Build Your Skills

Essential Skills

Do you have the skills you’ll need for success? Explore the essential skills of the trades below:

Time management and organization: arriving prepared and staying on task
Communication: following instructions, asking questions, and self-advocacy
Teamwork: working with others, collaborating on job sites, and giving and receiving feedback
Problem-solving: troubleshooting and fixing issues that come up
Safety awareness: understanding and following procedures
Physical coordination: using tools and equipment safely
Numeracy: measurements, conversions, and using tools with precision
Independence: using transportation, completing tasks and meeting job and apprenticeship requirements

An overhead shot of two woodworkers at a dark workbench filled with tools, technical drawings, and a wooden furniture sketch.

Your Strengths and Challenges

Knowing yourself is an important first step when you are getting ready for a new pathway. This can help you decide how you learn best, what skills you may want to build, and what supports can help you succeed. As you prepare for the transition, now is a good time to explore, learn about yourself, and think about what you do well and what you find challenging.

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Explore essential skills

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Do some self-reflection

What subjects, hobbies, or activities do you enjoy? What do you find difficult? You can keep a journal to write down what tasks feel easy and which ones take more effort.

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Talk to people you trust

Ask teachers, coaches, family members, or friends what they think your strengths and challenges are.

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Look at your school documents

Check your report cards, your Individual Education Plan (IEP) if you have one, and any learning assessments. These often show what you are good at and where you can improve.

Your Skill Building Resources

Building skills happens slowly over time, so starting early to build up your competence and confidence and continuing to practice these essential skills is the best approach. Take your time during high school to nurture the skills you'll need to succeed and look for opportunities to grow and practice these skills. There are also a lot of online training resources, and skill upgrading opportunities that you can make use of, at any point in your transition. Click on the buttons below to learn more.

In High School

Take the opportunity while you're in high school to build up the essential skills you'll require. There are lots of opportunities to learn and practice along the way:

Co-op and Dual Credit Programs: Spend time on the jobsite or in a post-secondary setting and practice using the skills you'll need in the future.
Ontario Youth Apprenticeship Program (OYAP): Build your skills on the jobsite, while exploring a career path in the skilled trades.
Learning Strategies Course (GLE or GLS): Ask your Guidance Counsellor if you can register for Learning Strategies courses at your high school to improve your learning and studying skills.
Volunteer or get a job: Practice your skills and put them into use by joining the workforce.
Talk to your teacher: Meet with your resource or classroom teacher to make a plan to improve your learning skills. Goals to improve specific areas can often be captured as an Alternate program on your IEP, which helps you and your teachers work together to address areas of need.

Online Skills Courses

Check out some of the following resources to identify and build on essential skills:

Skill for Success: Find the right tools to assess or upgrade your skills.
Skills for Work & Life: The Skills for Work & Life course is part of the UP Skills for Work program, which helps you build skills for learning, work, and life.
ABC Skills Hub: The ABC Skills Hub is an online learning portal that offers asynchronous, at-home delivery of ABC Life Literacy Canada’s many adult literacy programs.
Adult learning - Literacy program: Use the Get SET (Skills, Education and Training) program to develop reading, writing, math, computer and other skills to get further education, apprenticeship training and employment.

Skills Upgrading Organizations and Programs

Check out some of the following organizations that support apprentices with skill building

The ARISE Project: The ARISE Project (Apprenticeship Readiness Inventory Skills Evaluation) identifies and addresses the hidden learning barriers that can prevent apprentices from progressing or staying in the trades.
Support Ontario Youth: Support Ontario Youth raises awareness and provides guidance, resources and expertise to jobseekers, apprentices, employers, and educators to enable successful completion of the skilled trades pathway, leading to fulfilling, life-long careers.
Skills for Success: Skills for Success helps students develop, test, or improve skills that are essential in the trades. They have workbooks for students and teachers, as well as a mobile app.
Virtual Learning Strategy (VLS) Canada: VLS Canada's comprehensive wrap-around support model helps individuals with essential skills gaps, learning disabilities, and other challenges, increasing their confidence and competence in their chosen field to achieve their full potential at work or in school.
Pre-Apprenticeship Programs: These programs are trade-specific and are for individuals who have already left high school. They provide eligible individuals with training and academic upgrading to build their skills before entering an apprenticeship.

Making Your Plan

As you focus on skill development, it is helpful to make an explicit plan of how to improve your skills. You'll want to set some goals, create a timeline, and choose how you will accomplish your skill development. Use what you've already learned in this section, explore some of the linked resources on the sidebar, and make a plan using the Skill Development Worksheet.

Skill Building Worksheet

Skill development is crucial to success after high school, and throughout your life. Use this worksheet to make a plan for the skills you want to work on.

Download the Build Your Skills Worksheet!

First page of the Skill Building Worksheet

Next Steps

Building real success in the skilled trades starts with mastering the fundamentals, sharpening your abilities, and developing the professionalism that sets you apart on any job site. Now that you understand the skills required to succeed, the next step is creating a transition plan that will guide you into your apprenticeship with confidence.