TRAINING APPRENTICES

Apprenticeship Program

Apprenticeship Training: a smart business investment!

Thousands of Alberta employers hire and train apprentices, and many thousands more employ apprenticeship-trained journeymen. The majority of employers know that, in the long run, it pays to train apprentices. And they know that training skilled workers is a long term investment for their industry as a whole.

In a recent survey of employers:

slightly more than 70% of respondents said that employing registered apprentices actually increased both their bottom line and their competitive edge.
80% of respondents said employing apprenticeship-trained journeymen increases both their profit margin and their competitiveness.

The dividends: stability, quality, profit

Employers tell us they train apprentices for many reasons, including:

maintenance of high employee skills
assurance of a steady supply of skilled employees in an aging workforce
assurance that the unique processes and strategies that make their business profitable are carried on by their future skilled workers
increased product quality, reduced unit costs through less wastage, fewer warranty returns
increased workplace safety
increased customer satisfaction
maximization of investment in technology
enhanced ability to emerge in a stronger competitive position from downturns in the economy

Apprenticeship training: how does it work?

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

Approximately 80% of an apprentice's time is spent on-the-job under the guidance of a certified journeyman or qualified tradeperson. The other 20% involves technical training provided at, or through, a post secondary establishment – usually a college or technical institute.

In response to employers' and apprentices' needs, technical training is becoming more flexible. It often involves what is called 'block release', where the apprentice spends several weeks a year in classroom training. But, depending on the trade and the location, it can also involve one-day-a-week, evening or weekend, distance learning, or mobile training delivery in your municipality or on the job site.

Depending on the trade, apprenticeship training usually lasts between one and four years.

The system: an industry partnership

Alberta's apprenticeship training system ensures a highly skilled, internationally-competitive workforce.

This is achieved through a close partnership among employers, journeymen, apprentices and the Alberta government.

Employers and employees, working through a highly organized system of local and provincial apprenticeship committees and the Alberta Apprenticeship and Industry Training Board, set training and certification standards.

The apprenticeship investment: employer, apprentice and government responsibilities

Employers are responsible for:

completing the employer section of the apprenticeship application/contract
signing the application/contract with the apprentice and ensuring that it is forwarded to an Apprenticeship and Industry Training Office to be registered
providing the apprentice with on-the-job training supervised by a certified journeyman or a qualified tradesperson
paying the apprentice's wages, generally starting at a certain percentage of the journeyman rate depending on the trade, and increasing in stages as training progresses
allowing the apprentice time away from work to complete the required technical training
updating the apprentice's record book

Apprentices are responsible for:

completing the apprentice section of the apprenticeship application/contract
completing the required on-the-job training
attending and successfully completing the required technical training
passing required examinations
carrying, and producing on request, an apprentice ID card
ensuring the record book is updated

Government is responsible for:

facilitating the development, by industry, of technical training course outlines
arranging technical training with training establishments
working with training establishments to ensure training content is uniform across the province
helping employers and apprentices by providing information to facilitate apprenticeship training
administering examinations developed by industry
verifying apprentice record books for the requirements of apprenticeship programs
issuing certificates and maintaining records
supporting the industry-driven apprenticeship system in Alberta

Want more say in the system? Get involved!

If you want more say in training and certification standards, there's a great way for employers to step into the mainstream of Alberta's apprenticeship training system.

By committing your time to a local or provincial apprenticeship committee in your trade, you can help maintain a training system that is respected throughout Canada and around the world.

Call your nearest Apprenticeship and Industry Training Office today and ask how you can become more involved in the standards that affect your industry!

More information about Apprenticeship