The Ontario Youth Apprenticeship Program (OYAP) offers Focused Apprenticeship Skills Training (FAST), which is an accelerated stream within the existing framework. This program allows students in Grades 11 and 12 to participate in more apprenticeship learning through additional co-operative education credits while completing their Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD).
To participate in OYAP-FAST, students must:
- Meet the OYAP eligibility requirements: Students must be 15 years or older, have completed 14 credits toward the OSSD and be enrolled as a part-time or full-time student in a secondary school or continuing education program. Students (and their parent(s)/guardian(s), if required) must also complete an OYAP participant application form. Students are considered OYAP participants once the form is submitted.
- Have signed parent/guardian consent to participate in OYAP-FAST
Completion requirements for OYAP-FAST include that a student has:
- Earned 8 to 11 cooperative education credits with their placement component in the skilled trades.
- Registered as an apprentice (i.e. obtained a Registered Training Agreement) by the time they complete their eighth cooperative education credit.
Students who meet the above completion requirements and all other OSSD requirements will be awarded the OYAP-FAST seal on their OSSD, and OYAP-FAST will be listed in the Specialized Program field of the Ontario Student Transcript. If a student has already been granted an OSSD, it cannot be exchanged for an OSSD.
Post-Secondary Pathway Limitations and Considerations
Students and their families are strongly encouraged to research post-secondary options before applying to this program. Certain college and university programs might have prerequisite courses that would not be easily fulfilled due to timetable constraints when taking the OYAP-FAST program. Students who are in this program should be confident that they are pursuing the apprenticeship pathway for their post-secondary education. They are encouraged to connect with their guidance counselor to discuss their post-secondary options. For more information about the apprenticeship pathway and the skilled trades, please visit the Skilled Trades Ontario website.
If you have any questions, please contact Durham Catholic District School Board Pathways Coordinator, Jason Cannon, at jason.cannon@dcdsb.ca.