Child and Youth Worker Apprenticeship 1225

Detailed Information and Application Process

The role and benefits of Apprenticeship:

Apprenticeship takes time, but it is an investment in your future. Skilled workers, called journey persons are in high demand in a wide variety of occupations. To become a journey person you require a combination of on-the-job experience and in-school training, called apprenticeship. This applies to the profession of Child and Youth Work.

Apprenticeship is an agreement between a person like you, who wants to learn a skill, and an employer who needs a skilled worker. Apprenticeship is a proven way to learn and is a partnership shared by you and four other parties: Your employer, the federal government, the Province of Ontario and Centennial College.

The benefits of apprenticeship and a career in a skilled occupation like Child & Youth Work include earning while you learn, challenging and satisfying work, learning new skills, increased job security, a good salary and benefits package and having advancement opportunities.

Benefit from Centennial’s exceptional faculty, interactive classrooms, and field experience while studying at your own pace.

What you need to know before you apply:

Your first step to becoming an apprentice is to decide if the Child & Youth Worker occupation best matches your goals and interests. Think about whom you are, what you like to do, what kind of lifestyle you enjoy, and what you would like to be doing three to ten years from now. A career in Child & Youth Work isn’t for everyone, but it’s worth considering.

In order to qualify for the Child & Youth Worker Apprenticeship Program you need to have your high school diploma and you must be employed by an organization that works with children, youth, and families and hires Child & Youth Workers.

Obtain a special police check called a Broad Record Check (at an additional student cost) for each placement experience. Students who are unable to obtain a clear Broad Record Check may not qualify to attend field placements necessary to obtain a diploma.

The Broad Record Check represents a specialized screening tool designed to provide a more extensive background assessment for individuals working closely with children and youth, thereby strengthening safeguards within these vulnerable sectors.

What you will learn in this program:

Apprenticeship students are expected to learn about and gain expertise in:

• Learning principles and theories relating to human behaviour, emotional development, and mental illness.
• Implementing, demonstrating and teaching child management skills.
• Designing, implementing and teaching therapeutic socialization and recreational activities geared to the client’s physical, cognitive, and emotional need levels.
• Applying effective communication skills necessary for formal and informal counselling.
• Understanding, applying and teaching the factors involved in group process to facilitate treatment.
• Assessing, designing, implementing and evaluating, both verbally and in writing a variety of treatment plans which the client can use.
• Understanding and applying the factors involved in family dynamics to facilitate treatment.
• Developing an ethical framework with regards to treatment and operate from this framework when interacting with clients and colleagues.
• Understanding the impact and influencing the evolution of legislation, policy and procedures.

Apprenticeship students will be required to have skills in working with children and youth both in an educational setting as well as a residential setting.  Three of the courses in the curriculum relate to evaluations of on-the-job performance.  Some apprentices may need to take part in gaining experience in outside specialized placement settings

What kind of commitment does the program require?

• Cost: Presently the Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training, and Skills Development pays 80% of the tuition for the apprenticeship program.  Courses cost between $50 and $100 depending on the course payable prior to the start of each course.
• Locations: The program is offered in a variety of locations across Ontario such as Toronto, Belleville, Bowmanville, Peterborough, Cobourg, York Region, Brantford,Milton, and Lindsay.
• Schedule:Each location has a specific schedule of training based on the needs of the community.  For example, in-school training is two nights per week from September to June and full time days in July, or 1 day per week for 6 hours from September to end of July.  Scheduled training that is offered two nights per week from September to June and full time in July takes just over 3 years to complete the Program.

Upon successful completion of this program, the Apprentice will receive a Child & Youth Worker certificate of Apprenticeship through the Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training, and Skills Development.  For those motivated to receive their Child & Youth Worker Diploma from Centennial College, an additional four courses are required.  For these four courses, you are registered as a Centennial College student and must pay the full cost of each course.

How to get involved:

If you are presently employed by an organization which hires Child & Youth Workers and supports children, youth and families, the Child & Youth Worker Apprenticeship Program may be the perfect way to gain your professional certification while you continue to work. 

To determine your eligibility for this program through the Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training, and Skills Development please visit the Ministry website, where all the locations can be found 

*Once you have registered as a Child and Youth Worker Apprentice and have received a Training Agreement Number, please contact the Child and Youth Worker Apprenticeship Program at CYCApprenticeship@centennialcollege.ca.