Block Release vs. Competency-Based Training: What’s the Difference for Apprentices?
When it comes to apprenticeship training, there is more than one way to learn. But how training is delivered can have a significant impact on how apprentices develop the knowledge, experience, and confidence they need to succeed in their trade.
A recent report from the BC Building Trades, Beyond Checklists: Why Competency-Based Training Falls Short in Apprenticeship Education, takes a closer look at the differences between traditional block-release training and competency-based approaches, and asks an important question: are we doing enough to prepare apprentices for the full scope of their trade?
What is block-release training?
In the traditional apprenticeship model, apprentices spend the majority of their time learning on the job, complemented by dedicated periods of technical training at a training institution. These blocks give apprentices the opportunity to step away from the jobsite and focus entirely on developing their technical knowledge and skills.
According to the BC Building Trades report, this model recognizes that occupational competence is about more than completing individual tasks. It also involves “problem-solving, judgment, adaptability, and a deep understanding of trade principles.”
Block release also creates opportunities that can be difficult to replicate elsewhere: learning directly from experienced instructors, working alongside other apprentices, receiving immediate feedback, and building relationships with peers.
What is competency-based training?
Competency-based training focuses on whether an apprentice can demonstrate specific skills or tasks to a predetermined standard. Rather than relying primarily on dedicated periods of technical instruction, more responsibility for assessment and learning can shift toward the workplace and employer.
There are advantages to flexibility, and competency-based approaches can play a role in modernizing training. But the BC Building Trades report raises an important concern: can individual competencies fully capture what it means to become a skilled tradesperson?
Being able to complete a task is only one part of becoming competent. Apprentices also need the opportunity to understand why something is done, troubleshoot when things don’t go according to plan, learn from mistakes, and apply their knowledge to new situations.
Beyond the checklist
A strong apprenticeship program should be about more than completing a list of requirements.
It should help apprentices become confident, adaptable, and well-rounded tradespeople who can take their knowledge from the classroom to a wide variety of job sites and situations.
Relying on competency-based training alone carries real risk. An apprentice can complete every required task and still not have been challenged by a problem or situation they haven’t encountered before.
Block-release training is built to close that gap. Time away from the jobsite allows apprentices to strengthen their judgment, problem-solving abilities, and depth of knowledge that a checklist alone can’t measure.
As the BC Building Trades report puts it:
“The goal is not more apprentices entering the system. The goal is more journeypersons coming out the other end, fully certified, fully capable, and ready to build.”
At the EJTC (Electrical Joint Training Committee), we believe quality apprenticeship training means investing in the whole apprentice, combining technical education, hands-on experience, mentorship, and time in the field to develop the skills needed for a long and successful career.
Neither block-release training nor competency-based training on its own tells the whole story of what makes a certified electrician.
Because becoming a skilled electrician isn’t about checking every box.
It’s about being ready for what comes next.
EJTC acknowledges the BC Building Trades and their June 2026 report, Beyond Checklists: Why Competency-Based Training Falls Short in Apprenticeship Education, as the source of the information discussed in this article.
Written by: Savannah Davis, ClearWater Communications Co.