COVID-19 Information for Apprentices and Trades Qualifier Applicants

2020-21 technical training schedules are now available in the Apprenticeship Training Catalogue on Tradesecrets.

Exams

Work to reintroduce exams at AIT offices is currently underway while adhering to public safety protocols. If you had an exam scheduled that was cancelled due to COVID-19, you will be contacted by AIT to reschedule.

UPLOAD YOUR DOCUMENTS

Although front counter service has resumed for most AIT Offices, clients are encouraged to upload or take a picture of any paper documents and submit them through their MyTradesecrets account by clicking the Upload button on the Documents tab. Documents you can upload include:

Record book

employer letters

Acceptance or release cards

Transcripts

Any other document you need to send to an AIT office

For more information, go to Tradesecrets.alberta.ca/upload. If you need to visit an AIT Office in person, you are encouraged to bring and wear your own mask.

FRONT COUNTER SERVICES ARE OPEN at most AIT Office locations except for Grande Prairie.

AIT exams at post-secondary institutes and employer or union-based training facilities have been suspended until further notice.

Progression in the apprenticeship program will be determined by assessment from your training provider. If the marks submitted by your training provider show you to be in good academic standing in eligible classes, you will not be required to challenge the AIT theory or practical examinations. The standard for determining a passing mark will not change.

This exemption does not apply to students attending a Pre-Employment, Certificate or Diploma Program. These students will have to write the associated period exam at an AIT office and complete any practical exams as required if they register as an apprentice.

Red Seal Exam

Eligible final period apprentices who are interested in obtaining their Red Seal Endorsement (RSE) will be instructed to contact AIT to schedule and write their exam at an AIT office of their choice, free of charge. Details on booking a Red Seal exam will be available by the end of September.

Trades Qualifier Applicants All scheduled exam sessions were cancelled and are being rescheduled. Application assessment times may be delayed. Apprenticeship and Industry Training must be able to confirm an applicant's hands-on work experience in the trade with the employer(s) listed on their application to process their Trades Qualifier application.

Non-Apprenticeship Training and Apprenticeship Period Exams Apprenticeship and Industry Training (AIT) acknowledges that students who were registered in recognized pre employment, diploma, certificate or Career and Technology Studies (CTS) Apprenticeship Pathways programs have had their training disrupted. Many of these programs would also have included the expectation that students write one or more Alberta period examinations. For those students whose program ran between September 2019 and June 2020, as long as the training provider determines that the training was substantively complete and will not have to be repeated (i.e., they received a passing mark), they will have the associated period examination(s) waived when they register as an apprentice. For all impacted individuals except for those in a high school CTS Apprenticeship Pathway, the training providers (post-secondary institutions or recognized private training providers) have distributed a letter to those students who successfully completed the qualifying training. When applicants register as an apprentice, they will submit that letter along with a copy of their transcript, diploma or certificate, and will have their examination(s) waived. CTS Pathway students will automatically have the associated exam waived when they register as an apprentice and submit their CTS Course Completion Record showing that the completion occurred in June 2020. Note: Exams cannot be waived if waiving them would mean the apprentice would never write an Alberta period examination before becoming certified. When candidates apply to register as an apprentice, they are still subject to Alberta Apprenticeship’s minimum term requirements and must complete one Alberta period examination. If a candidate has never successfully written an Alberta period exam prior to registration, they cannot be exempted from their final exam requirement. For example, an impacted student who has completed private hairstylist training or the Hairstylist CTS Apprenticeship Pathway can be exempted from the first period exam, but not the second period, if they register as a hairstylist apprentice. However, they cannot be exempted from any exams if they register in the one-period barber apprenticeship program. Other apprenticeship programs that have only one-period, and are ineligible for any exam exemptions, are: auto body prepper; crane and hoisting equipment operator - boom truck, tower crane and wellhead boom truck; heavy equipment technician – transport trailer mechanic; elevator constructor; and welder - wire process operator.

Employment Insurance Through the Employment Insurance (EI) system, the Government of Canada provides income support to eligible apprentices during periods of technical training. Policies regarding Employment Insurance while technical training have not changed due to COVID-19. Apprentices are required to provide complete and accurate information, as requested by Service Canada. For more information, apprentices can call 1-800-206-7218 (in Alberta) or visit Employment Insurance for Apprentices.

Apprenticeship grants Due to school closure, the completion of a level of technical training to enable an apprentice to progress or to complete apprenticeship may be delayed. As a result, Apprentices will not be eligible for Apprenticeship Grants until the province or territory in which they are registered provides documents that confirm progression/completion in apprenticeship.

Pause on repayment of Canada Apprenticeship Loans To support student and apprentice loan borrowers during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Government of Canada recently announced its plan to pause the repayment of Canada Student Loans and Canada Apprentice Loans until September 30, 2020 with no accrual of interest. Pending parliamentary approval, these measures will become effective March 30, 2020. As of this date, all student loan borrowers will automatically have their repayments suspended until September 30, 2020. No payment will be required and interest will not accrue during this time. Students do not need to apply for the repayment pause. For more information, follow the link: https://www.canada.ca/en/employment-social-development/corporate/notices/coronavirus.html As the situation evolves, ESDC will provide updates as information becomes available.

Contact the AIT Information Line at 1-800-248-4823 if you need information or wish to discuss your apprenticeship. Further updates will be posted on this page.

Updated September 9, 2020