AIT Policy Manual

Establishing Apprenticeship Education Programs
Table of Contents
Apprentice Eligibility
    Dual Apprenticeship
    Cancellation of Apprentice Registration
    Re-enter an Apprenticeship Education Program
    Registration in an Apprenticeship Education Program Without a Sponsor
Apprentice Mobility
    Alberta Apprentices Working in Another Jurisdiction
    Apprentices from Other Jurisdictions Working in Alberta
    Examination Administration in Other Jurisdictions
    Access to Alberta Classroom Instruction for Apprentices from Other Jurisdictions
    Working in Alberta with an Expired Out-of-Province Trade Credential
    Receiving Recognition for an Expired Out-of-Province Trade Credential
Classroom Instruction
    Attendance in Classroom Instruction
    Determining Success in Classroom Instruction
    Academic Conduct and Personal Behaviour
Sponsor Eligibility
    Obligations of a Sponsor
Compliance and Enforcement
    Non-Compliance
    Site Visits and Inspections
    Enforcement
    Compliance
    Consequences for Non-compliance
    Inspection and Suspension
    Prosecution
    Publication of Convictions
Assessment
    Limits on Rescheduling or Failing to Attend an Assessment
Industry Pathways
    Establishing Apprenticeship Education Programs
        
    Establishing Industry Training Programs
Blue Seal Program
Glossary

Establishing Apprenticeship Education Programs

The Apprenticeship Model of Education

Under the Skilled Trades and Apprenticeship Education Act (STAEA), the Minister of Skilled Trades and Professions (STP) may establish apprenticeship education programs. Apprenticeship is a post-secondary education program that consists primarily of paid, on-the-job instruction interspersed with classroom instruction. While apprentices register and track their progress through government, on-the-job instruction is made available through sponsors, employers, and mentors. Classroom instruction is primarily delivered through select publicly funded post-secondary institutions in Alberta.

The alternating of on-the-job and classroom instruction is a defining feature of the apprenticeship education model. While there is variation, a common ratio of on-the-job to classroom instruction for current programming is 80:20. Most often, that means approximately 10 months are spent on-the-job and eight weeks are spent in the classroom for each program year. At minimum, 51 per cent of the time in apprenticeship education programs must be dedicated to on-the-job instruction.

Establishment Process

To ensure Alberta’s apprenticeship programing supports provincial workforce demands and talent development needs, the process for establishing new apprenticeship education programs is initiated and driven by industry. When an opportunity is identified to create a new apprenticeship education program, government will collaborate with relevant stakeholders, including industry or professional organizations, other government ministries and post-secondary institutions to:

  • determine suitability as an apprenticeship education program;
  • assess professional/industry and stakeholder support; and
  • measure potential program viability.

Development and maintenance of apprenticeship education programs requires significant government and industry resources. For this reason, a four-stage process is used to assess inquiries and ensure the occupation meets the criteria of an apprenticeship education program:

Stage 1 - Consultation

  • Skilled Trades and Professions (STP) addresses inquiries from industry.
  • STP & industry explore alignment between needs of industry and STAEA's industry pathways to seek a mutual solution.
  • Industry may submit a proposal to move forward to Stage 2.

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.

Stage 2 - Application

  • Comprehensive application package provided to industry.
  • STP conducts assessment of the completed application.
  • STP provides recommendation to the Minister based on criteria below.
  • Minister decides if application moves forward to Stage 3

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.

Stage 3 - Development

  • Industry Advisory Working Group created and program development begins.
  • STP engages with post-secondary institutions as necessary.

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.

Stage 4 - Implementation

  • In consideration of the factors outlined in section 2 of the STAEA General Regulation, the Minister will decide whether to establish the apprenticeship education program.
  • Once established, the apprenticeship education program may launch.

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.

Maintaining Status as an Apprenticeship Education Programs

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:

Measure

Timeframe

Threshold

# of progressing apprentices

Average over most recent five years

≥ 100

% of apprentices who attended classroom instruction within an academic school year

Average over most recent five years

≥ 35%

Classroom instruction delivery status

Upcoming academic year

Available

Apprentice completion rate

Average over most recent five years

≥ 65%

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.

Disestablishing Apprenticeship Education Programs

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.

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