Waterloo Centre for the Advancement
of Co-operative Education (WatCACE)
University of Waterloo
200 University Avenue West,
Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
N2L 3G1
Phone: 519-888-4567 x32355
Students participating in apprenticeship want to learn skills, and reach agreements with employers who need skilled workers. Employers are willing to sponsor apprentices and provide paid, related, practical experience under the direction of a certified journeyperson. They also provide a work environment conducive to learning the tasks, activities, and functions of a skilled worker.
Apprenticeship combines roughly 80% workplace experience with 20% technical classroom training, and takes anywhere from two to five years to complete depending on the trade. Both the workplace experience and the technical training are essential components of the learning experience.
Apprenticeship program profiles
Students in the Industrial Mechanic Millwright program engage in experiences that are highly hands-on and customized for both student skill levels and employer operational needs.
Relevant literature
- Gunderson, M., & Krashinsky, H. (2015). Returns to apprenticeship based on the 2006 Canadian census. Industrial and Labor Relations Review, 68(5), 1078-1101.
- Lehmann, W., Taylor, A., & Wright, L. (2014). Youth apprenticeships in Canada: On their inferior status despite skilled labour shortages. Journal of Vocational Education & Training, 66(4), 572-589.
- Lehmann, W., Taylor, A., & Hamm, Z. (2015). “Go west young man!” Youth apprenticeship and opportunity structures in two Canadian provinces. Journal of Education and Work, 28(1), 44-65.
You can view more relevant literature on apprenticeships by visiting WatCACE's WIL research portal.