COVID-19 Information for Apprentices
2020-21 technical training schedules are now available in the Apprenticeship Training Catalogue on Tradesecrets.
EXAMS
If you are writing an exam at an AIT office, you must adhere to public safety protocols. There are special instructions for visiting the Edmonton AIT Office.
UPLOAD YOUR DOCUMENTS
Although front counter service has resumed for most AIT Offices, clients are encouraged to upload or take a picture of any paper documents and submit them through their MyTradesecrets account by clicking the Upload button on the Documents tab. Documents you can upload include:
- Record book
- employer letters
- Acceptance or release cards
- Transcripts
- Any other document you need to send to an AIT office
For more information, go to Tradesecrets.alberta.ca/upload. If you need to visit an AIT Office in person, you are encouraged to bring and wear your own mask.
FRONT COUNTER SERVICES ARE OPEN at most AIT Office locations except for Grande Prairie.
AIT exams at post-secondary institutes and employer or union-based training facilities have been suspended until further notice.
Progression in the apprenticeship program will be determined by assessment from your training provider. If the marks submitted by your training provider show you to be in good academic standing in eligible classes, you will not be required to challenge the AIT theory or practical examinations. The standard for determining a passing mark will not change.
This exemption does not apply to students attending a Pre-Employment, Certificate or Diploma Program. These students will have to write the associated period exam at an AIT office and complete any practical exams as required if they register as an apprentice.
Interprovincial Red Seal Exam
Eligible final period apprentices who are interested in obtaining their Red Seal Endorsement (RSE) will be automatically scheduled to write their interprovincial (Red Seal) exam as close to the end of technical training as possible. Apprentices can see the date, time and location of their exam on the Scheduling tab in their MyTradesecrets (MTS) account, or view their correspondence regarding their Red Seal exam by clicking on the Envelope icon in the top right-hand corner of MTS. If an Alberta apprentice wishes to be certified without the Red Seal Endorsement (RSE), please contact AIT.
Certified individuals can apply for the Alberta Red Seal application at any time to pursue their RSE. Contact the AIT Information Line at 1-800-248-4823 to schedule a Red Seal exam. There will be no cost for the exam.
Apprenticeship and Industry Training (AIT) acknowledges that students who were registered in recognized pre employment, diploma, certificate or Career and Technology Studies (CTS) Apprenticeship Pathways programs have had their training disrupted. Many of these programs would also have included the expectation that students write one or more Alberta period examinations. For those students whose program ran between September 2019 and June 2020, as long as the training provider determines that the training was substantively complete and will not have to be repeated (i.e., they received a passing mark), they will have the associated period examination(s) waived when they register as an apprentice.
For all impacted individuals except for those in a high school CTS Apprenticeship Pathway, the training providers (post-secondary institutions or recognized private training providers) have distributed a letter to those students who successfully completed the qualifying training. When applicants register as an apprentice, they will submit that letter along with a copy of their transcript, diploma or certificate, and will have their examination(s) waived. CTS Pathway students will automatically have the associated exam waived when they register as an apprentice and submit their CTS Course Completion Record showing that the completion occurred in June 2020.
Note: Exams cannot be waived if waiving them would mean the apprentice would never write an Alberta period examination before becoming certified.
Through the Employment Insurance (EI) system, the Government of Canada provides income support to eligible apprentices during periods of technical training. Policies regarding Employment Insurance while technical training have not changed due to COVID-19.
Apprentices are required to provide complete and accurate information, as requested by Service Canada. For more information, apprentices can call 1-800-206-7218 (in Alberta) or visit Employment Insurance for Apprentices.
Due to school closure, the completion of a level of technical training to enable an apprentice to progress or to complete apprenticeship may be delayed. As a result, Apprentices will not be eligible for Apprenticeship Grants until the province or territory in which they are registered provides documents that confirm progression/completion in apprenticeship.
Apprentice loan repayment suspension put in place by the Government of Canada as part of the COVID–19 measures ended on September 30, 2020. Apprentice loan payments and interest accrual resumed October 1, 2020. If you think you may need continued support on your payments, visit Help Repaying Your Loan.
Contact the AIT Information Line at 1-800-248-4823 if you need information or wish to discuss your apprenticeship. Further updates will be posted on this page.
Updated April 12, 2021
