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.
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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.
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“I've been sending out resumes online and in person, I've been calling, and I haven't gotten a single interview.”
