Graduates from Ontario pre-apprenticeship programs are struggling to secure required electrician apprenticeships, despite ongoing trade shortages, according to recent accounts from program alumni and industry contractors.
Becoming a fully licensed journeyperson electrician requires completing 9,000 working hours over four to five years, alongside classroom training.
Kayla Climenhaga, a 27-year-old graduate of the 30-week program at North American Trade Schools in London, Ontario, said she contacted numerous electrical contracting firms but received no responses.
“Watching from the side, that obviously looked very appealing,” Climenhaga said. “And it got me really interested in getting into the electrical field.”
While her technical coursework covered wiring, lights, and receptacles, she noted the program lacked adequate guidance on navigating the job market.
“We have all these hands-on skills, we get tools, we get set up for the field, but they don't have career services,” she said.
“I've sent resumes in, just hoping you'll get picked.”
Climenhaga added that many of her peers face identical roadblocks, especially those without existing family or personal connections in the industry.
Cassidy Payne, another graduate from the same trade school, reported similar difficulties after submitting applications online and in person without responses.
“Having the experience from the school gives me a bit of a leg up, but not a bunch,” Payne said.
“I've been sending out resumes online and in person, I've been calling, and I haven't gotten a single interview.”
Industry Structure and Competition
A spokesperson for Skilled Trades Ontario stated via email that there is no fixed cap on apprenticeship registrations, which occur as employers hire and register individuals directly.
“We know how much determination it takes to pursue a career in the skilled trades, and we want to see people like the graduates you spoke with succeed,” the spokesperson said.
John Finan, owner of Finan Home Service, explained that provincial regulations require a strict one-to-one ratio between licensed journeypersons and registered apprentices, creating competitive bottlenecks for companies.
“The real trick for young people in getting an apprenticeship is to get out there looking for that registered apprenticeship because they're not making money and they're not gaining work experience,” Finan said.
Finan emphasized that pre-apprenticeship trade courses do not guarantee an immediate position with an employer.
“If I have one journeyman who's free and can be matched up with one apprentice, that's a golden ticket for somebody,” he said.
According to Skilled Trades Ontario, first-time registrations in the Construction and Maintenance trade reached 2,886 in 2021, 3,077 in 2022, 3,222 in 2023, 3,605 in 2024, and 2,685 in 2025.
