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Alberta.ca Account
Part of New and proposed legislation

Strengthening vocational training

Bill 3 would help protect students investing in their future by modernizing legislation governing the province’s career colleges.

Status: Bill 3 was introduced on October 28, 2025
Ministry responsible: Advanced Education

Overview

Bill 3, the Private Vocational Training Amendment Act, would enhance institutional oversight and protect the investments students are making in their education.

If passed, Bill 3 will amend the more than 20-year-old Private Vocational Training Act. The proposed amendments would strengthen protections for students and enhance accountability for private career colleges. To further protect students, the amendments would set clear standards for licensees on the use of recruiters, and restrict financial incentives tied to recruitment.

Private career colleges play an important role in Alberta's adult learning system by offering diverse learning approaches to vocational training, as well as the flexibility to respond to the changing needs of Alberta's economy.

Since 2019, there has been significant growth in Alberta’s private career college sector and concerns have been raised about school operations and training quality. Aggressive and misleading recruiting tactics have been reported.

Bill 3 would foster transparency and align Alberta’s legislation more closely with other Canadian jurisdictions, stabilize and strengthen the sector and position it for innovation to support Alberta’s economic growth, while ensuring quality education for students.

Key changes

If passed, Bill 3, the Private Vocational Training Amendment Act, will:

  • enhance the protection of students’ investments in their education by:
    • establishing a student tuition protection fund
    • voiding agreements between schools and students that break tuition refund or consumer protection rules
    • adjusting tuition refund eligibility
    • increasing the cooling-off period after a student signs an enrolment contract
    • set rules for private career colleges on using recruiters and restricting the use of financial incentives to recruit students
    • enhance transparency by requiring public access to program, licensing and compliance information
    • improve oversight tools and strengthen program and training delivery standards

Read the Bill 3, the Private Vocational Training Amendment Act fact sheet to learn more.

Next steps

If passed, Bill 3, the Private Vocational Training Amendment Act, will come into effect in 2026.

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