In Quebec, the apprenticeship system is divided into 2,000-hour periods. At the end of each period, the apprentice’s wage rate increases. This system ensures that workers have accumulated a certain number of relevant work hours as apprentices before being admitted to the provincial qualification examination. Passing this examination allows them to achieve journeyperson status in a construction trade.
There are different ways to advance in your apprenticeship and access the qualification examination, including recognition of training and work experience.
If you hold an apprentice competency certificate (ACC):
- You can have your training and work experience recognized in order to be classified appropriately in your apprenticeship.
- You can verify whether you are eligible to take the qualification examination if you have completed at least 85% of your apprenticeship.
If, for the trade covered by the request for recognition, you do not hold a competency certificate or if you hold an exemption from holding one:
- You can verify whether you are eligible to take the qualification examination with the goal of obtaining a journeyman competency certificate (JCC) if you have a number of hours equivalent to 100% of the duration of the apprenticeship in a trade. Classification is not possible of you do not hold an ACC, as is the case for a person holding an exemption from holding a competency certificate.
- You can apply for an ACC if you have a number of hours equivalent to 35% of the duration of the apprenticeship in a trade (except the trade of crane operator). For more information on this type of request, consult the tab “Recognition of Work Experience.”
Here are the procedures for having training and experience recognized.
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Recognition of training
The different vocational training programs can be recognized as training credits to allow you to advance in your apprenticeship.
Obtaining this credit is conditional on completing the training activity.
Apprentices may ask the Commission de la construction du Québec (CCQ) to analyze the courses they have passed – either a diploma from a vocational studies program pertinent to the construction industry or partial training to obtain apprenticeship hour credits. Not all of the training offered by the Ministère de l'Éducation will necessarily be analyzed. For a number of courses, apprentices will be referred to the recognition of acquired competencies (RAC) department in the school services centre of their choice.
Consult the table of credits per trade. -
Recognition of work experience
The hours worked by apprentices in the construction industry are recorded in their apprenticeship record book on the basis of the declarations made by employers in their monthly reports. These hours correspond to work performed on construction sites covered by Act R-20 in Québec. Therefore, any hours worked performing tasks not covered by Act R-20, in Québec or elsewhere, must be submitted to the CCQ for analysis before being recorded in your apprenticeship record book.
Eligible work experience hours
To be recognized by the CCQ, all hours worked performing tasks not covered by Act R-20 must meet the following criteria:
- Be tasks recognized for apprenticeship in your trade
- Must not have been declared by an employer in a monthly report
- Must have been remunerated.
Note that the number of hours recognized this way, combined with the recognized training hours, cannot exceed 70% of the duration of the apprenticeship.
Here is an example of how to calculate work experience and training.
If the request that you submit contains enough eligible hours for you to be admitted to the qualification examination allowing you to earn journeyperson status, you will automatically receive a letter inviting you to register for the examination.
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Form to have training and work experience recognized
The form “Request for recognition of hours - Training or work experience” allows you to apply to have hours recognized, with respect to both training and work experience.
If you are a candidate who is an employer or owner of a sole proprietorship, use this form.If you have passed training courses recognized by the Ministère de l'Éducation, the CCQ may recognize apprenticeship hour credits for them. To do this, it will access the courses you have passed using your permanent code assigned by the ministry. You must therefore provide the code on the form.
For work experience, the form offers “work experience sheets” that allow your employers to certify the hours you worked performing the tasks in the trade while you were in their employment. For the purpose of analyzing your request, be as specific as possible regarding the type of work site and the tasks performed, with the employer’s corroboration. Note that employers’ letters are also accepted, and they must contain the same information as that requested in the work experience sheet.
The form “Request for recognition of hours - Training or work experience” or “Request for recognition of hours - Training or work experience (Employer or self-employed worker)” and all copies of required supporting documents must be mailed to the address given on the respective forms.
Candidates can also go in person to a regional office of the CCQ with all their documents or submit the documents via the online services.
Canadian candidates from outside Québec
If you would like to receive recognition for hours worked outside Québec under a recognized Canadian program, the rules of the Apprentice Provincial – Territorial Mobility Agreement apply.
Through this agreement, the combined number of hours of work experience and training can be 100% recognized.
You must provide a photocopy of a document certifying the progress you made in an apprenticeship outside Québec, if necessary. The document you must complete is called “Request for recognition of hours - Worker undergoing training in an apprenticeship system outside Quebec”.