Glossary
The words this site uses, and what they mean here. Agencies use some of these words differently; this is how we use them.
- Apprentice
- A person registered with Skilled Trades Ontario under a Training Agreement while they work toward the DSW credential.
- Sponsor
- The agency that signs the Training Agreement with the apprentice and is responsible for supporting their training. Skilled Trades Ontario calls this agency the sponsor.
- Trainer
- The person at work who reviews the apprentice's skills and signs the logbook. This is often the apprentice's supervisor. Your agency may call this person a coach, supervisor or manager. On this site, we say trainer.
- Mentor
- Someone further along in the field who supports an apprentice through the Real Xchange mentoring program. A mentor is not the trainer and does not sign the logbook.
- Logbook
- The Training Standard for the DSW trade, issued by Skilled Trades Ontario. It lists the skills the apprentice must show and is the official record of progress.
- Skill set
- A group of related skills in the Training Standard. The trainer signs a skill set when the apprentice has shown they can do it well.
- Training Agreement
- The agreement between the apprentice, the sponsor and Skilled Trades Ontario that registers the apprenticeship. Hours count from the day it is registered.
- Sponsor Agreement
- The agreement an agency signs with Skilled Trades Ontario before it can sponsor its first apprentice. It gives the agency a Sponsor ID.
- Certificate of Apprenticeship
- The credential Skilled Trades Ontario issues when the logbook is fully signed and the in-class courses are complete. It is the highest certification in the DSW trade.
- Coordinator
- The person at the college who helps apprentices register for courses and answers questions about course delivery.
- Skilled Trades Ontario
- The provincial agency that registers apprentices and sponsors, sets the Training Standard, and issues the Certificate of Apprenticeship. Often shortened to STO.