Durham College (DC) has a reputation for being a trainer of choice for those pursuing careers in the skilled trades for more than 25 years. Now, thanks to recent approvals by the provincial government that further attest to the strength of four DC post-secondary trades programs, graduates from some programs can receive advanced standing toward completing an apprenticeship program, providing an additional incentive for employers to hire them.
Students who graduate from one of these four programs and pursue an apprenticeship can now discuss exemption from the in-school portion of studies with their employers:
Apprenticeship programs are governed by the Ministry of Labour, Training and Skills Development and require an apprentice to be hired by an employer that will provide on-the-job training for a defined period of time, interspersed with on-campus studies at the college.
With the new approvals from the government, graduates of these four post-secondary programs will now be in greater demand by employers. That is because if the employer agrees to recognize the training already completed, they will save money and time not having to replace the apprentice during on-campus studies or losing their services while they are studying. In addition, they will be hiring an individual who has experience in and a broader understanding of the industry. The apprentices will still need the same total of on-the-job hours to complete an apprenticeship level, but their primary focus would be with their employer’s needs.
DC received approval for the attestations following an extensive mapping by program teams to the provincial standards. All course assessments, lab activities and other learning materials were mapped against the apprenticeship standards to ensure all apprenticeship outcomes were being met. The attestations are also in programs where the college is seeing high demand from employers for new professionals in the years ahead.
The approved agreements to recognize prior learning pertain specifically to the following programs:
- Mechanical Technician – Elevating Devices graduates can request exemption from the in-class portion of the to Elevating Devices Mechanic 636E apprenticeship, Levels 1, 2 and 3;
- Mechanical Technician – Millwright has been mapped to Industrial Mechanic (Millwright) IMM 433A apprenticeship, Levels 1, 2 and 3;
- Automotive Technician – Service and Management has been mapped to Automotive Service Technician 310S apprenticeship, Levels 1 and 2; and
- Welding Engineering Technician WETN has been mapped to Welder 456A apprenticeship, Levels 1, 2 and 3.
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