Complying with apprentice-journeyperson ratios
Under the Regulation Respecting Vocational Training and Qualification of the Workforce in the Construction Industry (Act R-20, chap. r.8), the employer may have tasks executed by an apprentice only under the immediate supervision of a journeyperson from the same trade. If the tasks are part of more than one trade, the apprentice must be under the immediate supervision of a journeyperson from one of these trades. Two concepts need to be explained concerning journeyperson/apprentice ratios, which must be calculated in accordance with Sections 19 and 20 of this regulation:
Journeyperson/apprentice book ratio (proportion):
For a single working day and for all of your job sites, you must ensure that the proportion for a given trade complies with the standards established per sector.
Employers may hire another apprentice when there is one journeyperson over the ratio required (or all multiples of this ratio).
Book ratios in the industry are from 1 to 2 journeypersons required per apprentice, depending on the trade and the sector where the activity is carried out: residential, industrial, institutional and commercial, or civil engineering and roadwork.
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Residential
The book ratio to comply with in the residential sector is the same for all trades: 1 journeyperson for 1 apprentice.
Ratio 1-1 Numberofjourneymen Numberof apprentices allowed 1 1 2 2 3 3 Etc. Etc. -
Industrial, institutional and commercial, and civil engineering and roadwork sectors
Trade or speciality Journeyperson-Apprentice book ratio Boiler maker 2-1 Bricklayer-mason 2-1 Carpenter-joiner 2-1 Cement finisher 2-1 Crane operatorclass A 1-1 Crane operator2nd man 1-1 Crane operatorclass B 1-1 Electrician 2-1 Elevator mechanic 1-1 Erector mechanic(glazier) 2-1 Fire-protection mechanic 1-1 Heavy equipment mechanic 1-1 Heavy equipment operator class A 2-1 Heavy equipment operator class B 2-1 Insulator 2-1 Interior systems installer 2-1 Ironworker 2-1 Join pointer (painter), new surface 2-1 Join pointer (plasterer), new surface 2-1 Milwright 2-1 Painter 2-1 Parquetry worker-sander 2-1 Pipe fitter (plumber, heating system installer) 2-1 Plasterer 2-1 Refrigeration mechanic 2-1 Reinforcing steel erector 2-1 Resilient flooring layer 2-1 Roofer 2-1 Security systems installer 1-1 Shovel operatorclass A 1-1 Shovel operatorclass B 1-1 Tile setter 2-1 Tinsmith 2-1
Ratio 1-1 Nombre de compagnons Nombre d'apprentis permis 1 1 2 2 3 3 Etc. Etc. Ratio 2-1 Nombre de compagnons Nombre d'apprentis permis 1 ou 2 1 3 ou 4 2 5 ou 6 3 Etc. Etc.
Job-site journeyperson/apprentice ratios (proportions)
For a single day of work on a job site, the proportion for a given trade must, at minimum, correspond to 1 journeyperson for 1 apprentice.
For each journeyperson on the job, it is possible to supervise an extra apprentice, for a maximum of two apprentices on the site. This can occur under the two following conditions:
- One of the apprentices is in his or her final apprenticeship period. The trades with a single apprenticeship period (reinforcing steel erector, heavy equipment operator, and shovel operator) are excluded from this possibility
OR - One of the apprentices is a woman
It is important to note that these situations are not cumulative, which means that employer who want to increase their ratio must have one person in the final apprenticeship period OR a woman.