Strengthening Apprenticeship Education Programs

Apprenticeship Education Program standards support apprentice development and learning goals throughout an apprenticeship program and beyond.

Apprenticeship Education Programs can be strengthened by improving standards with the participation of industry. Improving program standards can lead to fairer and more transparent assessments and may help to further identify barriers to successful progression and completion of an apprenticeship program.

Apprenticeship and Industry Training has been/will be engaged in various activities to strengthen Apprenticeship Education Programs in Alberta. This includes:

Establish an Adhoc Industry Working Group (IWG)

Minimum of 10-15 participants
Provide input to proposed new apprenticeship education program standards to increase the role of work-integrated learning in apprenticeship education
Support the development of more purposeful and flexible education tools that adapt to changing trends and technology, strengthening on-the-job instruction and connections between Alberta apprenticeship’s system partners

Initiating a TrailBlazers Beta Testing of Revised Standards

Limited opportunity to participate in the beta testing of the IWG-reviewed framework of apprenticeship education standards. Will involve a limited number of apprenticeship programs (small, medium, and large – size is based on number of apprentices)
Primary focus on refinement of the existing Record Book, includes a name change to Competence Portfolio
Advanced Education will seek participation of supportive sponsors (TrailBlazers) that have exhibited best practices and support of their employees who are registered apprentices
Trailblazers will utilize, evaluate, and provide feedback on these revised frameworks used to enhance apprentice learning and strengthen on-the-job instruction

Providing Advice to the Alberta Board of Skilled Trades

When the Alberta Board of Skilled Trades (ABST) is appointed, one of its first responsibilities is to develop a stakeholder engagement strategy. Advanced Education has prepared a report to help the ABST develop this strategy. The report provides background information on the existing industry network, a jurisdictional scan, a review of additional engagement tools, consideration of committees, sub-committees and ad-hoc working groups, and advice from the Ministry. Advice from Advanced Education includes:

Engaging with stakeholders right away, potentially even consulting with them in the development of an engagement strategy
Planning for an iterative approach, starting with a strategy that seems appropriate and expecting to review and amend at least annually
Seeking efficiencies in deploying available resources
Utilizing online and digital tools in the engagement strategy