Ironworker apprenticeship
Ironworker Generalist Apprenticeship Technical Training
Facts checked 7 September 2026
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Part of the route toIronworker·Certificate
A registered 3-year apprenticeship program combining paid on-site construction work with 6-week technical training blocks in structural steel, rigging, and rebar.
Ways to get this paid for
Government money that can cover this course. Check who qualifies before you pay.
Free adult upgrading
FreeGrade 11 and 12 courses and English classes are free at public colleges and school districts. This covers the Grade 11 and 12 prerequisite courses, not the program itself.
WorkBC training funding
Up to $7,500 tuitionIf you are out of work or underemployed, a WorkBC case manager can approve and pay for this training. Get approval before you pay.
Canada Training Credit
Half your tuition back, up to $5,000 in your lifeFederal tax credit. $250 a year builds up from age 26. Claim it on your tax return.
BC Access Grant
Up to $4,000 a yearFor low and middle income students in full-time programs under two years at public schools. Assessed when you apply through StudentAid BC.
Money for apprentices
EI, a $4,000 loan per level and a tax creditWhile you are at school for each level. The old federal grants ended in 2025.
THE ROUTE
How this program works, step by step
Grade 11 to the job. Open any step to see what is inside.
The route (8 steps)
For the best view, open the map full screen.
STEP BY STEP
Step by step
The same route as the map, as a list.
Step 1 of 8
Grade 11
⏱ 1 school year- Grade 10 completion with English 10 and Math 10
Step 2 of 8
Grade 12
⏱ 1 school year- Grade 10 completion with English 10 and Math 10 (Grade 12 recommended)
Step 3 of 8
What you need to get in
- Registered apprentice with SkilledTradesBC and employer or union sponsor
- Pass pre-employment safety orientation and drug/alcohol screening
- Registered apprentice with SkilledTradesBC and Local 97 union sponsorship
- Pass pre-employment safety orientation and drug screening
- SkilledTradesBC apprentice registration number
Step 4 of 8
How to apply
- Apply for union apprenticeship dispatch through Ironworkers Local 97 or an approved contractor
- Complete apprenticeship registration agreement with SkilledTradesBC
- Enrol in technical training blocks scheduled at the Ironworkers Local 97 Training Centre
- Apply for federal apprentice grants and Employment Insurance (EI) during school blocks
Step 5 of 8
Ironworker apprenticeship
⏱ 6 weeks per Level (3 Levels)- 3 technical training levels with 6 weeks of full-time schooling per level (18 weeks total)
- Rigging tackle, sling angle tension calculations, and crane hand/radio signals
- Structural steel erection: columns, beams, trusses, and high-strength bolt torquing
- Reinforcing steel (rebar) placement, tying techniques, and concrete footing details
- Oxy-fuel cutting, plasma cutting, and CWB structural welding fundamentals
Step 6 of 8
Where to take it
⏱ 2 schools in BC- British Columbia Institute of Technology — 6 weeks per level, 3 levels (About $3,300 for the whole program)
- Ironworkers Local 97 Training Centre — 6 weeks per level, 3 levels (Tuition not yet verified)
Step 7 of 8
Exams and registration after
- SkilledTradesBC modular trade examinations after each level
- Interprovincial Red Seal Ironworker (Generalist) examination upon reaching 4,500 workplace hours
Step 8 of 8
Leads to: Ironworker
- Explore Ironworker wages, job outlook, and career pathways
SCHOOLS
Where you can take this(2 schools)
Compare tuitions, campus locations, and delivery formats across approved institutions in British Columbia.
Tuition changes every year. Confirm on the school's page. Last checked 8 September 2026.
We have not checked this school's tuition yet. See the school's page.