Transportation Preapprenticeship a smooth road to work Planning to become a skilled automotive or truck technician? Finding an employer to sponsor your apprenticeship training can be a daunting first step without a good command of English and some contacts. To smooth the road to employment, Centennial College offers two pre-apprenticeship training programs to help students improve their literacy and job-search skills, as well as to arrange a 12-week job placement at an auto repair shop, car dealership or truck repair facility. The college programs are tuition-free, thanks to funding by the Ontario government. Students can choose between Automotive Pre-Apprenticeship and Truck and Coach Technician training. Both 36week programs give students hands-on practice under the hood, along with English and job-readiness skills. While the pre-apprenticeship college programs are tuition-free, students pay a deposit on textbooks and tools. Deposits are returned at the end of the program if they’re successful, and students get to keep their starter tool set. They also may be eligible to collect employment insurance while at college. Graduates will receive credit for Automotive Service Technician Level 1 or Truck and Coach Technician Level 1, which exempts them from some classes in the traditional apprenticeship program. After working for a while, apprentices return to college for further training as they accumulate hours towards their Certificate of Apprenticeship, designating them “licensed” technicians in Ontario. To be eligible for entry, students must have their grade 12 diploma or equivalent from another country, as well as a valid Ontario driver’s license (G1 minimum). Students must also be legally permitted to work.
The sessions and the college programs will take place at Centennial’s Ashtonbee Campus, 75 Ashtonbee Road (Eglinton Ave. East/Warden Ave.) in Scarborough. Participants will get a tour of the automotive labs, which are Canada’s largest with more than 3,000 automotive apprentices attending classes annually. For more information click here Automotive Training & college programs to visit the website