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Qualification · access to the industry
The CCQ competency card: the three certificates, in plain terms.
To work on a site covered by the R-20 Act, you need a competency certificate issued by the Commission de la construction du Québec. There are three — apprentice, journeyperson and occupation — and the conditions differ. Here is what each one allows, what it costs and how it is renewed.
The three certificates
CCA, CCC or CCO: which one applies.
The certificate type depends on what the person does on site, not on their diploma alone. A carded trade requires an apprentice or journeyperson certificate; an occupation requires an occupation competency certificate.
CCA
Apprentice competency certificate
A person apprenticing in a trade.
Covers 1 to 5 apprenticeship periods of 2,000 hours each, depending on the trade.
CCC
Journeyperson competency certificate
A person who has demonstrated their qualifications in one of the construction trades.
Obtained by passing the qualification exam, through an MTESS certificate, a Red Seal, or the France-Québec agreement.
CCO
Occupation competency certificate
A person performing construction work as a labourer or specialized labourer.
Has no apprenticeship periods or qualification exam: it is the most accessible entry point.
Source: CCQ — Competency certificate, retrieved September 19, 2026. The CCQ also recognizes certain qualification certificates from the ministère du Travail, de l’Emploi et de la Solidarité sociale (MTESS).
The general conditions
What is required in every case.
The same six conditions apply to every competency certificate application, apprentice or journeyperson. The admission routes differ with the candidate’s profile.
- Be at least 16 years old
- Have a social insurance number
- Provide your home address
- Provide a photocopy of an official identity document
- Show successful completion of the 30-hour Health and Safety on Construction Sites course
- Pay the applicable $100 fee
The mandatory course
The Health and Safety on Construction Sites course, 30 hours long, is offered through school service centre schools or through the industry’s employer and union associations. It is one of the general conditions: without it, no application goes through.
Once the application is approved, the certificate is mailed. Depending on the circumstances, the CCQ may issue a temporary work permit so the candidate can reach the site sooner.
The apprentice certificate (CCA)
Seven entry routes, one certificate.
The CCQ provides several routes depending on the candidate’s profile. The graduate path is the most common; the others answer specific situations.
Graduate of a recognized program of study
Has successfully completed a program recognized by the CCQ in the target trade. Provides proof of studies (provisional attestation if the DEP is less than 90 days old; a record of learning or competencies beyond that) and a job guarantee from an employer registered with the CCQ.
Candidate admitted under the labour pool status
Eligible when the labour pool allows it. The employer reserves a place through the Info-pénurie line and guarantees at least 150 hours over no more than three consecutive months.
Candidate admitted through experience recognition
For a person who demonstrates, in work and training hours, the equivalent of at least 35% of the trade’s apprenticeship duration (except the crane operator trade).
Student candidate
A student in a recognized program can obtain a temporary CCA valid 6 months, with proof of enrolment and a letter of commitment from an employer — no minimum-hour guarantee required. Not offered for programs leading to an AEP or for the crane operator trade.
Journeyperson candidate in another trade
The holder of a journeyperson competency certificate who begins apprenticing in another trade obtains a CCA for that trade.
Employer candidate
A sole proprietorship or a designated representative can obtain a CCA by meeting the general conditions.
Out-of-country candidate (international recruitment)
A person living outside Canada can have their hours recognized (at least 35% of the apprenticeship) through a preliminary review, then apply for a CCA once in Québec, with a 150-hour job guarantee over three months.
The most common path
Becoming an apprentice with a DEP.
This is the route for vocational training graduates: the diploma opens the door, the job guarantee walks through it.
- Hold a DEP recognized by the CCQ in the target trade (or a recognition of prior learning for a diploma obtained outside Québec).
- Provide proof of studies: a provisional attestation if the DEP is less than 90 days old; a record of learning or competencies mentioning the DEP beyond 90 days.
- Provide a job guarantee from an employer registered with the CCQ: at least 150 hours spread over no more than three consecutive months.
- Complete the application form and attach the required documents.
- Pay the applicable $100 fee.
The CCQ must receive the complete file within 14 working days of the job guarantee being registered in order to issue the requested certificate.
Validity and renewal
Valid 12 months, often renewed with no paperwork.
The CCQ issues competency certificates valid 12 months. Anyone who was active in their trade during the 14 months before expiry has it renewed automatically, free of charge.
Otherwise, a request must be made. Depending on the certificate type, the CCQ may require a job guarantee of at least 150 hours over three months, a valid union association choice and the applicable fee. Inactivity for certain specific reasons may allow a free renewal.
Access measures
To promote access for women, First Nations and Inuit people and people representative of society’s diversity, the CCQ has put specific measures in place: exemption from the job guarantee, and access even when the labour pool is closed at 30% or less availability.
This industry access measure can be used only once per trade. The trade’s academic prerequisites must be filed before the certificate expires to have it renewed.
Frequently asked
The competency card, in plain terms.
What are the three types of CCQ competency certificates?
The apprentice competency certificate (CCA) for a person apprenticing in a trade; the journeyperson competency certificate (CCC) for a person who has demonstrated their qualifications in a trade; and the occupation competency certificate (CCO) for a labourer or specialized labourer. Carded trades require a CCA or CCC; occupations require a CCO.
How much does a CCQ competency card cost?
The applicable fee is $100 for a competency certificate application. The CCQ also recognizes certain qualification certificates issued by the ministère du Travail, de l’Emploi et de la Solidarité sociale (MTESS).
How long is a competency certificate valid?
The CCQ issues competency certificates valid 12 months. Anyone who was active in their trade during the 14 months before expiry has it renewed automatically, free of charge. Otherwise, a request must be made.
Do you need a job guarantee to get an apprentice certificate?
On the graduate path, yes: a guarantee from an employer registered with the CCQ of at least 150 hours spread over no more than three consecutive months. Women are exempt (industry access measures).
What is the difference between a carded trade and an occupation?
A carded trade — electrician, carpenter-joiner, pipefitter — requires a competency card obtained after a diploma, apprenticeship periods and a qualification exam. An occupation — labourer, guard, storekeeper, truck driver — has neither apprenticeship periods nor an exam: it requires an occupation competency certificate (CCO) and the health and safety course. Labourer is an occupation, not a trade.
What happens if my competency certificate expires?
If it was not renewed automatically, a request must be made. Depending on the situation, the CCQ may require a job guarantee of at least 150 hours over three months, a valid union association choice and the $100 fee where applicable. A certificate that cannot be renewed means meeting the general conditions again.