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Part of Search public engagements

Skilled trades and apprenticeship engagement

Stakeholders provided input to help inform possible regulations, policies and program changes relating to new legislation.

Overview

Stakeholders involved in skilled trades professions and apprenticeship education were invited to help inform the development of an effective regulatory framework under the Skilled Trades and Apprenticeship Education Act.

Stakeholder input helped identify opportunities to improve skilled trade governance and apprenticeship education programming and processes while giving us a clearer understanding of barriers or challenges that could result from any new regulations or program changes.

Key stakeholders were invited to provide input on:

  • eligibility criteria, roles and functions of apprenticeship sponsors
  • opportunities to strengthen and improve on-the-job learning for apprentices, including mentorship and competency assessments
  • options for a proposed new appointed board to create flexible regulatory and certification models, beyond compulsory and optional certification
  • implementing new appeal processes and modernized compliance and enforcement activities
  • ways to modernize industry engagement activities that would be conducted by a new board responsible for designated skilled trade professions
     

Timeline

  • Open

    July 2021

  • Results under review

  • Completed

Who is listening

Ministry of Advanced Education

Involvement

Stakeholder engagement

Stakeholders were invited to participate in a variety of activities in June and July 2021, which included virtual focus groups and online surveys.

Participating stakeholder groups included:

  • a sample population of registered apprentices, employers of skilled tradespeople and Alberta certified journeypersons
  • approximately 80 organizations including unions affiliated with designated trades, industry associations and community organizations
  • public post-secondary institutions that deliver apprenticeship technical training
  • skilled trades educators
  • trades committees for all designated trades in Alberta

Outcomes

Stakeholder feedback helped and will continue to help inform regulations, policies and program changes under the Skilled Trades and Apprenticeship Education Act, which was introduced on April 13, 2021 and received Royal Assent on June 17, 2021.

The new act repealed and replaced the Apprenticeship and Industry Training Act to make the system more flexible, reduce red tape and give Alberta’s workforce new tools to meet emerging challenges.