Guild Apprenticeship Program
The Guild Apprenticeship Program (GAP) is designed for people who are not yet eligible for DGC Ontario Membership.
For information on how to hire an Apprentice, click here.
There are two intake periods each year: spring and fall, except for the Post streams, which typically have one intake period per year, which is determined by production needs. Please check our GAP webpage periodically for updates on our admission cycles and submission dates.
Successful applicants to the program become Apprentices and have 12-18 months to complete a certain number of paid workdays over a certain number of productions (requirements vary by department). For the duration of the program, Apprentices may only work in PA or Trainee Categories in the department to which they’ve been approved. Once the requirements are met, Apprentices are eligible to join DGC Ontario as an Associate Member, at which point they may work in other departments or higher job categories.
Anyone interested in applying for GAP is urged to review the GAP FAQ.
Once you have read the FAQs and are ready to apply for GAP, simply download the appropriate form by clicking on the applicable link below. Submit the requisite form and all supporting documents during the application admission cycle ONLY.
Reminders Before Submitting An Application:
- Applicant must be a Canadian Citizen or Permanent Resident;
- Make sure you understand the department and job to which you are applying. Click here for all DGC Job Category descriptions;
- All required departmental experience must be paid work, or Canadian Film Centre validated productions;
- Please ensure that backup documentation is legible, and your name and role on set are clear and verifiable;
- GAP applications must be accompanied by the required training certificates:
- Occupational Health and Safety Awareness and Training: Online Learning Module and;
- Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System (WHMIS). To obtain your certification, please see the following recommended vendors below:
- Review the checklist on Page 2 of each application to make sure you have met the requirements and submitted all documents required for your specific department;
- Application documents must be submitted electronically as a single PDF. Exceptions will be made for TAAD portfolios, which should be submitted as a separate file;
- Incomplete digital submissions will not be processed. We cannot guarantee physical applications dropped off or mailed to the office will be received and processed; and,
- No late applications will be accepted after the intake deadline has passed.
2024 GAP Admission Cycle
As we continue to recover from the impact of the US labour disputes in 2023, DGC Ontario will hold a single intake for the Guild Apprenticeship Program (GAP) in 2024. The GAP 2024 intake will be scheduled from April to early September. The intake will include all seven streams of the Apprenticeship Program: Assistant Directors, Locations, Art Department, Accounting, Post Production, Sound Editing and Picture Editing. Official admission cycle dates and applications will be posted here in February.
Warner Bros. Discovery Access Canada x DGC Ontario Bursary for Underrepresented Communities
DGC Ontario and Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) Access Canada are proud to continue an initiative started in the fall of 2021 to help strengthen the Canadian industry by building on the Guild’s pathway to Membership.
Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) Access Canada x DGC ON Bursary for Underrepresented Communities was created for up to 20 accepted applicants in the Guild Apprenticeship Program (GAP) who self-identify as Indigenous, Black, racialized, Persons with Disabilities, Francophone, and/or 2SLGBTQ+.
For the spring 2023 GAP intake, Warner Bros. Discovery Access Canada was able to increase their support by providing 30 bursaries in the GAP categories listed below. Each disbursement is a $500 CAD non-transferable and non-refundable payment.
In its third year, this Bursary program supported the following categories for the spring 2023 GAP intake:
- Trainee Assistant Accountant (TAA)
- Set Production Assistant (Set PA)
- Location Production Assistant (LPA)
- Trainee Assistant Location Manager (TAL)
- Trainee Assistant Art Director (TAAD)
- Trainee Assistant Art Director – Coordinator (TAAD – COORD)
- Trainee Assistant Picture Editor (TAPE)
- Trainee Assistant Sound Editor (TASE)
- Post Production PA (PPPA)
The deadline to receive applications for the spring 2023 round of the Bursary for Underrepresented Communities is now closed, and bursaries have been awarded to the selected recipients.
For more information on the Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) Access Canada x DGC ON Bursary for Underrepresented Communities, please email GAP@dgcontario.ca.
Important Note:
The Guild Apprenticeship Program is only administered by DGC Ontario. DGC Ontario reserves the right to cap the number of GAP applicants accepted per calendar year. If not accepted into the program, candidates may need to wait until the following year to re-apply. Scheduled dates for interviews and training are subject to change depending on instructor availability. Any updates to GAP application materials and dates will be posted on this page.
If you have any questions about the Guild Apprenticeship Program, please email the Apprenticeship and Outreach Coordinator at gap@dgcontario.ca or call us at 416-925-8200.
