If you wish to become a funeral director you have two options:
Regardless of which option you select or the type of apprenticeship license, all individuals must be 19 years of age at the time of application.
If you wish to become an embalmer or licensed as both an embalmer and funeral director, you must complete the two year Funeral and Allied Health Services Program.
Students in mortuary science, who are looking for available opportunities to become a funeral director’s apprentice or embalmer’s apprentice, should start their search well in advance.
NSCC Program Overview
This program prepares you with the knowledge and skills needed to work effectively in two careers: Funeral Directing and Embalming. Although you may choose to pursue only one of the avenues as a career, you will benefit immensely from having a sound understanding of the other related discipline.
The most effective funeral directors are "people persons" - open-minded, compassionate, non-judgmental, and responsive communicators. In this career, you meet bereaved people of all religious denominations and all socio-economic circumstances, who rely upon your support, good organizational skills, and knowledge of the products and services available to them when making funeral arrangements.
Embalmers are fascinated by the science of the human body. Their good-eye coordination and technical proficiency enables them to identify illness and disease in the body, and to assess its effect, if any, on public health. In this program, you acquire the skill and confidence necessary to work efficiently. You learn the importance of teamwork and will become familiar with the technical language and medical terminology used by your colleagues in the health professions.
No matter the career path you choose, you must be organized, ethical, open-minded, eager to embrace teamwork, and free to work long and flexible hours. Throughout the program, you will focus on classroom learning with some practical experience. Most of your hands-on skills will be developed during the apprenticeship.
To review our Apprentice Applicant Policy and Guidelines, click here.
To review the competencies required for funeral director licensing please click here.
To review the competencies required for embalmer licensing please click here.
