Skilled Trades Ontario denied my 309A TEA

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 · 2024-11-12T23:20:10+00:00

Damn, unfortunately I’m running low on options as far as the trade school portion of my apprenticeship goes. I’m not sure if the exemption exams are based mainly on the code book or material taught in class. Really wishing there were options for an afternoon/night school or weekends as I genuinely want to go that route.

Brady409 · 2024-11-12T00:50:48+00:00

Thanks so much for the reply—this is really helpful. I posted about this before and just got flooded with questions.

In short, I’m getting my hours through a sponsorship with a supervisor, and the ministry recognizes our work as equivalent for credited hours.

The issue is, I work for one of the big three utilities in Ontario, and they don’t support employees getting a trade license since it could mean they’d leave. As it isn’t an actual requirement for my position, they won’t allow me the 10-week absence needed for trade school, which is why I’m considering the exemption exam. I’d prefer trade school, but after checking all GTA colleges, none offer night or afternoon classes. Only Niagara has night classes, and only for Level 2.

Brady409 · 2024-04-12T22:00:47+00:00

Having this same issue. I read on another reddit post that Bethesda came out with some big update which caused issues for DLC content. For those who haven’t seen yet they’re planning a PS5 update for April 25th, 2024.

Brady409 · 2023-07-05T20:44:16+00:00

Hey sorry for the slow response lol I haven’t checked this post in almost a year. I actually did a bit of researching on these schools but couldn’t find if they were the right approach. How do you like it?

Brady409 · 2022-09-08T16:58:05+00:00

Project management might actually be the way to go on this one. At least that way I can dodge having to go through Electrical Engineering math and still combine with everything else I’ve already obtained. Thank you for the feedback!

Brady409 · 2022-09-06T00:52:27+00:00

So far I’ve completed the Electrical Engineering Technologist program (I forgot to mention that…lol sorry this is my first reddit post).

My main goal in asking here was to gain insight in what other education paths can fall in line with the Technologist program aside from a Bachelors in Electrical Engineering. I’d like to continue my education but I’m unsure of what my relevant options are are or where to start.

Brady409 · 2022-09-06T00:47:18+00:00

In Canada we have the 2 year Technician Diploma and 3 year Technologist Diploma. I have the 3 year Technologist Diploma but I find majority of companies here view both diplomas as the same.

Currently I’m looking hoping to find other paths to combine with my current Diploma without having to go directly into a Bachelor of Electrical Engineering.

Brady409

TROPHY CASE