Federal Skilled Trades Program

• Language requirement:

Candidates for the FST program must prove their language abilities by taking any of the approved language tests. Write your language test for either English or French or both. Get minimum Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) 5 for speaking and listening and CLB 4 for reading and writing. Language Test results are valid for 2 years.

 Acceptable English language test:

• Canadian English Language Proficiency Index Program (CELPIP).

            Note:  Register for the CELPIP-General test.

• International English Language Testing System ( IELTS). Book your test at British Council IELTS Online Application.

            Note: Register for the IELTS English General Training Test.

     Acceptable French Language Test:

• Test d’evaluation de français (TEF).
• Test de connaissance du français (TCF).

Link to Language requirement.

• Skilled Work Experience:

Candidates for the FST program must have a minimum of 2 years of full-time work experience in a skilled trade within the five years before applying under the program. This work experience can also be an equivalent part-time work experience. The work experience will only count after the candidate became qualified to practice the occupation independently.

The job experience must meet the job requirements for that skilled trade as set out in the National Occupational Classification. The National Occupational Classification (NOC) for the Federal Skilled Trades Program is organized under the following listed major groups, these major NOC groups are subdivided into different occupations, and they are all skill type B:

• Major Group 72, industrial, electrical, and construction trades.
• Major Group 73, maintenance and equipment operation trades.
• Major Group 82, supervisors and technical jobs in natural resources, agriculture, and related production.
• Major Group 92, processing, manufacturing, and utility supervisors and central control operators.
• Minor Group 632, chefs and cooks.
• Minor Group 633, butchers and bakers.

Candidates must indicate that they performed the essential duties and most of the primary responsibilities set out in the lead statement of the occupational description in the NOC for their application to be successful. Use the following links to determine your NOC. National Occupational Classification – Canada.ca, Find your NOC – Canada.ca.

• Have a valid job offer or a certificate of qualification.

Candidates for the FST program must have a valid full-time job offer for a period of at least one year. A candidate must obtain a certificate of qualification issued by a Canadian provincial, territorial or federal government in the alternative.

A qualification certificate proves that a person is qualified to work in particular skilled trade in Canada. To obtain the certificate, they must have passed a certification exam and meet all the requirements to practice their trade in that province or territory.

To obtain a certificate of qualification, candidates have to go to the province or territory to have their trade qualification assessed. They may also need an employer in Canada to give them experience and training.

Provinces and territories have different processes of assessment. Candidates would have to visit the website of the province or territory that they plan to live or work in to learn more about certificates of qualification to work in that province or territory in a specific skilled trade and what you have to do to get one.

To learn more about getting assessed in the different provinces, see the links below:

Note: Some trades such as airplane mechanics are regulated federally.  You can visit this link to find out who regulates your trade if you are not sure.