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Become a DSW apprentice

Seven pages, in the order you will meet them. Start at the top if you are new to this.

  1. Is this apprenticeship right for me?

    Who the apprenticeship is built for, what it asks of you, and how it compares with going to college for the diploma.

  2. Time, cost and financial supports

    How classes fit around your work, what the courses cost, and the money available to you while you train.

  3. How to apply and register with Skilled Trades Ontario

    The five steps from checking you qualify to a registered Training Agreement, as Skilled Trades Ontario runs them today.

  4. On-the-job training and your logbook

    The 3,720 hours, what counts toward them, how your trainer signs off each skill set, and what happens if you work for more than one employer.

  5. In-class training and the four colleges

    What the 780 hours of coursework cover, how classes are delivered, and which college to contact.

  6. Finishing and getting your Certificate of Apprenticeship

    What happens once every skill set is signed and every course is done, and what the certificate gives you.

  7. Bridging to the DSW diploma

    How to turn your Certificate of Apprenticeship into a full DSW College Diploma with a few extra courses and possibly a placement.

Apply to have a mentor, or to be oneThe Real Xchange matches apprentices with mentors in the DSW Apprenticeship Program. A mentor is not your trainer.

Not sure what a word means? See the glossary of terms.

The pathway at a glance

  1. Register

    • Check you qualify: 16 or older, Canadian citizen or permanent resident (work visas are not eligible), OSSD, GED or equivalent
    • Your agency signs a Sponsor Agreement with Skilled Trades Ontario
    • You apply on the Skilled Trades Ontario portal
    • You and your sponsor sign the Training Agreement; STO registers it
    • Download your Training Standard logbook

  2. Train

    • 3,720 hours on the job, with your trainer signing off each skill set
    • 780 hours of in-class courses at one of four colleges, usually one or two a semester

  3. Finish

    • Logbook signed off and schooling complete
    • You and your sponsor sign the Completion Form
    • Skilled Trades Ontario mails your Certificate of Apprenticeship
    • Optional: bridge to the DSW diploma at your college

Drawn against the Skilled Trades Ontario process in force since 2 April 2025.

Questions apprentices ask

What if I have more than one employer?

You can still complete your on-the-job training. If you work for more than one employer in developmental services, a qualified trainer at your other workplace can sign off individual skills as you demonstrate them.

Your official sponsoring employer stays in charge. They confirm your overall competency and sign the Skill Set Completion documentation. By submitting it, they accept responsibility for your workplace training wherever the hours were done. Talk to your sponsor and Skilled Trades Ontario early to confirm how it will be handled.

How do I complete the in-class training?

The academic courses cover the theory behind the skills you build on the job. There are 12 reportable subjects. They cover developmental disabilities and dual diagnosis, person-directed planning, teaching and community building, abuse prevention, health and pharmacology, and professionalism.

Depending on the college, courses run by day release, in the evening, or online. Most apprentices take one or two courses a semester. Each course is two to three hours of class time a week, plus your own study time. Your sponsor is expected to adjust your schedule so you can attend. If you have related college education already, ask about transfer credit.

What is the difference between the apprenticeship and the diploma?

The apprenticeship needs a sponsoring employer. It happens mostly on the job while you earn. Classroom costs are subsidised. It covers 12 subjects over about 780 hours and ends in a Certificate of Apprenticeship.

The diploma is direct entry to a college, with no sponsor and full tuition. It takes two years full-time, plus 400 to 600 hours of unpaid placement and extra general education courses. It ends in a College Diploma.

Doing the apprenticeship first and then bridging usually costs less and takes less extra time than starting the diploma from scratch. What transfers is decided by each college.

What are the steps in bridging?

Once you have your Certificate of Apprenticeship, contact the college you want to bridge with and ask about its process. Ideally that is the college where you did your courses. Send in your certificate as proof of your completed hours. Then work with the program coordinator to arrange the remaining courses and your field placement, if one is required.

What helps people finish?

Start early, because registration and scheduling can take up to a year. Sketch a rough timeline for your skills and your courses. Sit down with your trainer and turn broad skill descriptions into specific examples from your own work.

Ask questions of your trainer, your peers and your program coordinator. Keep a journal of what you are learning. It gives you something concrete to bring to check-ins. Be honest about whether one or two courses a semester is realistic. Block out regular study time around your shifts.

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