Taking on an apprentice in British Columbia: the sponsor steps, tax credits and the three arborist programs

This page reports what the official source says. It is not legal advice: ask the office named here.

In British Columbia the person who guides the apprentice's training is the sponsor, and the sponsor is often the employer. The Ontario version is taking on an apprentice in Ontario, and the trades themselves are compared in arborist trades across Canada. Everything below is as SkilledTradesBC states it on October 9, 2026.

Sponsor and employer

SkilledTradesBC says a sponsor is an individual or organisation responsible for apprentices getting mentored on-the-job training from a certified tradesperson, reports work-based training hours and gives the recommendation for certification. It says sponsors are often the employer but may also be industry associations, labour organisations, non-profits or other groups. The employer is the person or company that employs and pays the apprentice. When one party is both, the page calls it an employer sponsor.

The seven steps on the sponsor page

The step names in quotation marks below are shortened from the source's own step names.

“Recruit and hire an apprentice” The page lists trade associations or unions, local secondary schools, Indigenous skills and employment training providers, advertising, and asking existing employees.
“Register as a sponsor” The sponsor creates an account on the SkilledTradesBC portal and fills in the registration form for the apprentice, with confirmation expected in ten business days. If the apprentice starts the form, the sponsor gets a notice to review and approve it within 30 days.
“Provide a workplace that supports learning” The page lists proper equipment and safety standards, a named certified tradesperson to supervise, work-based training covering the full scope of the trade, and a structured training plan.
“Track and report work-based hours” One hour on the job equals one hour of work-based training, reported through the portal, ideally every three to six months, with about 80 per cent of training time at work. The page says the hours are done under direct supervision, by a certified tradesperson or one that SkilledTradesBC has approved.
“Review and confirm the apprentice's records” The sponsor checks the official records and reports differences. Updated transcripts go to sponsor and apprentice when a level of technical training is completed, when a level exam is challenged, when sponsorship changes, and when 12 months pass with no activity.
“Release the apprentice for classroom training” About 20 per cent of training time is in class. The first level is generally scheduled one year after registering, and the page recommends a session once a year.
“Recommend certification” After the hours, the technical training and the certification exam, SkilledTradesBC asks the sponsor for a Recommendation for Certification. A sponsor who does not recommend certification gives reasons and a training plan, with a suggested date for a new form.

Money the employer pages name

The financial benefits page lists income tax credits, grants and other support from both the province and the federal government for employers with registered apprentices. It gives these figures.

Program	What the page says
Apprenticeship Job Creation Tax Credit, Red Seal programs	10% of wages up to CA$2,000 a year for each apprentice, for the first 24 months of registration
BC Basic Tax Credit, non-Red Seal programs	20% of wages up to CA$4,000 a year for each apprentice, for each of the first two 12-month periods
BC Completion Tax Credit	The page says employers are eligible to claim when an apprentice completes level three or higher of technical training or work-based hours, or receives a certificate, depending on the program
Enhanced credit	Possible additional credits where the apprentice is First Nations or has a disability
B.C. Employer Training Grant	A cost-sharing grant covering up to two thirds of employee training cost, capped at CA$10,000 per grant; the page points to the WorkBC site for eligibility

The page does not say which of the two wage credits applies to which arborist program, and neither the Red Seal nor non-Red Seal label appears on the three program pages read.

Compulsory trades and the ratio

The employer page for Skilled Trades Certification says that in the compulsory trades, work in the trade's scope must be done by a registered apprentice, a certified tradesperson, or a trade qualifier or uncertified experienced worker with a temporary authorisation. It sets a supervision ratio of 2:1, a maximum of two apprentices to one certified tradesperson, and says a Level 4 apprentice does not count in the ratio. The page does not mention the arborist programs, so how it applies to tree work is not stated there.

The three arborist program pages

Program	Technical training	Work-based hours
Arborist Technician	8 weeks over 1 year	1,600
Climbing Arborist	8 weeks over 1 year	1,800
Utility Arborist	8 weeks over 2 years	2,378

The Arborist Technician page says that program must be taken before Climbing Arborist. The Climbing Arborist page says the apprenticeship and challenge routes both need a practical assessment as well as a written exam. The Utility Arborist page carries a work-based training proximity verification form.