School of Trades and Technology Menu
Foundation or Apprenticeship? How to Apply
Foundation
Foundation programs (formerly known as Trade Entry or pre-apprenticeship) provide entry-level knowledge and skills needed for entry into a trade, for students who are not currently working as an apprentice in the industry. You will gain some experience and familiarity with the trade to make it easier to find an employer who will sponsor your apprenticeship. Foundation programs provide an entry point where you can earn credit for one or two levels of technical training and work-based hours towards your apprenticeship without the need for an employer.
Apprenticeship
Apprenticeship programs are for trades workers who are working in the trade and actively registered with SkilledTradesBC as an apprentice with an apprenticeship number. The apprenticeship program involves a combination of work-based training and technical training leading to a provincial and/or national industry training credential. Apprenticeship programs vary in length, though most take about four years to complete. Upon completion of the required training and work-based hour requirements, students will have the opportunity to write the interprovincial Red Seal exam, which is the certification/endorsement for most trades.
Foundation — how to apply
We are accepting applications for foundation programs with a start date up until April 30, 2026. Applications will be processed until classes are full.
We urge you to complete all your program requirements (Accuplacer test and official high school/post-secondary transcript submission) as quickly as possible. Our foundation programs are in high demand and your acceptance or wait list date will be the date that you have forwarded all the successful requirements/documentation to our office.
Your application may be deferred to a future intake due to high demand. We will be in contact with you if this happens.
Applications are valid for one year.
Fill in the EducationPlannerBC form
Complete a TRU application through EducationPlannerBC. Please note: A credit card is required to pay for the non-refundable application fee.
TRU Future Students can help with the online application process. Connect with them by email at futurestudents@tru.ca or call 250-828-5006.
- Sign up for an EducationPlannerBC account or login.
- Complete the Personal Information, Contact Information and Academic History sections.
- Click "Start Applying".
- Choose "Thompson Rivers University".
- Under Program Selection, choose the following:
- Category – Trades Foundation
- Campus – Kamloops or Williams Lake
- Term
- Winter 2025 (Jan. 1, 2025 to April 30, 2025 start dates)
- Summer 2025 (May 1, 2025 to July 31, 2025 start dates)
- Fall 2025 (Aug. 1, 2025 to Dec. 31, 2025 start dates)
- Winter 2026 (Jan. 1, 2026 to April 30, 2026 start dates)
- Credential – Trades Foundation
- Program – select the program you would like to apply to.
- Save
- Complete Additional Information section — please include any comments in the Other Information box.
- Review and submit.
Send documents to TRU
TRU Admissions will send an email within five business days of applying through EducationPlannerBC to request the exact documents required for your specific program. These documents include:
- Accuplacer test (reading, writing, arithmetic and quantitative reasoning, algebra and statistics)
- High school transcript
- Post-secondary transcripts (if applicable)
For Accuplacer testing please contact our Assessment Centre directly at assess@tru.ca The fee for the test is $39.90. You must pre-register for the Accuplacer test online as seating is limited. We encourage all students to review the Accuplacer Online Practice and Preparation Information prior to registration. If you need to take the test off campus, please follow the off-campus testing procedure. If you have questions, please do not hesitate to contact the Assessment Centre directly.
More about documents
All official high school and post-secondary transcripts from your earlier or current studies must be sent to Thompson Rivers University from the issuing institution(s). Current TRU students do not need to provide their TRU transcript.
Current high school students
Submit an official interim transcript showing completed courses and any courses currently in progress. We will require the final transcript when your courses are completed.
BC high school students
You may request a transcript from the Ministry of Education: Student Transcripts Service (STS). More than one download must be requested to ensure we receive final grades before the start of classes. To match your official downloaded high school transcript to your application, TRU will require your Provincial Education Number (PEN). If you did not include your PEN on your application, contact tradesadmission@tru.ca to provide it.
A trades admissions officer can help with steps 2 and 3. Connect by email at tradesadmission@tru.ca or call 250-828-5046.
Receive a seat offer
If all entrance requirements have been met, you will receive a seat offer via email. To secure your seat, pay the $500 tuition deposit by the deadline, as outlined in the seat offer email.
Pay tuition and fees
Pay the balance of your tuition and fees at least fourteen days before the first day of class.
