What is OYAP?
The Ontario Youth Apprenticeship Program is a program funded through the Ministry of Training, Colleges & Universities. It was implemented to increase awareness of technological and skilled trade careers. OYAP provides students the opportunity to gain hands-on, practical training that will assist with their career exploration and transition. OYAP Students are permitted to train as apprentices while in the program. Click on one of the links below for additional information about OYAP.
Frequently Asked Questions
1) Q: Am I automatically registered as an apprentice through OYAP?
A: No. Students may train as an apprentice while they are in the Ontario Youth Apprenticeship Program (OYAP); however, once their program ends, they no longer can train as an apprentice unless the Ministry of Training, Colleges & Universities (MTCU) registers the student as an apprentice. The employer must be willing to apprentice the student for the MTCU to register them (e.g. students may train on automotive brake systems through OYAP. If the student was not an OYAP student then they are not permitted to train on automotive brakes until they are registered as an apprentice through the MTCU).
2) Q: Do my OYAP hours count towards an apprenticeship?
A: Yes and No. When a student requests to register as an apprentice, the MTCU and the student's employer will decide if they will count the OYAP training hours. It will be based on the content the student has learned (e.g. If a student works in an automotive shop in the parts department, his/her hours may not be allotted towards an automotive technician apprenticeship as it is not a competency related to that apprenticeship program). If a student participates in a co-op program in an automotive shop, it does not necessarily mean they are learning tasks related to an automotive technician apprenticeship. Hours will be based on what a student has learned and if it is one of the requirements of the apprenticeship program. The decision will be made by the MTCU and employer.
3) Q: How do I become an OYAP student?
A: OYAP is a co-operative (co-op) education program that permits students to train as an apprentice while participating in their co-op. Students wishing to participate in OYAP will be required to complete an OYAP Participation Form. The purpose of this form is to give permission to the Waterloo Region District School Board to register an OYAP student's information with the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities (MTCU). Once a student's information is registered with the MTCU, he/she will be provided an OYAP ID Card which indicates the student is a registered OYAP student and can begin training as an apprentice. Students interested in participating in OYAP, will need to register through the co-operative education department at their school.
4) Q: How do I register as an apprentice?
A: Students MUST have an employer willing to sponsor them as an apprentice to registered with the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities (MTCU). Once a co-operative (co-op) education teacher verifies that an employer wishes to register an OYAP student as an apprentice, that student must complete PART II of the OYAP Participation Form. Part II permits the Waterloo Region District School Board to collect an OYAP student's Social Insurance Number (SIN) and register it with the MTCU. The MTCU cannot register a student as an apprentice without his/her SIN number. Only OYAP students can register as an apprentice while in high school.
5) Q: Should I register as an apprentice although my employer will not be training me after my OYAP program is complete?
A: YES and NO: Employers can now receive up to a $10,000 tax credit per year for training an apprentice (maximum of 4 years). Once a student registers as an apprentice, the "clock starts ticking" as to how long an employer can benefit from the tax credit. If an OYAP student's employer is willing to register him/her as an apprentice, but does not plan to continue to train him/her once the program has ended, the "clock keeps ticking" on the tax credit. This means, if a former OYAP student finds another employer willing to train him/her as an apprentice once he/she is finished with high school, that employer may only get the benefit of 2 years of the tax credit. Some employers will not apprentice students if they cannot benefit from the full 4 years of the tax credit. This may make it more difficult for a student to get registered in the future.
PLEASE NOTE: The tax credit is not availalbe for some skilled trades (e.g. the tax credit does not pertain to the cook apprenticeship program). Check with your co-op teacher or the OYAP department to find out if your skilled trade area is effected by the tax credit. The MTCU recommends that students find an employer willing to train them before they register as an apprentice through OYAP.
6) Q: If an employer registers an OYAP student as an apprentice, do they benefit from the tax credit?
A: YES and NO: If an employer decides they want to apprentice an OYAP student, they may or may not be eligible for the tax credit. Not all trades are eligible for the tax credit (employers and students should check with the OYAP department if they are unsure if a particular trade is effected by the tax credit). If a trade is eligible for the tax credit, the employer can only benefit from the tax credit if they are paying the student. If the employer is not paying the student then they are NOT eligible to receive the tax credit. For example, if an employer wishes to register an OYAP student as an apprentice in grade 11, but does not pay the student, the employer will NOT be eligible to receive a tax credit. Once the student graduates and the employer pays the student, then the employer will be eligible for the tax credit. HOWEVER, the "clock started ticking" on the tax credit as soon as the student was registered as an apprentice in grade 11; therefore if the student has already been registered for 2 years, then the employer would only be able to claim the tax benefit for the remaining 2 years of the apprenticeship (not the maximum of 4).
It is recommended that an employer waits to register an OYAP student as an apprentice until the employer is able to pay the student (usually once the student has graduated). Due to the fact the student was an OYAP student, the employer may still recognize the student's hours once he/she is registered and the employer can now benefit from the maximum of 4 years of the tax credit (as long as they are training the apprentice).
7) What is the difference between restricted (in-voluntary) and non-restricted (voluntary) trades?
There are some careers where it is a REQUIREMENT to complete an apprenticeship program and take a final Certificate of Qualification exam to receive a licence to practice in that trade (e.g. electrician, plumber, automotive service technician). These skilled trades are called "restricted" trades because the Ministry restricts individuals from practicing this trade without a licence. There are other trades that do not require a licence to work in that area (e.g. carpenter, roofer, horticulture technician). Because individuals can work in these areas without a licence, they are considered non-restricted trades.