Frequently Asked Questions

An apprentice is someone learning a trade while he or she is employed. An apprentice has an apprenticeship contract with an employer that is registered with SkilledTradesBC.

A journey person is someone who has learned the skills of the trade. A journey person holds a Certificate of Apprenticeship or Certificate of Qualification for their craft.

In certain trades it is possible for graduate apprentices to qualify for the Interprovincial Red Seal, which means their trade qualifications are recognized throughout Canada. The interprovincial Red Seal is awarded upon obtaining a passing mark of 70% on an approved interprovincial examination.

You must be a registered apprentice and you must take your apprenticeship training in sequential order, Level 1, 2, 3, 4. For example, you can not take level 2 without completing level 1.

BCIT offers Trades Discovery for Women and Trades Discovery General for both women and men, which explore the different aspects of each trade.

An apprenticeship can be up to 5 years depending on the trade. An apprenticeship consists of on the job training plus in-school technical training usually taken once a year. The length of training the in-school portion of your training depends on the trade. For example, Electrical is 10 weeks, and Boilermaker is 5 weeks.

Please refer to the fee schedule for details. Books and supply costs can vary with each level of training. Book requirements are available from the bookstore. Contact Apprentice Services for more information.

BCIT offers apprenticeship training in over 20 trades.

Yes, and if you complete your highest level of apprenticeship training at BCIT and receive your Trade Qualification, then you are eligible for a BCIT Trades Training Diploma. Refer to BCIT’s training schedule for available dates.

You will need to contact SkilledTradesBC at 1-866-660-6011 or customerservice@skilledtradesbc.ca. BCIT offers refresher courses in some trades to help prepare you to write the exam:

BCIT Student Employment Services offers you many kinds of assistance in your job search, although the job-finding responsibility rests with you. Register for eJobs, BCIT’s on-line job posting system. Employers who want to hire you advertise on eJobs every day.

For additional assistance, WorkBC Employment Services offers services that include job-search resources, personal employment planning, skills assessment and training, and work experience placement.

BCIT is required to ensure that adults who are attending a BCIT program located on a high school site have completed a criminal record check before they are fully accepted to attend a program at that site.

Do NOT complete a criminal record check through the Criminal Records Review act. Criminal record checks can be obtained through your local police agency (Commissionaire BC, RCMP or Police Detachment). All costs pertaining to this search are the responsibility of the applicant. Proceed with your check as soon as possible as the processing time is approximately two weeks.

If you have a criminal record, this does not automatically prevent you from attending a high school site. Depending on the nature of the offence, you may or may not be permitted to attend. The final decision rests with the Registrar at BCIT. Visit the BC Government’s list of offenses reviewed for more information.

Submit the original criminal record check to Apprentice Services in-person or by mail. Include your BCIT ID and the name of your program. Email or fax copies will be accepted; however, BCIT reserves the right to request the original at any time.  Please note that if you have submitted a criminal record check to BCIT within the last 5 years, you do not need to submit another check.

Please visit Technical Safety BC’s Gas Certification page for exam information.

Fee payment, refunds and other information for apprentices are covered in Admission and Registration.

If your employer is paying for your training, please have your employer contact BCIT Apprentice Services.

Yes. Find out which books you need at the bookstore.

Refer to the Equipment and Supply Requirements for Apprentice Programs [PDF] form to ensure you are prepared for the first day of your program.