Trades - Apprenticeship in Heavy Mechanical Trades: Apprenticeship is a trades - apprenticeship in Trades programme taught at Vancouver Island University in Nanaimo, Canada. The programme runs for 29 weeks, delivered on campus. Teaching is in English. Tuition is CAD 118 per total for local students.
This program delivers the technical training component of the Heavy Mechanical Trades apprenticeship for students registered with SkilledTradesBC and sponsored by an employer, preparing them for careers as Heavy Duty Equipment Technicians, Truck and Transport Mechanics, or Diesel Engine Mechanics. Training is organized into four levels at VIU's Nanaimo campus: Level 1 (10 weeks) covers foundational skills in brakes, hydraulics, electrical systems, frames, steering, suspension, and HVAC; Level 2 (8 weeks) covers electrical diagnostics and engine system fundamentals; Level 3 (6 weeks) covers powertrain systems including transmissions and drive axles; and Level 4 (5 weeks) covers advanced hydraulics and electrical drive systems, with content varying by specialization. Across the apprenticeship, students accumulate roughly 6,330 hours of paid, employer-based work experience alongside the technical training. On completing all four levels and required hours, apprentices are eligible to write the Interprovincial Red Seal examination for journeyperson certification. The program is intended for registered apprentices with an active employer sponsor who enjoy diagnosing and repairing mechanical systems, not for students seeking initial entry to the trade.
Requirements
Admission Requirements: This is an apprenticeship-progression programme rather than a first-entry one: applicants must have successfully completed the previous apprenticeship level, be registered as an apprentice with SkilledTradesBC, and have an employer sponsor. Classes fill on a first-come, first-registered basis, and waiting lists apply for many trades and apprenticeship levels; applicants should contact VIU's Apprenticeship Admissions and Registration office for seat availability. No academic course, grade, GPA, or English-language test score is published for entry to this apprenticeship level. Applicants register with SkilledTradesBC via its online portal before an employer sponsorship can be confirmed and a training seat allocated.
Application Details
Application Deadline:Domestic (Canadian) applicants apply through EducationPlannerBC; Vancouver Island University sets no institution-wide equal-consideration date, and its admissions FAQ states deadlines vary by programme, with applications for most academic programmes opening 1 October in the year before a September start. VIU publishes no general closing date for that window; applicants are directed to each programme's own page for its own deadline. International applicants use the same portal; VIU publishes no international-specific institution-wide date either, and several health programmes (Practical Nursing, Nursing Unit Assistant) are stated as not currently open to international students. Each programme's own page carries its own Start Date, Deadlines, and Additional Application Details table for the 2026-27 cycle, and admission for programmes without a stated window is treated as ongoing/rolling until the intake fills. These are institution-wide dates; this programme publishes no deadline of its own.
