For parents and students

OYAP in Ontario: What It Is and How to Apply

What the Ontario Youth Apprenticeship Program is, who can do it, how it works with a high school co-op, whether hours count, how to apply, and how it compares with SHSM and a regular co-op.

Published October 6, 2026Last reviewed October 6, 2026How we research and correct this

The short version

OYAP is how an Ontario high school student starts a skilled trade before graduating. You do a co-op placement in a trade, you earn high school credits, and it can be a first step into an apprenticeship. You ask your school board's OYAP recruiter, your guidance counsellor or your co-op teacher. This page makes no promise about what it will lead to.

What is OYAP?

The Ontario Youth Apprenticeship Program lets high school students earn co-op education credits through a work placement in a skilled trade, such as automotive service technician, hairstylist or general carpenter. Ontario describes it as a head start towards completing an apprenticeship. You get into it through your school board.

There is also an accelerated stream, OYAP-FAST, for students in Grade 11 and 12. It lets them take part in more apprenticeship learning while working towards the Ontario Secondary School Diploma, and finishers are awarded the OYAP-FAST seal on the diploma.

The description, the three example trades, the eligibility list and the OYAP-FAST seal are all on this page. It was last updated on 3 December 2025.

Source: Ontario — Ontario Youth Apprenticeship Program

Who can do OYAP?

To take part you must be at least 15, studying part-time or full-time in high school, enrolled in Grade 11 or 12 or equivalent, and have earned at least 14 credits. Students who completed Grade 10 can take part in the summer before Grade 11, if their school offers it.

One gap to ask about.Skilled Trades Ontario's general page on starting an apprenticeship gives 16 as the minimum age, and says people 16 to 17 apply by mail or email while people 18 and over use its online portal. The OYAP page says 15. Neither page explains how the two fit together, so ask your OYAP recruiter what applies to your age and trade.

How does OYAP work with a high school co-op?

An OYAP placement is a co-op placement: you earn co-op credits by working in a skilled trade. Past that, the province's page does not describe the mechanics. Ontario Colleges says OYAP students can become registered apprentices while in school and can complete Level 1 of the in-class training. Your OYAP recruiter explains how it runs at your board.

This is the colleges' site, not the province's, and it shows no update date. It is the only page we read that describes registering as an apprentice during high school and entering a registered training agreement.

Source: Ontario Colleges — School to work transition

Do OYAP hours count toward an apprenticeship?

Ontario Colleges says students can become registered apprentices through OYAP and start putting hours towards their apprenticeship while still in secondary school. Ontario's own OYAP page does not say how hours are counted, so ask your OYAP recruiter how many hours, if any, will be recorded for your placement.

We have not put a number here because none of the official pages we read gave one. How many hours a whole apprenticeship needs depends on the trade; the electrician guide shows what that looks like for one trade.

How do you apply for OYAP?

Contact the OYAP recruiter for your school board. You can also talk to your guidance counsellor or co-op education teacher, who can put you in touch with Employment Ontario if you have questions. The province's page also links to the OYAP website at oyappajo.com.

Check the eligibility list above against your grade, age and credit count.
Tell your guidance counsellor or co-op teacher which trade interests you.
Ask for the OYAP recruiter at your school board, and ask which employers take students in that trade.
Ask how the placement is recorded: credits, hours and whether you would be registered as an apprentice.

What trades can you do OYAP in?

Ontario's OYAP page gives automotive service technician, hairstylist and general carpenter as examples and does not list every trade. Skilled Trades Ontario refers to more than 140 skilled trades in the province. Which ones you can actually do depends on which employers near you take students, and your OYAP recruiter knows that.

To see what a trade involves, start with the trades hub and the Job Bank outlook for trades careers. For the full picture of how an apprenticeship runs, read the parent's guide to apprenticeships. Women thinking about the trades may want the guide for women in the trades.

What does OYAP pay?

The official pages we read give no wage for OYAP students. Skilled Trades Ontario says apprentices are paid during their training, without giving rates. Whether a co-op placement is paid is something to ask the employer and your OYAP recruiter before you start, and for what a trade pays once you are working, use the trade's job page rather than a guess.

The statement that apprentices are paid during their training, and the pages describing OYAP and the Level Up! career fairs for Grades 7 to 12, are here. No date is shown, and it gives no hourly rates or wage scales.

Source: Skilled Trades Ontario — What parents need to know

What if your school does not offer OYAP?

Start with the OYAP recruiter for your school board rather than your school, because the province's page directs you to the board. Ask your guidance counsellor too. If you have already left high school, a pre-apprenticeship program is a separate route. It is free, runs up to 52 weeks and includes a work placement of 8 to 12 weeks, though it does not guarantee an apprenticeship. Apply through Employment Ontario.

Length, cost, the work placement, who is eligible and how to apply are on this page, updated 25 September 2026. It is for people who have graduated or left school early, among others, so it is not a replacement for OYAP while you are still in school.

Source: Ontario — Pre-apprenticeship training

OYAP versus SHSM versus a regular co-op: what is the difference?

OYAP is a co-op placement in a skilled trade that can start an apprenticeship. A Specialist High Skills Major is a bundle of credits, certifications and experiences in one of 19 sectors that earns a seal on your diploma. A regular co-op earns credits through a community placement. Skilled Trades Ontario lists OYAP and SHSM as separate high school routes into the trades.

Ways to start toward a trade, with only what the pages we read say
Route	What it is	Who	Who to ask
OYAP	Co-op credits through a placement in a skilled trade; an Ontario Colleges page says students can become registered apprentices.	At least 15, Grade 11 or 12 or equivalent, 14 credits; Grade 10 completers can take part the summer before Grade 11.	Your school board's OYAP recruiter, guidance counsellor or co-op teacher.
SHSM	A bundle of 8 to 10 credits plus certifications and experiences in one sector, with a seal on the diploma.	The guide describes Grade 11 and 12 credits plus co-op; ask your school which sectors it offers.	Your school.
Regular co-op	Credits through a community work placement combined with classroom instruction.	Not stated on the pages we read.	Your guidance counsellor or co-op teacher.
Pre-apprenticeship	Free training of up to 52 weeks with a work placement of 8 to 12 weeks; no guarantee of an apprenticeship.	Youth and adults who have graduated or left school early, among others; it is not a high school program.	Employment Ontario.

Whether you can combine OYAP with an SHSM at your school is a question for guidance; we did not find a page that says. Read the SHSM guide for the other half, and university, college or apprenticeship if you are still choosing between the paths.

The page lists OYAP, SHSM, co-op and dual credit programs as ways students explore trades in school, and says OYAP begins in the summer before Grade 11 and SHSM targets Grades 11 and 12. Last updated 12 August 2026.

Source: Ontario — Skilled trades in Ontario schools

Where to go next

If you are not sure a trade is the right fit, try a job that is not in one first. Jobs for teens in Ontario covers what you can work at by age. You can also see a wider picture of how everything fits in jobs, described honestly.

Not sure a trade is for you?

Ten minutes. No account, nothing stored.

Future Finder is a free interest explorer for teens. It shows you a few career worlds worth a closer look, including the trades, so you can ask your school about OYAP with a better idea of why.

Try Future Finder

Questions people ask

Straight answers

What is OYAP?: The Ontario Youth Apprenticeship Program lets high school students earn co-op education credits through a work placement in a skilled trade, such as automotive service technician, hairstylist or general carpenter. Ontario describes it as a head start towards completing an apprenticeship. You get into it through your school board.
How old do you have to be for OYAP?: Ontario's OYAP page says you must be at least 15, studying in high school, enrolled in Grade 11 or 12 or equivalent, and have earned at least 14 credits. Students who completed Grade 10 can take part in the summer before Grade 11. Skilled Trades Ontario's general apprenticeship page gives 16 as the minimum age, so ask your OYAP recruiter which applies to you.
Do OYAP hours count toward an apprenticeship?: Ontario Colleges says students can become registered apprentices through OYAP and start putting hours towards their apprenticeship while still in secondary school. Ontario's own OYAP page does not say how hours are counted, so ask your OYAP recruiter how many hours, if any, will be recorded for your placement.
How do you apply for OYAP?: Contact the OYAP recruiter for your school board. You can also talk to your guidance counsellor or co-op education teacher, who can put you in touch with Employment Ontario if you have questions. The province's page also links to the OYAP website at oyappajo.com.
Do you get paid in OYAP?: The official pages we read give no wage for OYAP students. Skilled Trades Ontario says apprentices are paid during their training, without giving rates. Whether a co-op placement is paid is something to ask the employer and your OYAP recruiter before you start.
What is the difference between OYAP and SHSM?: OYAP is a co-op placement in a skilled trade that can start an apprenticeship. A Specialist High Skills Major is a bundle of credits, certifications and experiences in one of 19 sectors that earns a seal on your diploma. They are separate programs, and Skilled Trades Ontario lists both as ways to explore the trades in high school.