Sponsoring an apprentice can be a great way to develop your labour force. As a sponsor, you the employer can build your team by providing an individual with hands-on training, as an apprentice. In addition, a $2,000 Apprenticeship Employer Signing/Retention Bonus is available to employers who hire, register and train an apprentice.
To train an apprentice, the employer is required to:
- Have the facilities, people and equipment needed to provide the training
- Allow the apprentice time off to attend classes
- Classroom training is mandatory and can be subsidized to keep costs low for you and your apprentice
- Meet the Ontario regulations that apply to their trade, such as:
- Wage rates – including Ontario minimum wage (where applicable)
- Adhere to the ratio of journey-persons to apprentices
When the employer has a made a decision to train an apprentice, the apprentice must apply for apprentice registration. In the application, the apprentice is required to include the name of the employer as the sponsor. If the employer has not been approved previously as a sponsor, he or she will be contacted by their local Employment Ontario apprenticeship office to confirm their qualifications as a sponsor.
For more information, contact WEST at 519-256-6621 or visit:
