Establishing Apprenticeship Education Programs

When a new inquiry is received, department staff will consult with the inquiring industry to explore alignment between the needs of the occupation and STAEA’s Five Pathways for Industry to seek a mutual solution. If appropriate, the industry may submit a proposal.

Stage 1 Criteria

In addition to a preliminary assessment of the criteria for Stage 2, the Registrar will consider:

1. Whether the inquiring person(s) are able to speak on behalf of the industry;
2. Whether the proposed apprenticeship education program aligns with government policies, priorities, and directions;
3. Whether an apprenticeship education program offered through STAEA is suitable for the occupational field identified;
4. Whether the proposed program would be sufficiently different in scope from existing apprenticeship education programs and industry training programs, and any programs approved under the Post-secondary Learning Act or licensed under the Private Vocational Training Act;
5. Whether the department has available resources to support development and administration of a new apprenticeship education program; and
6. Any other information the Registrar deems necessary for the preliminary assessment.

In Stage 2, industry is provided with a comprehensive application package to complete. The application specifies the information needed for the Minister to make an informed decision on whether the proposed program will go to the development stage.

 Stage 2 Criteria

Program Suitability

1. Whether the proposed program would be sufficiently different in scope from existing apprenticeship education programs and industry training programs, and any programs approved under the Post-secondary Learning Act or licensed under the Private Vocational Training Act.
2. The proposed program must be a minimum of two years in duration (on-the-job and classroom instruction combined) with a minimum of 360 hours (12 weeks) of classroom instruction.
3. The majority of education in the program will be completed through on-the-job instruction.
4. The knowledge and skills required for the proposed apprenticeship education program must be:
   • appropriate to be learned and taught in an on-the-job setting as well as in a post-secondary classroom;
   • appropriate for delivery of standardized theory and competence assessments;
   • core competencies that extend beyond basic safety and workplace training outcomes; and
   • consistently agreed upon across a majority of employers and practitioners as necessary for a new graduate to successfully work in the occupation.
5. There should be potential for:
   • improved learning outcomes for learners;
   • more professional opportunities for learners;
   • an increased number of individuals learning the profession; and
   • improved labour market outcomes through leveraging the apprenticeship learning model.
6. The proposed program must align with government policies, priorities, and directions.

Industry and Stakeholder Support

1. The applicant’s consultation with the industry must provide evidence of support for establishing the apprenticeship education program from at least 80 per cent of consulted practitioners, employers, and other relevant stakeholders in the proposed trade.
2. The applicant must demonstrate that they have provided equal opportunity to participate in a consultation regarding this application to a representative sample of practitioners, employers, and other relevant stakeholders in the industry across all regions of Alberta. Evidence of the sample’s representativeness and the consultation’s methodology must be provided with the completed application package.
3. The applicant’s consultation with the industry must indicate that a majority of individuals or organizations in the industry are willing to act as sponsors to sustain a viable apprenticeship education program.
4. The applicant’s consultation with the industry must indicate a majority of practitioners who would be qualified and willing to act as mentors to sustain a viable apprenticeship education program.
5. The applicant’s consultation with the industry must identify a sufficient number of persons who are willing to volunteer and serve in an industry advisory role to support development and maintenance of the apprenticeship education program.
6. There must be public post-secondary institutions willing to develop and deliver the curriculum for the classroom instruction component.
7. Any stakeholder opposition to establishment of an apprenticeship education program must be identified and considered.

Program Viability

1. The program must meet minimum thresholds for the following viability measures that provide evidence of learner demand for an apprenticeship program:
   
   

   Measure	Timeframe	Threshold
   # of practitioners working in the scope of the profession in Alberta	Average over most recent five years	1500
   % of practitioners who are considered to be learning the profession	Most current year available*	15%
   # of learners in formal training programs	Most current year available*	≥ 80
   % of learners in formal training programs	Most current year available*	≥ 35%
   # of new learners that employers commit to register and permit to attend classroom instruction each academic calendar year in the next three years	Industry survey results*	≥ 20 per year

   * Must be within the past two years
   
   
2. Alberta labour market stability or growth must be forecast for the profession for the next five years or more and support estimates used in the Program Viability table:
   • Evidence of expected labour market stability must be available through a reliable source as set by Skilled Trades and Professions.

Department staff, through the Registrar, will assess the comprehensive application for accuracy and completeness and provide a recommendation to the Minister. The Minister will provide a decision on whether the application proceeds to Stage 3 - Development. This Minister decision represents an approval in principle to allow program development to begin and is not a final decision for the occupation’s apprenticeship education program application.

Once an application from has been approved in principle by the Minister, program development can begin. Department staff will collaborate with industry and post-secondary institutions to develop all relevant program materials, such as curriculum guides and assessments. Post-secondary institutions are engaged regarding classroom instruction delivery, and the department makes updates to IT systems and information resources.

Department staff, through the Registrar, will make a recommendation to the Minister on whether the program should be established under STAEA.

If the Minister’s decision is to reject the proposed program, that decision is final. An application from industry may be re-initiated no sooner than two years after the date of rejection.

An apprenticeship education program is considered officially “established” when the Minister approves the new program, in writing, through the Ministry’s establishment process.

Occupations with an approved apprenticeship education program may seek designation as a trade under STAEA. These occupations may alternatively seek licensing standards through other government ministries or agencies, or through professional organizations, to ensure that workers are proficient.

Sufficient support from industry representatives is required for development and maintenance of the apprenticeship education program. If the program requirements need significant updates and industry is unable to provide sufficient support in making the updates, the program may be considered outdated and no longer viable.

In addition, apprenticeship education programs must meet minimum thresholds for the following viability measures:

Annual reviews of these measures will be conducted by the Registrar and reported to the Minister. Outcomes of the reviews will also be directly communicated to the relevant industry stakeholders and, if the program is a designated trade, to the Alberta Board of Skilled Trades.

If viability measures or other approval criteria are no longer met, the Registrar will communicate with the relevant industry stakeholder representatives and, if the program is a designated trade, to the Alberta Board of Skilled Trades to ensure clarity regarding requirements to maintain status as an apprenticeship education program. This will allow the industry to take action on meeting requirements, if desired.

 In cases where viability or other considerations or criteria continue not to be met for five consecutive years, the Registrar will initiate the process for disestablishment of the apprenticeship education program by providing a recommendation for disestablishment to the Minister.