Professional Development Programs

Canadian Apprenticeship Forum

PARTICIPANT APPLICATION

National Mentor Development Program

Women and gender diverse individuals in the final year of their apprenticeship or who are certified journeypersons may apply. We recognize the distinct barriers faced by women and gender-diverse people from multiply-marginalized backgrounds in accessing this type of training. Those from diverse backgrounds (who are newcomers, identify as 2SLGBTQQIA+, have a disability, or who are Black, Indigenous, or a person of colour) are especially encouraged to apply.

Application Form for Mentor Development Participants

Applications for the February 2026 cohort are now open.

There are 5 modules that will take place throughout the program.

  • Mentorship vision: Setting the course
  • Crafting Connection: Building Strong Mentorships
  • Navigating Dialogue: Effective Mentorship Communication
  • Wellness and Work: Fostering a Supportive Environment
  • Passing the Torch: Knowledge, Careers and Celebrations

Every participant who completes the mandatory requirements will receive a CAF-FCA Certificate of Completion. Mandatory requirements include:

  • Participating in virtual discussions
  • Writing and posting in the Discussion Forum
  • Writing journal entries reflecting upon what was learned
  • Producing a self-reflection based final assignment focused on leadership (essay, Power Point, video, etc.)

Applications will be reviewed by the Office to Advance Women Apprentices and the Excellence in Manufacturing Consortium. Those accepted into the program will be emailed by January 19, 2026.

Those interested in applying to the National Mentor Development Program are asked to provide the following information:

"*" indicates required fields

Name:*
Address*
I self-identify as a woman or as a gender diverse individual:*
I self-identify as a member of one or more of the following groups: (you can select more than one group or select N/A if you do not identify as belonging to one of the groups)*
• Indigenous refers to whether a person is First Nations (North American Indian), Métis and/or Inuk (Inuit). A person may be included in more than one of these three specific groups.
• A newcomer refers to a landed immigrant or permanent resident who has been living in Canada within the last five years.
• Persons with disability refers to a person whose daily activities are limited according to a prescribed level of difficulty with particular tasks due to a long-term condition or health problem lasting, or expected to last, for a specific period of time.
• Racialized group refers to a group of people categorized according to ethnic or racial characteristics and subjected to discrimination on that basis. Ethnic characteristics include culture, language and religion. Racial characteristics include skin colour, hair texture and facial features.
• 2SLGBTQI+ refers to the communities of individuals in Canada who self-identify as Two-Spirit, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, and other diverse gender or sexual identities. The + is inclusive of people who identify as part of sexual and gender diverse communities, who use additional terminologies.
• A youth refers to a person whose age lies between 15 and 29 years.
• Select N/A if you do not identify as belonging to one of the groups.
I have direct experience working on the tools in a skilled trade:*
I am in the following industry:*

I am committed to completing the four-month program. I realize the program involves five modules of content and I am required to participate in discussions and produce discussion posts, journal entries and a self-reflection assignment:*
I am aware that the program starts in February 2026 and that to accommodate different time zones virtual discussions will be held on Sundays:*
I realize that program involves a time commitment of six hours per week per module and I will have approximately three to four weeks to complete each module:*