New Brunswick has scrapped tuition fees for apprenticeship-level technical training, a move the province says will make the skilled trades more accessible to workers across the province.
What changed
The provincial government has eliminated the tuition fee for apprenticeship-level training, effective as of the September 14, 2026 announcement. Premier Susan Holt said apprentices can now complete their technical training without paying tuition, saving the average apprentice about $2,720 over the course of their training.
The province framed the change as part of a broader push to grow the skilled trades workforce. Holt noted that more people are needed in trades jobs to build homes, schools and hospitals, and that removing this cost is meant to help New Brunswickers build a career at home without added pressure on household budgets.
The announcement also acknowledged that tuition is only one of several financial pressures apprentices face — others include reduced income while training, plus travel or living costs when training happens outside their home community. One apprentice quoted in the release, Carter Stright, a truck and transport mechanic apprentice, said it would be much easier going forward not having that financial burden hanging over him during training, and that it will relieve pressure for apprentices generally.
This builds on earlier fee reductions the province made for out-of-province workers. In March 2026, the government proposed amendments to the Apprenticeship and Occupational Certification Act that would eliminate the $150 fee for certified tradespeople from other provinces applying for an equivalent certificate, along with the $25 registration fee and $100 prior learning assessment fee for apprentices from other Canadian jurisdictions registering in New Brunswick.
Who qualifies
The fee elimination applies broadly to anyone going through apprenticeship-level technical training in New Brunswick — it isn’t limited to a specific trade or a narrow eligibility window. To become an apprentice in the first place, though, you still need to meet the standard entry requirements:
- Be employed in the trade. You need to obtain employment with an employer willing to register you as an apprentice, then complete the on-the-job and technical training requirements and examinations to earn a Diploma of Apprenticeship and Certificate of Qualification.
- Meet the trade’s prerequisites. Registration into an apprenticeship agreement requires verification of credentials as set out in Board Order GA002 (“Pre-requisites to Registration into an Apprenticeship Agreement”), and you must have a recognized employer willing to enter into the agreement with you.
- Choose from a wide range of trades. There are 82 designated occupations under the Apprenticeship and Occupational Certification Act, 12 of which are compulsory — meaning you must hold a Certificate of Qualification or be registered as an apprentice to practice — while the remaining 70 are voluntary. Of these, 45 occupations have formal apprenticeship pathways.
Programs are a mix of paid work and classroom time: apprenticeships typically take two to four years to complete and combine roughly 80% paid on-the-job training with 20% technical or in-school learning. Apprentices earn a salary from their employer throughout, which normally increases as each stage of the program is completed.
How to enrol
- Talk to a counsellor first. Each trade has its own specific competency and experience requirements, so the recommended first step is contacting an Apprenticeship regional office to sort out what applies to your situation.
- Line up a job. You need to be legally entitled to work in New Brunswick and have proof of a job opportunity in the province before applying or registering.
- Register the apprenticeship agreement. This is a three-way arrangement — apprenticeship in New Brunswick involves the apprentice, the employer (including the supervising journeyperson), and the government through Skilled Trades NB.
- Complete on-the-job and technical training. Hours required vary by trade — for example, an industrial mechanic (millwright) apprenticeship requires 7,200 hours of combined on-the-job and technical training, while a Construction Craft Worker apprenticeship requires 3,600 hours — with an Interprovincial Red Seal typically affixed to the certificate on completion.
For trade-specific requirements and to start the registration process, the Skilled Trades NB section of the Government of New Brunswick’s website (gnb.ca) is the place to go
