Skilled trades · Chatham-Kent and Ontario
The trades are a real career. Here's how to start.
No brochure talk. How an apprenticeship works in Ontario, what the trades pay, and the first step whether you are a student, a parent, an adult changing direction or an employer.
By Nick Gonzalez, founder, U.S. Air Force veteranPublished Last reviewed How we research and correct this
Why this page
I've watched people build careers in the trades
I spent ten years in the U.S. Air Force in financial management and construction, then eight years leading operations and growth at a Chatham-Kent business with more than 100 employees. Some of the work I am proudest of there was helping co-op students become apprentices and then journeypersons, and helping tradespeople grow into supervisors and managers.
I started Launch League so more young people in this community get that kind of start. Everything below comes from official sources, and where something is not confirmed, I say so. More about me.
Pick your door
Who is this for?
The trades are open to all four. The first step looks different for each.
I'm a student
Co-op, OYAP and SHSM let you earn credits and real experience in a trade before you graduate. Start by asking guidance, and read how each one works.How OYAP worksI'm a parent
What apprenticeship means for your teenager, how long it takes, and how it compares with college and university.Read the parents' guideI'm an adult looking for a change
Apprenticeship works from 18 on. The step that matters most is finding a sponsor, an employer or union willing to sign you on. Our hub walks through it.How to startI'm an employer
If you take co-op students or apprentices, or would host a career day, tell me. There is no list of local employers yet, so you would be among the first.Get in touch
How it works
How does an apprenticeship work in Ontario?
You learn most trades as an apprentice: you work for an employer and train in class. Skilled Trades Ontario describes about 80% on the job and 20% in class, over two to five years.
Be 16 or older with permission to work in Canada
And meet the education requirement for your trade, which differs by trade.Find a sponsor
An employer or union that signs a training agreement with you and takes responsibility for your training. This is the step most people get stuck on.Register and train
Your agreement is registered with Skilled Trades Ontario. You log your hours and skills in a logbook while you work and attend school blocks.Get certified
You finish with a Certificate of Apprenticeship, and in many trades a Certificate of Qualification and a Red Seal endorsement.
Source: Skilled Trades Ontario, Starting your apprenticeship. The full version, with the compulsory and non-compulsory trade rules, is on our trades hub.
The numbers
What do the trades pay?
Job Bank's published Ontario median hourly pay for trades that usually need a college program or apprenticeship. A provincial middle, not a promise, and not specific to Chatham-Kent.
| Job | Outlook 2025–2027 | Median pay | Women | Usually needs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Railway and yard locomotive engineers | Good | $56.09/hr | 7% | Short programme or training |
| Power system electricians | Good | $50.85/hr | <5% | College or apprenticeship |
| Steamfitters, pipefitters and sprinkler system installersOur guide | Moderate | $45.96/hr | <5% | College or apprenticeship |
| Electrical power line and cable workersOur guide | Good | $45.00/hr | <5% | College or apprenticeship |
| IronworkersOur guide | Moderate | $44.34/hr | <5% | College or apprenticeship |
| Elevator constructors and mechanicsOur guide | Moderate | $43.50/hr | <5% | College or apprenticeship |
| Industrial electriciansOur guide | Moderate | $40.50/hr | <5% | College or apprenticeship |
| Crane operatorsOur guide | Moderate | $40.48/hr | <5% | College or apprenticeship |
The full rankingEverything on the trades hub
Job Bank (Employment and Social Development Canada, from Statistics Canada data), read 5 October 2026. Trades with an hourly wage and at least 500 people employed in Ontario. Not every trade appears.
Try before you commit
Find out if the work fits you
Each guide below covers what the job is really like, including who hates it, what it pays and a short experiment to try this week.
- WelderJoining metal so it holds, usually to a drawing, usually to a tolerance somebody will inspect.Career guide
- ButcherBreaking carcasses and primals into cuts people will buy, with sharp knives, cold rooms and a counter to stand behind.Career guide
- BakerMixing, shaping and baking bread, pastry and cakes, which means starting in the dark and being done by early afternoon.Career guide
- ChefRunning a kitchen: the menu, the crew, the costs and the timing, usually during hours when everyone else is out having dinner.Career guide
- CookMaking food to order or in batches, fast, hot and the same way every time, usually in a kitchen that is too small.Career guide
- ElectricianInstalling and fixing the wiring that every other trade on a site depends on, mostly inside walls somebody else already closed up.Career guide
Employers and tradespeople
Hire, host or speak
If you take co-op students or apprentices, or would speak at a career day, join the list. It is not a commitment and nothing is arranged with anyone yet. I will write to you when there is something real to say.
A short list of local employers and tradespeople interested in connecting with students and job seekers. No fees, no obligation, and I will not share your details.
Questions
Quick answers
- How old do you have to be to start an apprenticeship in Ontario?
- Skilled Trades Ontario says you must be at least 16, have legal permission to work in Canada, meet the education requirement for your trade and have an Ontario sponsor, such as an employer or union. At 16 or 17 you apply with a parent or guardian's consent.
- How long does an apprenticeship take?
- Between two and five years depending on the trade. Skilled Trades Ontario describes about 80% of the program as on-the-job training and about 20% as in-class training.
- Do I need a certain high school grade to start?
- It depends on the trade. Skilled Trades Ontario sets an education requirement for each one, so check your trade's page on skilledtradesontario.ca before you plan around it.
- Is a trade for people who are not going to college?
- No. Apprenticeship, college and university are three different routes, and each suits different people. Our comparison lays out what each costs, how long it takes and where it leads, so you can decide with facts.
- What is the first step for a Grade 11 student?
- Ask your guidance department about co-op and the Ontario Youth Apprenticeship Program (OYAP), which let you start earning credits and experience in a trade before you graduate. Our OYAP guide explains how it works.