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Apprenticeship Training

Contacts

Mike Kulchisky
Dean
Office 2915-M
403.342.3100 or 1.888.475.1101

or

Alberta Learning, Apprenticeship and Industry Training (local regional office) 
403.340.5151.
www.tradesecrets.org

The Programs

RDC has 15 apprenticeship programs leading to journeyman status:

  • Automotive Service Technician
  • Carpenter
  • Cook
  • Electrician
  • Heavy Equipment Technician
  • Instrument Technician
  • Locksmith
  • Millwright (1st period only)
  • Parts Technician (1st period only)
  • Plumber
  • Rig Technician
  • Sprinkler Systems Installer
  • Steamfitter/Pipefitter
  • Water Well Driller
  • Welder 

Trade Careers - A Smart Choice 

Trades careers have a lot going for the skilled men and women who work in them...lots more than most of them imagined when they first started out!

  • many trades offer the right kind of challenge as they are highly technical, involve lots of math and sciences, and are changing quickly
  • a trade career can lead to supervision, management, the professions and business entrepreneurship
  • most tradespeople can write a 'Red Seal' exam and earn an Interprovincial Standards Red Seal on their journeyman certificate. This lets them work in most Canadian provinces and territories
  • pay rates vary; generally they are good
  • while some trades occasionally are affected by temporary economic slowdowns, the aging workforce means an overall increase in future demand for skilled tradespeople. Employers need people with the right skills!

Learning a Trade

An apprentice is someone learning a trade while he or she is employed.

Apprenticeship is a combination of on-the-job training, work experience and technical training in a trade.

Apprentices spend about 80% of the time learning on-the-job from a qualified tradesperson. The rest of the time they take technical training, usually at a college or technical institution. Depending on the trade and the region in Alberta, there may be other methods of delivery of technical training.

An apprenticeship program lasts 1 to 4 years, depending on the trade. From day one, apprentices earn money for their time on the job. First-year apprentices earn about half of a journeyman's wage. The pay increases as the training progresses.

When apprentices successfully complete their apprenticeship program, they graduate to certified journeymen. The Alberta Journeyman Certificate proves to themselves and to any future employer that they meet Alberta's high industry standards.

There are 50 apprenticeable trades in Alberta.

Who can enter an apprenticeship program?

Age doesn't matter. You can enter apprenticeship during high school or any time after. Most first-time apprentices are in their late teens or early 20s.

To be an apprentice you need to:

  • complete grade 12 (some trades don't require Grade 12, but many employers prefer to hire high school graduates), or
  • write and pass an entrance exam, or
  • take part in the Registered Apprenticeship Program (RAP) while you're still in high school, earning an income and credit toward your apprenticeship and your high school diploma.

In many cases, students who have taken certain Career and Technology Studies (CTS) program modules may receive credits toward an apprenticeship. The same applies for those who have taken certain kinds of post-secondary training. These credits can shorten the time it takes to complete an apprenticeship and become a certified journeyman.

A person who has previous training or work experience in a trade and wants to find out if they qualify for entry or advanced standing in an apprenticeship program may apply for a Prior Learning Assessment.

Alberta Learning is taking steps to increase the participation of Aboriginal people in the trades through its Enhancing Aboriginal Participation in the Trades Communication Initiative. Aboriginal people interested in becoming an apprentice to learn a trade may find useful information in the Step Into the Trades brochure and on the ThinkTrades website.

'OK, I'm interested. What's next?'

Step One: Choose a trade
Check the list of apprenticeable trades and narrow your choices (see Trades & Occupations). Get as much information as you can about your choices from school counsellors, the Internet, your local library, or your nearest Apprenticeship and Industry Training Office.

Next, talk to people working in the trades that interest you. Speak to their employers - maybe they'll let you 'job-shadow' to see what the day-to-day work is like. Ask lots of questions!

Step Two: Find an employer
Thousands of employers hire and train apprentices. But there's no getting around the fact that finding an employer to train you is the hardest part of the process. You must be employed to be an apprentice.
Many employers already know the apprenticeship training process. But take a copy of our brochure 'Training apprentices' to your interview in case you find one who doesn't. The brochure explains apprenticeship for employers. It's available from Apprenticeship and Industry Training Offices.

Step Three: Apply
Once you have an employer, download and print an Apprenticeship Application and Contract or contact any of our offices for an application. You and your employer complete the application/contract, and you return it to one of our offices. Then, we'll help you with Step Four.

Step Four: The Apprenticeship Contract
The application/contract is an agreement between you and your employer. It outlines who's responsible for what during your apprenticeship.

You are responsible for completing both your technical and on-the-job training.

Your employer is responsible for paying you a certain percentage of the journeyman wage rate, increasing your pay as you progress through training, training you on the job, and for allowing you to attend technical training.

Technical training can involve 4 to 12 weeks of classroom sessions annually. In some trades alternate delivery methods are available including distance learning, weekly apprenticeship training (attend classes one day a week), and Competency-Based Apprenticeship Training (CBAT).

Year-by-year: Do it!
To move from one year of apprenticeship to the next, and to receive your wage increases, each year you need to:

  • have the required number of months of on-the-job training
  • have the required number of hours of on-the-job training
  • successfully complete technical training
  • pass the industry exams
  • ensure your record book is updated by your employer, and
  • send your record book to the nearest Apprenticeship and Industry Training Office for a Certificate of Progress stamp

How much does apprenticeship training cost?

There is a tuition fee for technical training. Like all other adult learners, apprentices pay a portion of the cost of their training. The apprentice must pay the full tuition fee to the educational institution before commencement of the class.

Tuition Fees for 2009/10 are:

  • 4 weeks class length

    Tuition $368.00
    Shop/Material Fee $62.50
    Student Association Fee $17.00
    Activity & Wellness Fee $20.00
    Total $467.50
  • 6 weeks class length

    Tuition $552.00
    Shop/Material Fee $62.50
    Student Association Fee $25.50
    Activity & Wellness Fee $20.00
    Total $660.00
  • 7 weeks class length

Tuition $644.00
Shop/Material Fee $62.50
Student Association Fee $29.75
Activity & Wellness Fee $20.00
Total $756.25

  • 8 weeks class length

    Tuition $736.00
    Shop/Material Fee $62.50
    Student Association Fee $34.00
    Activity & Wellness Fee $20.00
    Total

    $852.50
  • 12 weeks class length

    Tuition $1,104.00
    Shop/Material Fee $62.50
    Student Association Fee $51.00
    Activity & Wellness Fee $20.00
    Total $1,237.50

Additional costs include student association, locker, parking and other facility fees, textbooks and other classroom materials. Apprentices who must travel to receive technical training are responsible for travel, accommodation and meals.

Financial assistance is available to apprentices in a variety of forms:

  • Several scholarships are available for apprentices.  Sources include Red Deer College, the Federal Government, and the Provincial Government.
  • Most apprentices are eligible for employment insurance (EI) while attending technical training.
  • Based on need, financial assistance may be available to apprentices while attending training through Alberta Works - Apprenticeship Grant.

More information and applications are available at the Student Funding & Awards Office - Room 1101, call 403.342.3254 or financialaid@rdc.ab.ca.

How do apprentices register for technical training?

Each year, employers and apprentices receive a mailing from Apprenticeship and Industry Training that includes information about where and when training is available, and instructions on how to apply at each institute or college.

The apprentice, after consulting with their employer, applies directly to the institute or college before the training starts.

  • Class registration is on a first-come, first-served basis. Early registration is recommended because training space may be limited.
  • The apprentice will need to pay the full tuition fee at the time of registration.

The institute or college will verify the apprentices eligibility and provide written confirmation of registration to both the apprentice and the employer.

More information about Alberta's Apprenticeship Program: www.tradesecrets.org