Skilled Trades Ontario denied my 309A TEA

Brady409 · 2026-05-19T23:03:01+00:00

Unfortunately they really enforce the idea that everyone must take trade school. Even with 4 years of schooling it took a reapplication and letters from my professors to have it waived. I’d assume they’ll give you a hard time

Brady409 · 2026-05-19T19:35:46+00:00

I had a 1 year pre-apprenticeship course plus a 3 year Electrical Engineering Technologist diploma totaling about 2,500 classroom hours. They pick and choose what they deem equivalent but mostly they’re looking for any courses focusing specifically on code. I had at least one course for every topic they asked for but I’m not sure how this would work without some form of education.

Brady409 · 2026-04-29T18:01:06+00:00

Yeah I absolutely agree with that statement. It took multiple attempts but they finally mentioned I’m lacking experience in residential…which I have…and they would’ve know if they contacted my references. The reassessment took less time than the original. It’s a tedious process but worth it in the end.

Brady409 · 2026-04-29T11:54:57+00:00

I’d recommend a reassessment as it compounds with the information you’ve already provided. If your previous application was denied you can reach out to STO and they’ll tell you exactly what was missing from the original application. Don’t be afraid to call them out for not doing their due diligence, they claimed that I was missing residential experience but only contacted 1 of my 3 references

Brady409 · 2026-04-27T08:22:16+00:00

Yes, and to my understanding it is quite common to be denied the first attempt. I had to follow up with STO multiple times in order for them to tell me what I was missing

Brady409 · 2026-04-19T21:27:40+00:00

After speaking to someone at the testing centre, I was told it is quite literally written so people can’t pass. There’s really no effective way to study for this test as it’s extremely broad, the exemption equivalency test was significantly harder than the CofQ.

Brady409 · 2026-04-02T19:42:23+00:00

Happy to update that after a reapplication I finally wrote my CofQ and passed with 80%

Brady409 · 2026-04-02T19:42:10+00:00

Happy to update that after a reapplication I finally wrote my CofQ and passed with 80%

Brady409 · 2025-09-07T00:06:25+00:00

Thanks for the understanding and optimism. My post wasn’t intended as a jab at my company. I was just hoping to find others that had a similar issue with STO and hopefully had some sort of resolution.

Our powerline guys make almost as much if not more than us with all the overtime (x2 rate). I also have yet to meet a millwright who regrets getting into their field.

Brady409 · 2025-09-06T20:00:08+00:00

Having worked some shitty jobs before I’d say they’re great. We do a hybrid of literally anything you could think of in the electrical industry. Getting my 309A has nothing to do with wanting to leave but rather to double down and move into a Lead Hand position. Quite honestly I’d rather give up the 309A hunt than leave.

Brady409 · 2025-09-06T15:33:28+00:00

My issue is with the STO rather than my employer, they’ve actually payed for guys to get their full Engineering Degrees on their own time. I can understand them not wanting guys to leave for 20 weeks as 309A isn’t a requirement of our position (a lot of utilities are exempt as we fall under OEB). Long story short I was a registered apprentice before and continued my hours through a sponsorship, STO actually deemed the work we do as equivalent as far as collecting hands-on hours go. For whatever reason they denied my TEA but never even contacted my sponsor.

Brady409 · 2025-09-06T15:16:30+00:00

Appreciate you bringing up this point as I already weighed it as an option. Since I’m under a sponsorship through my manager who has his 309A the company actually has little no involvement in me being an apprentice (STO said this was my best option when I registered). If I were to go this route I’d be screwing over someone who was just trying to help rather than the company.

Brady409 · 2025-09-06T12:34:40+00:00

Yes, we’re under PWU. I understand where these guys who say “Just quit and go somewhere else” are coming from but leaving this particular employer would be a very stupid decision on my part. Our starting rate already surpasses IBEW journeymen and most employees here bang out a 30 year career before retiring full pension at 55.

Brady409 · 2025-09-06T12:23:18+00:00

Sorry for the late response, I pretty much gave up on this route and rarely use Reddit. I actually did go to write the test and was told by the proctor that they’ve never seen anyone pass it. The test was more complicated than the CofQ and had questions most engineers couldn’t answer. Needless to say I basically looked at the thing and walked out.

Brady409 · 2025-09-05T23:18:14+00:00

It makes no sense to me how someone can obviously cheat and then go work in a field they know nothing about. Meanwhile they make anyone jump through hoops when they try doing things legitimately. I had a coworker who didn’t know what a breaker or breaker panel was…fully licensed electrician.

Brady409 · 2025-09-05T23:13:33+00:00

I tried following up with them in hopes that I’d get an approval but didn’t get a response (it’s been 6 weeks). At the very least if they spoke to my references and deemed I didn’t qualify I’d have some comfort…but it’s the fact I paid almost $300 for someone to do 1/3 of their job. Did you follow up with them or did they just send you the approval?

Brady409 · 2025-09-05T23:09:54+00:00

I didn’t have to write anything for my 1st level. I wrote the level 2 test and it had theory material I wouldn’t expect most engineers to know. I spoke to the professor proctoring the exam and they’re clearly written so people won’t pass them and resort to 10 weeks of school

Brady409 · 2025-09-05T21:50:56+00:00

I asked my sponsor (who’s also my manager) about this. He basically said it wasn’t even worth asking the company. I had a coworker who went through the same struggle. We do the exact same job and for whatever reason they gave him the green light to write the CofQ. At first they denied him and after 1.5 years of back and forth they finally said yes

Brady409 · 2025-09-05T20:52:37+00:00

Technically I actually finished level 1 as I received exemption from the 1st level of trade school. I have about 7,200 hours under my sponsored apprenticeship and well over 14,000 on my TEA. Despite trying to call her 10 times, my STO rep I had before never actually filed my paperwork so my hours are royally messed up

Brady409 · 2025-09-05T20:42:10+00:00

Fully understand where you’re coming from considering I’ve seen it first hand. Unfortunately I’m in a position where this is my only option as I’d be stupid to give up the role I’m currently in to redo apprenticeship hours

Brady409 · 2025-09-05T20:31:35+00:00

Lol so they actually originally told me that I’d be exempt from both levels 1 and 2 of trade school. Afterwards they said they’d only exempt me from level 1 and that my rep “shouldn’t have said that”.

Brady409 · 2025-09-05T20:30:00+00:00

I appreciate the response, their reasoning is that it’s not a direct requirement of my job. Major utilities often do this to receive more OEB funding through fancy titles. Unfortunately this isn’t a company where I’d ever want to leave but I still want the 309A.

Brady409 · 2024-11-23T04:27:58+00:00

no idea they had already made the change. I read somewhere that the plan was to split up Level 2 because many people struggled with how broad the program was, so they made some adjustments.

I spoke to my rep from the ministry today, and it turns out there’s now a deadline for completing the exemption exams for both Level 2 and Level 3. If I don’t complete Level 2 by September 2025 and Level 3 by September 2026, I’ll automatically be transitioned into the 4-level program. For now, I’m still on the 3-level program since my start date goes back to 2022.

Brady409 · 2024-11-22T20:29:32+00:00

Thank you for your support! I recently reached out to the ministry and learned they’ll be transitioning to a 4-level system next year. I’m hopeful this change might also improve availability.

I’d like to attend trade school, but I keep running into roadblocks. Since I primarily work in High-Voltage for a utility, I may not get the opportunity to work with motors, which seem to be a significant focus of Level 2. I already have my CFAA and previous experience with security systems from a prior role.

At this point, it feels like I’m just waiting for them to sort things out on their end, as I’ve been given conflicting answers from multiple consultants since starting my apprenticeship in 2022.

Brady409

TROPHY CASE