10 Sponsor Employer Relationship

As a trade apprentice, it is required to have a sponsor employer at all times throughout the apprenticeship.  Some of the responsibilities that the sponsoring organization would include:

1. Creating a workplace training plan for the trade apprentice: Each apprentice needs to have a clear understanding on which certified journeypersons (or equivalent) is responsible for the apprentice’s work-based training. A training plan needs to incorporate work-based training that encompasses the full scope of the trade.
2. Being a registered organization with the provincial/territorial apprenticeship training authority: The sponsoring employer will have to register with the provincial or territorial trade apprentice authority, showing that the organization can fulfill the duties to train a trade apprentice.
3. Register each trade apprentice with the organization: All trade apprentices claiming work-based hours with an organization need to be recorded as an apprentice associated with that organization.
4. Track and report work-based training hours for each apprentice: The sponsor employer needs to track each apprentice’s hours and report them to the Provincial or Territorial apprenticeship training authority. Work-based training hours must be completed under the direct supervision of a certified tradesperson.
5. Review and confirm documentation: A sponsor employer is responsible for reviewing each apprentice’s official records and reporting any discrepancies to the Provincial/Territorial apprenticeship training authority. This may include when an apprentice completes a level of technical training or there is a change in status of employment with that apprentice.
6. Release the apprentice for technical training (ie. block training): Approximately 20% of an apprentice’s time will be in technical training, which includes both theoretical and practical assessments. It is required for the sponsoring employer to make it possible for an apprentice to take technical training.  This may include releasing the apprentice from any work obligations during this time.
7. Recommend certification: When an apprentice has completed all work-based training, technical training, and other program requirements including passing any relevant certification exams, the sponsoring employer needs to attest that an apprentice is now working at the skill level of a certified tradesperson.

Apprenticeships are a shared group effort between the apprentice, sponsored employer, educational training institute, and the Provincial or Territorial Trades Training Authority.  Trade apprentices have just as much responsibility in learning specialized skills, attending technical training, and promoting the employer’s best interests at all times in the completion towards trades certification.