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Source: skilledtradesontario.ca

In an effort to streamline how apprenticeship works in the province of Ontario, Skilled Trades Ontario (STO) will be taking over registration of all apprenticeships.

Starting April 2, 2025, the STO will be the go-to place for anything apprenticeship-related. This includes registrations, completions, certifying exams, and certification services. Of course, that means the STO Portal will remain the main platform for apprentices and sponsors to register and manage all their apprenticeship info.

What’s Skilled Trades Ontario?

Established in 2021, Skilled Trades Ontario is an agency of the provincial government’s Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development (MLITSD), which is responsible for apprenticeship and skilled trades certification in Ontario.

The STO’s overarching goal is to make it easier for skilled trades professionals to access services that help them start a trades career – and in doing so, promote careers in the skilled trades while addressing a serious labour shortage.

What’s Changing

Previously, the Ontario government’s Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development (MLITSD) provided prospective apprentices with an Application for Apprenticeship Training form that, once completed by an apprentice and their employer, registered them to become an apprentice in Ontario.

But as of April 2, 2025, that entire process has switched over to Skilled Trades Ontario.

That means they’re now taking on the following essential tasks:

• Registering apprenticeship training agreements and authorizing sponsors, making it easier for prospective tradespeople to start their apprenticeship journey
• Administering certifying exams through Prometric Canada Testing Services, ensuring that exams are professional and secure
• Issuing Certificates of Apprenticeship upon program completion and officially recognizing apprenticeship-related skills and achievements

In the past, many of these functions were handled by the MLITSD. The goal of the new approach is to bring as many functions as possible under the umbrella of the STO, which apprentices already use to track their critical apprenticeship documentation and sponsorship.

What’s NOT Changing

Even with these new responsibilities, some tasks will remain with the provincial government’s MLITSD.

These include:

• Administration of the Ontario Youth Apprenticeship Program (OYAP) and pre-apprenticeship programs
• Administration of in-school training and funding for training delivery partners

These changes are expected to enhance the overall experience for both apprentices and sponsors, making everything more streamlined and efficient. For more info and the latest updates, check out coverage of this story on the Skilled Trades Ontario website.