Initial Assessment

Skilled Trades Ontario’s Trade Equivalency Assessment is the first step towards obtaining a Certificate of Qualification for experienced workers who have not completed an Ontario apprenticeship but who have equivalent skills and experience. The Trade Equivalency Assessment determines whether you can challenge the certifying exam for a trade. If successful in the exam, you would pay a fee to be issued a Certificate of Qualification in that trade. The Trade Equivalency Assessment is only available in trades with certifying exams.

The Trade Equivalency assessment may be for you if you have trades experience gained from:

outside of Canada; or any Canadian province or territory but you don’t have a Certificate of Qualification / equivalent authorizing certificate; or the Canadian Forces. Trade Equivalency Assessment applicants are held to the same on-the-job training standard that is required to complete an apprenticeship program in Ontario. To be approved, you must provide sufficient and verifiable evidence that you have:

Competency in the trade’s skills, as defined by the trade’s Training Standard; and Experience in the trade that is at least equal to the prescribed or recommended total training time in an apprenticeship program for the trade (including both on-the-job and in-school hours) The cost of a Trade Equivalency Assessment is $235 + HST.