We have a team of knowledgeable and competent millwrights, welders, and riggers to ensure the safe and seamless relocation of heavy equipment and machinery. We couldn’t do it without them! If you’re wondering how to start a career in millwrighting and possibly work here at Ready Machinery Movers, we’ve compiled a list of steps.
In Ontario, millwrighting and welding are considered industrial trades. To become a millwright, you must complete an apprenticeship program administered by the Ministry of Labour. This apprenticeship consists of on-site and in-school training and takes approximately 6000 hours or 3 years.
If you’re still in high school, you can get a leg up by completing a Specialist High Skills Major – a secondary-school program that allows students to develop technical skills and gain work experience. Not to worry if you’ve already completed high school however, to qualify for an apprenticeship, all you need is:
- to be at least 16 years of age
- to have legal permission to work in Canada
- to meet the educational requirement of your trade, in this case, a completed high school degree or equivalent
- to have a workplace sponsor in Ontario
A workplace sponsor is a person who provides you with your on-site training and can be a single employer, a contractor, or a group of employers like a union. Finding a sponsor is one of the harder parts of the apprenticeship process, but there are a few strategies you can use:
- High school students can ask their guidance counsellors for referrals to the Ontario Youth Apprenticeship Program.
- Colleges have placement offices or career centers designed to help students find employers.
- Employment Ontario offers services like matching apprentices to sponsors.
- Regular job-searching strategies like online job banks, networking, or unions.
Once you’ve found your sponsor, apply to start your apprenticeship through the Skilled Trades Ontario Portal. You’ll need contact information for you and your sponsor and work arrangement details like the start dates and number of weekly hours. If you are under 18 years of age, you have to download a paper application for your parents/guardians and sponsor to sign and then submit it to an Employment Ontario apprenticeship office.
Once you’ve been accepted, the Ministry of labour will create a training agreement for you and your sponsor, and you’re ready to start your program. Although you’ll spend the most time on the job, you’ll also have some in-class components to complete, with three levels of theoretical learning.
After you’ve completed your program, the Ministry of Labour will send you your official Certification of Qualification, and you’ll be able to start applying for full-time jobs and more complicated positions or start working full-time with your sponsor!