Apprenticeship

Entech Industries Ltd. takes pride in offering a positive and dynamic work environment for employees looking to grow their skills and pursue their career in the building trade’s work force. The details below have been provided by the Alberta Apprenticeship and Industry Training website:

 What’s an Apprenticeship?

An apprenticeship is a post-secondary education program that combines work experience, on-the-job and technical training.

  • Approximately 80 per cent of an apprentice’s learning is done “on the job”. Training is provided by the employer, with the apprentice learning from a certified journeyperson or qualified individual and is measured in hours and months.
  • Approximately 20 per cent of an apprentice’s learning is completed through a post-secondary establishment – usually a college or technical training institution.
  • Apprentices are required to successfully pass an industry examination at the end of each block/period of training.
  • An apprenticeship program lasts 1-4 years depending on the trade.
  • When an apprentice has satisfied all the requirements of the program, therefore completing the contract, he or she is granted a Journeyperson Certificate.
General Requirements for an Apprentice to Work in a Trade

To work in a trade:

  • you must find an employer who is willing and able to hire you as an apprentice,
  • you must be a registered with Apprenticeship and Industry Training, and
  • you should be ready and willing to learn.

Apprenticeship Incentive Grant

Service Canada offers eligible registered apprentices in Red Seal trades Apprenticeship Incentive Grants to help them get started. It is a taxable grant of $1,000 per year/level, up to a maximum of $2,000. For more information, click here.

Apprenticeship Completion Grant

Service Canada offers eligible, registered apprentices a taxable cash grant of $2,000 when they have completed their training and become a certified journeyperson in a designated Red Seal trade. For more information:

Tuition Refund through Merit Contractors Association

Recognizing the need to support employees, the apprenticeship system and industry manpower development, Merit Contractors Association of Alberta offers a Tuition Refund Program to employees of its member companies. This program refunds the tuition fees for member employees who successfully complete apprenticeship training and return to work for a Merit Alberta company. Field workers taking classroom training for occupational skills for which there is no apprenticeship training are also eligible for a course fee refund of up to $600 per year.

New: Merit Alberta’s Tuition Refund Program now covers the Heavy Equipment Operators program (12 week technical training) at Olds College. Eligibility criteria apply.

Who is eligible? (Alberta Apprentices Only)
To be eligible for a refund the apprentice must:

  • have worked for a Merit Alberta member company immediately prior to attending classes;
  • successfully complete the training program;
  • return to work full-time for a Merit member firm and work a minimum of 160 hours for a Merit member (approximately one month);
  • meet all criteria and submit your claim within six months of completing training

What expenses are covered?
The program covers apprenticeship tuition fees. The Tuition Refund Program does not apply to books, lockers, association fees, journeyman upgrading courses or the cost of challenging an apprenticeship exam.

How do I claim a refund?

  • The 2016 Tuition Refund Claim Form is available for download or you can contact the Merit Calgary office to obtain a form.
  • Within 6 months of course completion, submit your claim form, accompanied by a transcript of your results with a covering letter and a copy of your tuition payment receipt. Send the completed form and additional documents to the Merit Contractors Association’s Calgary office.

Please note: the claim form must be signed by your employer!

For more information, contact the Merit Contractors Association Calgary office at (403) 291-9247, toll free at (877) 637-2254, or by e-mail meritcal@meritalberta.com.

Are there Provincial Tuition Refund Programs other than Alberta’s?
Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario and Nova Scotia also offer a tuition refund program. Each of these provinces has different reimbursement criteria. To obtain information for these provincial programs, please contact:

Merit Saskatchewan
Merit Manitoba
Merit Ontario
Merit Nova Scotia