Small trade training centre for apprentices

Employers sending apprentices, apprentices using funding or loans, and provincial or federal training programs where your centre is approved.

Course fees per apprentice or per intake, paid by employers or through approved funding, plus short upskilling courses for working tradespeople.

• Journeyperson-level trade experience
• Teaching and assessing practical skills
• Managing budgets, safety and paperwork
• Building relationships with employers

• Delivering formal apprenticeship technical training usually needs approval from your provincial apprenticeship authority, and private career college rules may also apply, so check before you spend
• Funding eligibility rules differ by province and can change, so confirm what your centre would qualify for
• Workshop safety, workers' compensation (WCB/WSIB) coverage and commercial general liability insurance
• Equipment and rent are costly before the first intake, so plan cash flow carefully
• Instructor qualifications may be required, and Quebec has its own rules and French-language requirements

Startup costs are typically estimated at around $40,000 to $200,000, depending on the trades you teach, your equipment, rent and fit-out. Equipment and rent are costly before your first intake, so plan cash flow carefully.

Monthly revenue is typically estimated at around $5,000 to $25,000, depending on how many apprentices you train, employer relationships and funding eligibility. Plan on at least about 30 hours a week.

Things to check: delivering formal apprenticeship technical training usually needs approval from your provincial apprenticeship authority, and private career college rules may apply. Also check funding eligibility, instructor qualifications, workplace safety, WCB/WSIB, insurance and Quebec's French-language requirements.