If you work in the trades anywhere from Oakville to Oshawa, the work around you is coming from two subway projects, a long list of residential towers, and thousands of buildings that need maintenance. The hard part is not knowing that the work exists. It is knowing who hires, where to train, what certification you need and what the work should pay. This guide covers each of those for the Greater Toronto Area, with named organizations and sources you can check today.
Key facts
- Skilled Trades Ontario (STO) took over trade certification from the Ontario College of Trades on January 1, 2022, under the Building Opportunities in the Skilled Trades Act, 2021.
- Construction and maintenance electrician (309A) and plumber (306A) are compulsory trades in Ontario. Each apprenticeship runs about 9,000 hours, including in-school training.
- The Certificate of Qualification exam pass mark in Ontario is 70 percent. For Red Seal trades, that exam is the interprovincial Red Seal exam.
- The Ontario Line is a 15.6 km subway with 15 planned stations from Exhibition to the Ontario Science Centre area, and it will keep civil, tunnelling and systems trades busy for years.
- For local wage rates, use the Job Bank wage pages for the Toronto region by NOC code instead of relying on posted ranges.
Where Toronto Trades Demand Comes From
Demand in the GTA has several sources. That matters for your career because a slowdown in one sector, such as condo starts, does not shut down the others.
The Ontario Line
Metrolinx and Infrastructure Ontario are delivering the Ontario Line through several large contract packages covering tunnels, elevated guideway, stations, rail systems and maintenance. A project like this hires tunnel and shaft crews, formwork carpenters, rebar workers, crane and excavator operators, electricians, and signals and communications technicians. Look at the consortia named on Metrolinx project pages and in Infrastructure Ontario contract announcements. Those firms and their subcontractors do the hiring, not Metrolinx.
Line 5 Eglinton and the westward extension
Crosslinx Transit Solutions built Line 5 Eglinton. That consortium included Aecon, EllisDon, ACS Dragados and SNC-Lavalin (now AtkinsRealis). Transit lines keep producing work after the main build: station finishing, systems commissioning, utility relocation and then long-term maintenance. The Eglinton Crosstown West Extension toward Renforth adds more tunnelling and station work in Etobicoke and Mississauga.
Residential towers and housing
Toronto builders such as Tridel, Menkes, Daniels and Mattamy Homes, along with general contractors like EllisDon, PCL and Graham, hire formwork carpenters, drywall and interior systems mechanics, electricians, plumbers, sprinkler fitters and elevator mechanics directly or through subcontractors. Condo starts rise and fall with interest rates and presales. Purpose-built rental and mid-rise infill have taken up some of the slack. Ask any residential employer how many projects it has funded and underway, not just announced.
Maintenance, utilities and industry
Steady year-round trades work comes from organizations that run assets, not projects. The TTC hires maintenance electricians and mechanics. Toronto Hydro and Alectra hire powerline technicians. Hospitals, universities, the City of Toronto and large property managers hire building maintenance trades and refrigeration and air conditioning mechanics. Manufacturing and food processing plants across Peel, York and Durham hire industrial electricians (442A) and industrial mechanic millwrights (433A) for shift work.
Who Hires Which Trades in the GTA
The table below is a starting list of employer types to research. It is not a list of current openings.
| Trade | Ontario trade code | Typical GTA employers to research |
|---|---|---|
| Construction and maintenance electrician | 309A | Electrical contractors on tower and transit work, TTC, hospitals |
| Industrial electrician | 442A | Manufacturers and food plants in Peel, York and Durham |
| Plumber | 306A | Mechanical contractors, residential builders, service companies |
| Steamfitter | 307A | Mechanical contractors on ICI projects, hospitals, plants |
| General carpenter | 403A | Formwork contractors, general contractors, residential builders |
| Industrial mechanic millwright | 433A | Manufacturers, distribution centres, utilities |
| Powerline technician | 434A | Toronto Hydro, Alectra, Hydro One, line contractors |
Union and non-union paths
Much of Toronto's industrial, commercial and institutional (ICI) construction is unionized, and union locals send members to signatory contractors. Key locals include IBEW Local 353 (electricians), UA Local 46 (plumbers, steamfitters and sprinkler fitters), Carpenters' District Council of Ontario affiliates including Local 27, LiUNA Local 183 (construction labour, including formwork) and IUOE Local 793 (operating engineers and crane operators). Residential low-rise, service and much of the industrial maintenance work is non-union. Neither path is better in every case. Union work has standard rates and benefits under collective agreements. Non-union work can move faster for an experienced worker who wants to negotiate.
Contractors applying to union locals
If you want to join a union, contact the local directly. Each local runs its own application and intake process, and some open intake only at certain times of year. Check its website for the current process.
Where to Train in Toronto
Apprentices in Ontario learn on the job with a sponsor and attend in-school training at a training delivery agent. The GTA has many.
Colleges
- George Brown College runs apprenticeship and pre-apprenticeship programs from its Casa Loma campus, including electrical, plumbing, HVAC and carpentry.
- Humber Polytechnic offers in-school training for electrical and other trades at its North campus in Etobicoke.
- Centennial College delivers motive power and other trades training from its Ashtonbee campus in Scarborough.
- Durham College in Whitby, Sheridan College in Brampton and Oakville, and Mohawk College in Hamilton serve apprentices on the east and west edges of the GTA.
Check the college's apprenticeship page for which trades and levels it currently runs. Not every campus delivers every period.
Union training centres
Several union locals run their own training centres, and those centres deliver in-school training as approved training delivery agents. Examples include the IBEW Local 353 training centre, the UA Local 46 training centre in Scarborough and the Carpenters' Local 27 training centre in Vaughan. If you are a union apprentice, your in-school blocks will usually be delivered there.
Pre-apprenticeship and youth routes
High school students can start through the Ontario Youth Apprenticeship Program (OYAP), run through school boards such as the TDSB and TCDSB. Adults without a sponsor can apply to Employment Ontario funded pre-apprenticeship programs, which combine basic trade training with a work placement. A placement can turn into a sponsorship.
How Skilled Trades Ontario Certification Works
This is an overview. Confirm the current rules for your trade on the Skilled Trades Ontario website before making decisions.
Compulsory versus voluntary trades
In a compulsory trade, you must be a registered apprentice or hold a Certificate of Qualification to do the work. Examples include electrician 309A, plumber 306A, steamfitter 307A and refrigeration and air conditioning systems mechanic 313A. General carpenter 403A and industrial mechanic millwright 433A are voluntary. You can work in a voluntary trade without certification, but many employers still require it or pay more for it.
Registering and logging hours
You register as an apprentice through the Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development once you have a sponsor, usually your employer. Your training agreement sets out the skills and hours you need. The 309A electrician and 306A plumber programs each run about 9,000 hours. Hours vary by trade, so check your trade's program on the STO site. Keep your own record of hours and signed-off skills. Missing paperwork is a common reason apprentices get delayed at exam time.
Ratios on site
Ontario set journeyperson-to-apprentice ratios at 1:1 for the trades that previously required higher ratios. In practice, a contractor with one certified journeyperson can usually sponsor one apprentice in that trade. Employers should confirm the current rule for each trade with STO before planning a crew.
The Certificate of Qualification exam
When you finish your hours and in-school training, you apply to STO to write the Certificate of Qualification exam. The pass mark is 70 percent. For Red Seal trades such as 309A, 306A and 403A, the exam is the interprovincial Red Seal exam. Passing it adds the Red Seal endorsement, which is recognized in other provinces and territories. Use the Red Seal exam preparation guides and the National Occupational Analysis for your trade to see how the exam questions are weighted.
Experienced but uncertified workers
If you have years of experience in a trade but no Ontario certificate, STO offers a Trade Equivalency Assessment. You submit documented work hours and skills, and if approved, you can write the Certificate of Qualification exam without completing a full apprenticeship.
What the Work Pays and How to Check
This guide does not quote a single wage figure. Rates differ widely between union ICI work, residential, service and industrial jobs, and a number without its source and date can mislead you. Check these sources before you accept an offer.
Job Bank wage data
The Government of Canada Job Bank publishes low, median and high hourly wages by occupation and economic region. Search the NOC code for your trade, for example 72200 for electricians or 72300 for plumbers, and select the Toronto region. Compare that range with the offer in front of you.
Collective agreement rates
For union ICI work, wage and benefit rates come from the provincial collective agreements for each trade. Locals publish these rates for members, and they include scheduled increases. Ask the local or the contractor for the current rate sheet.
Apprentice wage progression
Apprentice pay usually rises at each level as a percentage of the journeyperson rate. Ask any sponsor to put your current rate and the next step in writing. If you need help with tools and in-school costs, the federal Canada Apprentice Loan offers interest-free loans to registered apprentices in Red Seal trades.
Using SkilledTradeJobs.ca in a Toronto Search
SkilledTradeJobs.ca is a Canada-focused job board for the trades only. Postings change daily, so this article does not list them. The current GTA openings are on the board itself.
For job seekers
Filter by trade code and city, and compare offers on the details that change your take-home pay: union status, travel or parking, tool allowance, shift premium and whether the employer will register you as an apprentice. Start at SkilledTradeJobs.ca for job seekers to see current listings and set up a profile listing your trade code, logged hours and tickets such as Working at Heights.
For employers
The postings that attract certified applicants state the Ontario trade code, the certification required, the site location, union status, the hourly rate, and whether the role comes with apprentice sponsorship. If you plan to hire first-year apprentices, look at Canada's Apprenticeship Service, which funds eligible small and medium employers that hire first-year apprentices in Red Seal trades. Check its current amounts before you budget. Posting options are at SkilledTradeJobs.ca for employers.
Concrete Next Steps
If you are starting out
Pick a trade and check on the STO site whether it is compulsory. Then apply to a pre-apprenticeship program at George Brown, Humber or Centennial, or contact the training department of the union local for that trade.
If you are an apprentice
Check that your hours are recorded correctly with the ministry, book your next in-school block early, and download the Red Seal exam prep guide for your trade.
If you are hiring
Confirm the ratio for each trade, look up the Job Bank median for your NOC codes so your rate is competitive, and post with the trade code and rate included.
FAQ
Do I need a licence to work as an electrician in Toronto?
Yes. Construction and maintenance electrician (309A) is a compulsory trade in Ontario. You must be a registered apprentice or hold a Certificate of Qualification. Electrical contractors also need an ECRA/ESA licence to operate as a business, which is separate from your trade certificate.
How long does a Toronto electrical or plumbing apprenticeship take?
The 309A and 306A programs each run about 9,000 hours, including in-school training. That works out to roughly five years of full-time work. Delays usually come from gaps in sponsorship or waiting for in-school spots.
Where can I do in-school training in the GTA?
George Brown College, Humber Polytechnic, Centennial College, Durham College and Sheridan College all deliver trades training. Union training centres run by locals such as IBEW Local 353, UA Local 46 and the Carpenters' Local 27 also deliver it for their apprentices.
What score do I need to pass the Certificate of Qualification exam?
The pass mark is 70 percent. For Red Seal trades, passing the interprovincial exam also gives you the Red Seal endorsement.
How do I check whether a Toronto job offer pays fairly?
Look up your trade's NOC code on Job Bank's wage page for the Toronto region and compare the offer with the median. For union ICI work, ask for the current collective agreement rate sheet.
Can employers outside Toronto post on SkilledTradeJobs.ca?
Yes. The board covers all of Canada. The GTA is one region among many.
Hiring or Looking for Work in Toronto
The Ontario Line, the Eglinton extension and steady maintenance demand mean Toronto will keep hiring certified trades and sponsoring apprentices. Whether you are hiring or job hunting, SkilledTradeJobs.ca serves both sides of the market. Employers can review pricing and post a role at SkilledTradeJobs.ca for employers. Job seekers can browse openings and create a profile at SkilledTradeJobs.ca for job seekers.