Sprinkler fitter apprenticeship
Sprinkler Fitter Apprenticeship (Red Seal)
Facts checked 7 September 2026
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Part of the route toSprinkler Fitter·Safety ticket
A four-year Red Seal trade apprenticeship combining 6,000 on-the-job work-based hours with four levels of technical union college training.
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.
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- General BC secondary school curriculum and coursework at the Grade 11 level.
Step 2 of 8
Grade 12
⏱ 1 school year- Grade 10 completion (Grade 12 recommended) with senior math and physics recommended
Step 3 of 8
What you need to get in
- Employment and formal apprenticeship sponsorship by a licensed fire protection contractor or UA Local 170
- Physical stamina, mechanical aptitude, and ability to work at heights on ladders and scaffolding
- Physical stamina, mechanical aptitude, and ability to work at heights
- Registered apprentice with SkilledTradesBC in piping trades
- Active fire protection contractor sponsorship
Step 4 of 8
How to apply
- Secure an apprenticeship job with a fire protection contractor or apply to the UA Local 170 Piping Industry College intake
- Register the apprenticeship agreement with SkilledTradesBC
- Schedule Level 1 technical training at the Piping Industry College of BC (UA Local 170 in Delta)
- Tuition: Not published (subsidized by SkilledTradesBC / union training funds)
Step 5 of 8
Sprinkler fitter apprenticeship
⏱ 4 years- 4 years consisting of 6,000 total hours: 5,040 on-the-job practical hours and 960 technical classroom/shop hours
- Level 1 to 4 technical training modules: blueprint reading, fire protection codes (NFPA 13, 14, 20), pipe cutting, threading, and grooving
- Wet, dry, pre-action, and deluge sprinkler systems installation, backflow prevention, and fire pumps testing
- Rigging, hoisting, aerial lift safety, and jobsite occupational health and safety
Step 6 of 8
Where to take it
⏱ 2 schools in BC- British Columbia Institute of Technology — 8 weeks per level, 4 levels (Tuition not yet verified)
- Piping Industry College of BC (UA Local 170) — 8 weeks per level, 4 levels (About $800 per level)
Step 7 of 8
Exams and registration after
- SkilledTradesBC Red Seal Interprovincial Examination for Sprinkler System Installers (passing grade 70%)
Step 8 of 8
Leads to: Sprinkler Fitter
- Explore Sprinkler Fitter 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.
We have not checked this school's tuition yet. See the school's page.
Tuition changes every year. Confirm on the school's page. Last checked 8 September 2026.