Carpentry is not a compulsory trade in Ontario, meaning that anyone can call themselves a carpenter even without any training or experience. No apprenticeship or credentials are required. This is a bit concerning for many people, when they realize that the person who built the walls in their house may not have had any experience doing so.

Because an apprenticeship is not required to become a carpenter, there are far fewer licensed carpenters in Ontario than in other trades like plumbing. This also means that there are far fewer apprenticeship opportunities in carpentry, so it is the one trade we support where we don’t require our companies to hold an apprenticeship for our internship students to earn. Most carpenters do learn their trade from experienced carpenters and are fully knowledgeable about their craft. Most of our carpentry students will be placed with a company where they will learn how to be a carpenter even though they won’t be registered as an apprentice. We would offer apprenticeship opportunities if we could, but this isn’t standard practice in the industry.

Ironically, carpentry is a Red Seal trade, so those people who do get licensed have a credential that allows them to work across the country. This is helpful for people who want to work in Quebec where carpentry is a compulsory trade.