Cabinet Maker (Apprenticeship) - Conestoga College of Applied Arts and TechnologyCabinetmaking Education in CanadaCarpentry and Woodworking Programs -- Community College Programs
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Cabinet Maker (Apprenticeship) - Conestoga College of Applied Arts and Technology What is an apprenticeship? An apprenticeship is a method of learning a trade through a combination of periods of in-class, technical/theoretical education and periods of paid, on-the-job training. During the latter portions of an apprenticeship, the student (apprentice) will work, in an indentured capacity, under the direction of a certified, journeyperson member of the trade one is learning, for a specific period of time. A journeyperson is an individual who has earned the standards of practice of his/her trade. In Ontario, apprenticeships are under the authority of the Ministry of Training, Colleges, and Universities. In Ontario, completing a cabinetmaking apprenticeship, both in-class and on-the-job components, normally takes about 4 years. At Conestoga, the in-class portions of the apprenticeship will be delivered via 3 eight-week levels (basic, intermediate, and advanced). About 80 to 85 percent of an apprenticeship is comprised of experiential learning. The wage an apprentice earns depends on various factors such as education/training, experience, and economic aspects like supply and demand. An apprentice can, however, start at about 40 to 50 percent of what a journeyperson would earn in the trade being learned, and increasing with each progression in the various stages of the apprenticeship. The advantage of completing an apprenticeship is not only that one acquires in-depth knowledge and skills in a trade but also that, within the latter, one's career opportunities and salary potential are normally increased. Furthermore, once an individual has obtained journeyperson status, he/she may be eligible to have his/her certification as such endorsed by the Interprovincial Standards Red Seal Program (Red Seal). The latter enables the journeyperson to practice his/her trade throughout Canada, provided the trade is designated in that locale, without undergoing further examinations. How does one become an apprentice? In Ontario, to be eligible to enter an apprenticeship, an individual must be at least 16 years of age of age and have completed a minimum of Grade 10, or equivalent. Before a person can enter an apprenticeship program, he/she must find a qualified (journeyperson) employer willing to apprentice him/her. The responsibility for finding an employer ultimately rests with the person wanting to be apprenticed. However, the Ministry and the Ontario government has a variety of services designed to help interested persons get started on their way to being apprenticed. For example, the Ministry offers the Ontario Youth Apprenticeship, Co-op Diploma Apprenticeship, and Pre-Apprenticeship Training programs The Ontario Youth Apprenticeship helps secondary school students begin 'training to be an apprentice while completing high school.' The Co-op Diploma Apprenticeship provides assistance to students to 'train as an apprentice while completing a related college course.' Finally, the Pre-Apprenticeship Training Program affords 'opportunities for people to learn trade-related skills essential to becoming an apprentice.' Furthermore, individuals can complete a relevant program at a College, such one of Conestoga College of Applied Arts and Technology's Woodworking programs. The advantage of completing a relevant program and/or training before seeking to be apprenticed is that the graduate often finds favour with potential employers because he/she has obtained the skills required to become immediately productive on the job, and thus may find sponsorship easier to come by. Moreover, a person who possesses previous training and/or work experience in the trade in which he/she wants to be apprenticed may be eligible to receive time credits towards the apprenticeship program and/or may be able to challenge the latter's technical training portion. Before an individual can be officially indentured, he/she and his/her employer must officially register with the Ministry. To begin the registration process, the student, once he/she has found an employer willing to train him/her, must contact the nearest Government of Ontario apprenticeship office and schedule 'an appointment with a ministry consultant.' Once the apprenticeship has been approved, the apprentice may proceed to apply to Conestoga College's Cabinet Maker (Apprenticeship) program for the in-class, technical/theoretical aspects of the apprenticeship.
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