Who can work in a designated trade?

Trades with Restricted Activities

47 out of Alberta's 59 designated trades include 'restricted activities'.

• Restricted activities are specific tasks and functions that Alberta requires tradespeople to meet certain criteria in order to perform. 
• A list of trades that have restricted activities can be found here. 

To work in a trade with restricted activities, you must be:

• a registered apprentice, or
• a qualified tradesperson
  • In some trades, journeyperson certification or a recognized trade certificate is required to be considered qualified.  
  • In other trades, your employer has discretion to determine whether you are qualified to work, regardless of your certification. 

Review the trade profile for your trade to determine which activities in your trade are restricted and whether you are authorized to approve them. 

Trades without Restricted Activities

Some designated trades have no restricted activities, meaning anyone can work within the trades, regardless of registration, experience, or certification. A list of these trades can be found here.