Resources

 ARISE – Apprenticeship Readiness Inventory Skills Evaluation

ARISE is an assessment and training support resource designed to help apprentices and apprenticeship candidates identify and strengthen essential skills required for apprenticeship training and certification. The resource supports employers, training providers, and practitioners in helping apprentices prepare for technical training and workplace learning. The evaluation:

·       Assesses essential skills such as math, reading, document use, and communication required for apprenticeship training

·       Helps identify learning challenges that may affect apprenticeship success

·       Supports development of individualized learning and upgrading plans

·       Provides resources and referrals to literacy and upgrading programs, including Get SET training

·       Supports preparation for apprenticeship in-school training and certification exams

·       Provides guidance and resources that help employers support apprentice learning and retention

ARISE is available online and includes assessment tools, learning supports, and referral resources designed to support apprenticeship readiness and completion.

 Start an Apprenticeship

Start an Apprenticeship provides step-by-step guidance for individuals interested in entering apprenticeship training in Ontario. It explains eligibility requirements, how apprenticeship training works, and how to register as an apprentice with a sponsor. It supports learners, job seekers, and practitioners in understanding pathways into skilled trades careers.

This website:

·       Explains eligibility requirements for apprenticeship, including age, legal work status, education requirements, and sponsor requirements

·       Describes how apprenticeship training begins when a training agreement is signed with a sponsor and registered with Skilled Trades Ontario

·       Provides guidance on finding apprenticeship sponsors, including employers, unions, Employment Ontario services, and college career centres

·       Lists information required to apply for apprenticeship registration, including personal details, sponsor information, and work training details

·       Explains pathways that help learners explore trades prior to apprenticeship, including school programs and pre-apprenticeship opportunities

·       Provides information about apprenticeship training structure, which combines workplace training with in-school technical training

This resource is available online and provides guidance, pathway information, and application instructions to support individuals preparing to enter apprenticeship training in Ontario.

 Explore the Skilled Trades

Explore the Skilled Trades introduces women and gender-diverse individuals to careers in the skilled trades. It offers information sessions, training opportunities, and connections to programs that support entry into apprenticeship pathways and construction careers. OBCT works to increase awareness, recruitment, and retention of women in the trades through mentorship, training, and advocacy supports.

This resource:

·       Introduces skilled trades career options and pathways into apprenticeship training through information sessions and career exploration supports

·       Connects participants to training programs, pre-apprenticeship opportunities, and workforce development initiatives designed for women and gender-diverse individuals

·       Provides access to hands-on learning opportunities, site visits, certification training, and job readiness workshops through partner programs

·       Supports mentorship and peer networking opportunities that help participants navigate apprenticeship training and workplace challenges

·       Shares information about scholarships, grants, and equitable training pathways that support participation in the skilled trades

·       Promotes awareness of the benefits of careers in skilled trades, including job stability, career advancement, and financial independence

Explore the Trades is available online and connects learners to information sessions, mentorship supports, and training opportunities that support entry into apprenticeship and skilled trades careers.

 LiUNA and Skills Upgrading Report

The LiUNA and Skills Upgrading Report examines the role of literacy and essential skills upgrading in supporting learners preparing for apprenticeship training in construction and labourer trades. The report summarizes research and learner interviews conducted to identify common learning barriers, skills gaps, and supports that help pre-apprentices succeed in training and employment pathways. It highlights the importance of individualized literacy supports and partnerships between training providers, unions, and literacy programs in improving apprenticeship readiness and retention.

This report:

·       Examines literacy, numeracy, and learning challenges commonly experienced by pre-apprentices preparing for trades training

·       Highlights the role of individualized assessments and learner interviews in identifying upgrading needs

·       Describes educational and employment histories and learning barriers that affect apprenticeship readiness

·       Provides insights into how literacy upgrading supports success in union training and apprenticeship programs

·       Identifies strategies for strengthening partnerships between literacy programs, unions, and training providers

·       Shares recommendations for improving skills upgrading supports for apprenticeship candidates

The LiUNA and Skills Upgrading Report is available as a downloadable research report that provides practitioner insights, program recommendations, and evidence supporting literacy upgrading as a key factor in apprenticeship success.

 Get SET Apprenticeship Toolkit

The Get SET Apprenticeship Toolkit is a comprehensive collection of apprenticeship preparation resources developed for Get SET programs across Ontario. The toolkit provides curriculum materials, learner activities, videos, webinars, and partnership tools designed to help facilitators support learners interested in skilled trades pathways. The resources were developed in consultation with Get SET practitioners and literacy networks and are designed to be practical, accessible, and easy to implement.

This toolkit:

·       Provides infographics and learning materials that explain apprenticeship pathways and system navigation

·       Includes videos and learner activities that explore careers in skilled trades

·       Provides learner and practitioner guides for researching apprenticeship pathways

·       Includes math-focused activities that help learners understand financial planning and funding supports related to apprenticeship training

·       Provides resources explaining education requirements and upgrading pathways for apprenticeship entry

·       Includes partnership tools and tipsheets that support collaboration between literacy programs and apprenticeship training providers

·       Provides mapping tools and resource guides to help identify local apprenticeship, employment, and upgrading supports

·       Includes recorded webinars that support practitioner professional development related to apprenticeship pathways and learner engagement

The Get SET Apprenticeship Toolkit is available online and includes downloadable curriculum materials, learner activities, partnership tools, and professional development resources designed to support apprenticeship preparation within Get SET programming.

 Enhanced Literacy Service Planning for Apprenticeship: Web Resources Reference List

The Enhanced Literacy Service Planning for Apprenticeship: Web Resources Reference List provides a wide selection of apprenticeship resources that support apprenticeship readiness, system navigation, and skills upgrading. This curated list highlights the role of literacy programming in helping learners understand apprenticeship training requirements and succeed in both workplace and in-school training environments.

This resource list:

·       Provides research findings related to literacy supports needed for apprenticeship preparation and success

·       Identifies web-based apprenticeship resources that support learner career exploration, training planning, and workplace skill development

·       Explains how training standards and curriculum standards outline workplace competencies and in-school training requirements for trades

·       Provides examples of how literacy instructors can use apprenticeship training materials to develop relevant learning activities

·       Identifies resources that support researching trades careers, including job descriptions, skills requirements, training pathways, and wage information

·       Highlights tools that support connecting learners with apprenticeship employers and training opportunities

·       Provides guidance to help literacy practitioners support apprenticeship readiness and service planning

The Enhanced Literacy Service Planning for Apprenticeship: Web Resources Reference List  supports literacy practitioners, training providers, and workforce partners assisting learners pursuing apprenticeship pathways.

 #HereForApprentices Podcast Series

#HereForApprentices Podcast Series features a podcast series and related materials that share apprenticeship success stories, mentorship insights, and labour market trends. It promotes awareness of apprenticeship opportunities and provides practical guidance to help individuals explore and succeed in skilled trades careers.

The podcast series:

·       Shares apprenticeship success stories and real-life career experiences from apprentices, journeypersons, and employers

·       Provides mentorship insights and career guidance related to apprenticeship pathways and workplace learning

·       Highlights labour market trends, high-demand trades, and emerging career opportunities in the skilled trades

·       Promotes career exploration and awareness of hands-on learning and apprenticeship training opportunities

·       Provides information that supports learners, employers, and practitioners in understanding apprenticeship training and career progression

·       Supports knowledge sharing through podcast episodes featuring industry leaders, trades professionals, and apprenticeship graduates

These podcast episodes are designed to support apprenticeship exploration, workforce development, and skilled trades promotion.

 Guelph-Wellington Routes to Skilled Trades and Apprenticeship

Guelph-Wellington Routes to Skilled Trades and Apprenticeship is designed to help Get SET instructors in the Guelph and Wellington area support adult learners to explore skilled trades and apprenticeship pathways. It includes a routing map that provides a comprehensive overview of entry routes into apprenticeship and outlines how literacy programs and community services support learner transitions into trades training and employment.

The resource:

·       Provides a visual overview of multiple entry routes into skilled trades and apprenticeship pathways

·       Explains apprenticeship entry options such as employer sponsorship, trade unions, college diploma programs, and OYAP pathways

·       Supports career exploration by outlining training routes and requirements for entering skilled trades

·       Helps instructors explain apprenticeship system navigation and training processes

·       Supports outreach and partnership discussions between literacy programs and community organizations

·       Highlights how Get SET programs support learners preparing for apprenticeship and skilled trades training

·       Provides step-by-step pathway information that supports learner goal planning and transition preparation

Guelph-Wellington Routes to Skilled Trades and Apprenticeship is available as a downloadable visual routing map designed to support apprenticeship exploration within Get SET and literacy programming. It can also be used as a template for other communities or for community outreach and partnership development.

 Pre-Apprenticeship in Ontario Webinar

: In the Pre-Apprenticeship in Ontario webinar, James Fielding from Georgian College's Muskoka campus discusses how pre-apprenticeship programming supports learner transitions into apprenticeship pathways and skilled trades employment. It highlights the relationship between pre-apprenticeship programs, literacy upgrading, and apprenticeship readiness.

This webinar:

·       Explains how pre-apprenticeship programs prepare learners for skilled trades training and apprenticeship entry

·       Identifies common skill gaps that may affect learner readiness for apprenticeship training

·       Describes how literacy upgrading programs support learners pursuing apprenticeship pathways

·       Provides practitioner insights from training providers and apprenticeship pathway specialists

·       Supports understanding of how community-based programs assist learners transitioning into skilled trades employment

The Pre-Apprenticeship in Ontario webinar is the first of three webinars in CLO’s apprenticeship series. It is available online and includes a recorded webinar and slide deck designed to support practitioner learning, apprenticeship preparation, and literacy program planning for learners pursuing skilled trades pathways.

 Supporting Apprentices in Ontario Webinar

Supporting Apprentices in Ontario is a webinar that explores how literacy and upgrading programs support apprentices throughout their apprenticeship journey. In the second webinar of the three-part series, Jamie Rice, Skilled Trades Advocate at Skilled Trades Ontario, discusses how Get SET and literacy programs can assist apprentices who need additional support while completing apprenticeship training and certification requirements. The webinar also explores system changes affecting apprenticeship administration in Ontario and the practical challenges apprentices may face during training.

This webinar:

·       Explains how literacy and upgrading programs support apprentices throughout their training and workplace learning

·       Identifies common challenges apprentices experience during apprenticeship training and certification preparation

·       Discusses supports that help apprentices prepare for Certificate of Qualification and Red Seal certification exams

·       Provides practitioner insights into apprenticeship system changes and evolving program requirements in Ontario

·       Supports understanding of how community-based programs assist apprentices in completing training and progressing in skilled trades careers

Supporting Apprentices in Ontario is available on the CLO website and includes a recorded webinar and slide deck designed to support practitioner learning, apprenticeship retention strategies, and literacy program planning for learners pursuing skilled trades pathways.