants to apprentices registered in designated Red Seal trades. A grant is not a loan and does not need to be repaid.

• Apprenticeship Incentive Grant – a $1,000 taxable cash grant for registered apprentices who finish the first or second year/level of an apprenticeship program in a designated Red Seal trade on or after January 1, 2007, to a maximum of $2,000.
• Apprenticeship Completion Grant – a $2,000 taxable cash grant for apprentices who complete their apprenticeship program and receive their journeyperson certification in a designated Red Seal trade on or after January 1, 2009 .

For information on how to apply, visit Service Canada’s Apprenticeship Grants web page.

In addition, some provinces and territories also offer financial incentives for apprenticeships. For more information, visit the Interprovincial Standards Red Seal Program or contact your provincial or territorial apprenticeship authority.

Tax deductions for skilled tradespersons and apprentice mechanics

Employed tradespersons and apprentice mechanics can deduct some of the cost of their tools to help cover the cost of new tools necessary to their trade.

Tax credit for employers to hire apprentices

Through the Apprenticeship Job Creation Tax Credit, employers can receive a non refundable tax credit equal to 10% of the eligible salaries and wages payable to registered apprentices in designated Red Seal trades for the first two years of their apprenticeship contract. The maximum credit is $2,000 per year per eligible apprentice.

Employment Insurance (EI) for apprentices

The Employment Insurance system provides income support to eligible apprentices during their periods of in-school apprenticeship training.

Promoting skilled trades, apprenticeship and labour mobility

The Government of Canada works with sector councils and with the provinces and territories to support and promote the skilled trades and apprenticeship.

The Sector Council Program supports apprenticeship by funding the activities of the Canadian Apprenticeship Forum (CAF) and other sector councils, which bring together industry, labour, educational institutions and other stakeholders. For example, CAF helps to promote apprenticeship and the skilled trades, sponsor high-quality research, and provide a mechanism for ongoing dialogue on issues affecting apprenticeship and the skilled trades across Canada.

The Canadian Council of Directors of Apprenticeship (CCDA) is responsible for the Interprovincial Standards Red Seal Program. This program harmonizes requirements and certification in 50 different skilled trades to improve labour mobility. The Red Seal Program allows qualified tradespeople to practice their trade anywhere in Canada without writing additional exams. The program accounts for about 90% of all apprentices and more than 80% of the total trades workforce in Canada.

• Ellis Chart — Get training and certification details for all apprenticeable programs using this comparative chart of apprentice training programs across Canada.
• National Occupational Analyses (NOAs) — Find out the tasks and skills for Red Seal trades in each province and territory. NOAs are used to develop Red Seal examinations and can be used to develop curricula in training institutions.
• Agreement on Internal Trade (AIT) — The AIT makes it easier for people, investments and services to move across Canada. For example, tradespeople who are qualified in one province will have their qualifications recognized in other provinces and territories.