Meet Eligibility and Entrance Requirements

Apprenticeship Education Programs have flexible requirements.

You can apply to register and begin one portion of your program, even if you're still working toward meeting requirements for the other.

Eligibility Requirements

Before you apply to be an apprentice, make sure you are eligible.

You must:

be a Canadian citizen, or
be a permanent resident of Canada, or
be a Convention refugee or protected person, or
be a Refugee Claimant in possession of a work permit; or
be an individual in possession of a Post-Graduation Work Permit;

and

be a resident of Alberta, or
be primarily working in Alberta (in the scope of the apprenticeship education program).

For additional information, consult the Apprentice Eligibility Policy.

Entrance Requirements

Before you enroll in classroom instruction, you'll need to meet the entrance requirements.

You must:

meet the minimum Alberta or equivalent High School requirements for your apprenticeship program, or
hold an existing trade certificate, or
pass an entrance exam for your apprenticeship program.

You can register as an apprentice and start learning on the job before you meet the entrance requirements, but you must meet them during your first year of apprenticeship.

Sponsorship Agreement

Before you begin working as an apprentice, you need to have an agreement with a sponsor.

Find a business or organization willing to provide you with paid-on-the-job mentorship in your trade, and ask them to become your sponsor.

If you have a sponsor when you apply to become a registered apprentice:
- Submit your sponsor's information during the application process to initiate your sponsorship agreement.
- You can start working and learning on the job as soon as your application is approved.
If you don't have a sponsor yet when you apply to become a registered apprentice:
- You can apply and attend classroom instruction* before you have a sponsor.
- Once you find a sponsor, submit a Notice of Acceptance form to register your sponsorship agreement.
- You may not start working and learning on the job until your Notice of Acceptance has been processed.

*Most apprentices come to classroom instruction with some on-the-job experience. Without it, you may find the classes challenging. Find a sponsor as soon as you can for your best chance at success.

Resources to help you find a sponsor: