Glossary

Please contact AIT if there are terms within our policies that you do not understand and are not included below. 

AEITP means Apprenticeship Education and Industry Training Programs Regulation.

AIT means Apprenticeship and Industry Training, which comprises the Alberta Government staff who administer apprenticeship education and the skilled trades.

Alberta Journeyperson Certificate means a trade certificate issued in by AIT that indicates the holder has successfully met the standards and requirements for certification in the designated trade.

Apprentice means an individual who is registered in an apprenticeship education program.

Apprenticeship education agreement means an agreement between a sponsor and an apprentice regarding the on-the-job instruction that the sponsor will provide to the apprentice.

Apprenticeship education program means a program administered by AIT consisting of on-the-job instruction supported by your sponsor, and classroom instruction at a post-secondary institution. 

Assessment or competency assessment means an evaluation of the apprentice’s skills and knowledge.

Board means the Alberta Board of Skilled Trades.

Classroom instruction means instruction provided by a post-secondary institution as part of an apprenticeship education program.

Competence portfolio is the blue book an apprentice receives upon registration in an apprenticeship education program. The competence portfolio is used to track the apprentice’s hours of on-the job training and competencies practiced. It must be submitted to AIT for the apprentice to receive credit for hours worked.

Designated trade means a trade designated under the Skilled Trades and Apprenticeship Education Act.

DTRA means Designated Trades and Restricted Activities Regulation. 

Employer means a person who employs an apprentice during the on-the-job instruction component of an apprenticeship education program.

Journeyperson certificate means the certificate awarded to individuals who have met all requirements for certification in a designated trade. The journeyperson certificate indicates that the holder has attained the level of skill and knowledge required by the Board to work independently in the trade.

Mentor means the qualified individual (journeyperson) who supervises an apprentice on the job and provides guidance, information, knowledge, and opportunities for the apprentice to develop their skills and competencies.

Mentorship means the instruction, guidance and supervision provided by a mentor to an apprentice

Officer means an AIT officer, who is an employee of AIT with responsibility to ensure compliance with the act and its regulations.

On-the-job instruction means instruction provided to an apprentice through mentorship and work experience under an apprenticeship education agreement.

Period means a portion of the apprenticeship education program, during which the apprentice must complete a specified number of classroom instruction and on-the-job instruction hours in order to progress to the next period of their program.

Post-secondary institution means a public post-secondary institution as defined in the Post-secondary Learning Act or the holder of a licence issued under the Private Vocational Training Act.

Ratio means the number of apprentices in an apprenticeship education program that an employer may employ for every certified journeyperson in their employment, as specified in the Apprenticeship Education and Industry Training Programs Regulation.

Registrar means the individual appointed under section 5(1) of the Skilled Trades and Apprenticeship Education Act and includes any individual designated as a deputy Registrar under section 5(2). This is an employee within AIT who is responsible, with support from the Board, post-secondary institutions, and all AIT staff, for establishing apprenticeship education program requirements and administering apprenticeship education programs.

Restricted activity means a task or function that a tradesperson performs as part of a designated trade that require authorization to perform, as specified in the Designated Trades and Restricted Activities Regulation.

Sponsor means the person, company, or organization who commits to ensuring the apprentice receives high-quality on-the-job instruction and progress in their apprenticeship education program.