What is the Ontario Youth Apprenticeship Program (OYAP)?
The Ontario Youth Apprenticeship Program (OYAP) is a School to Work program that opens the door for students to explore and work in apprenticeship occupations starting in Grade 11 or Grade 12 through the Cooperative Education program.
Students have an opportunity to become registered apprentices and work towards becoming certified journeypersons in a skilled trade while completing their secondary school diplomas.
The goals of OYAP are:
- To provide students with the opportunity to start training in a skilled trade while completing the requirements for an Ontario Secondary School Diploma;
- To enable students to make the school to work transition by direct entry into apprenticeship training;
- To provide employers with the opportunity to train the skilled workers they require;
- To provide a viable solution to address the problem of skilled tradespeople shortages in general, and specifically the lack of young people joining the trades.