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Academic Calendar 2010-11
Program Overview
Apprenticeship trades training is a combination of on-the-job training, work experience and technical training. People who want to apprentice must be working in the field and must find an employer who is willing to sponsor them. Employers and employees sign a Contract of Apprenticeship, so that the apprentice can work and earn money while training.
Apprentices spend about 80 percent of their time learning on the job from a qualified tradesperson. They spend the remaining 20 percent of their time taking specialized training courses, usually from colleges or technical institutes. There are regular schedules of pay associated with apprenticeship training; the Training Board provides information on this. Receiving your certified ‘journeyman’ papers or ‘ticket’ upon completion of your apprenticeship demonstrates your skill level based on provincial and industry standards.
Each province controls its own apprenticeship training programs. The Alberta Apprenticeship and Industry Training Board controls apprenticeship training in Alberta. It sets the curriculum for each program and regulates the term and conditions of apprenticeship. Colleges in Alberta deliver apprenticeship training courses, following the curriculum set by the Alberta Apprenticeship and Industry Training Board.
The high demand for qualified trades-people means that job opportunities are abundant! Our facilities are modern and well equipped. You’ll use the latest equipment and take classes from instructors with real industry experience. In fact, for the last four years, Lethbridge College instructors have been named the best in the field for southern Alberta by the Alberta Apprenticeship and Industry Training Board.
At Lethbridge College, we have over 40 years of experience training apprentices for successful careers.
We offer apprenticeship training for the following trades:
Automotive Service Technician
Chair: Sheldon Anderson • 403.394.7348 or 403.320.3202 Ext. 5319 •
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North Americans love their cars and when their favorite vehicle needs attention, they want to turn to someone they can trust to provide the service they need. That’s where you come in.
As an Automotive Service Technician, you can provide preventative maintenance, diagnose faulty systems, and repair automotive vehicles and light trucks. You can diagnose and repair engines, steering systems, braking systems, drive trains, vehicle suspensions, electrical and air-conditioning systems. You’ll even make sure the ride stays smooth through wheel-balancing and alignment when needed.
The direction you choose to follow for your career could see you working in a large shop, specializing in repairing, rebuilding and servicing specific parts, like braking, suspension or steering systems. In smaller shops, Automotive Service Technicians may work on a wider variety of repair jobs,
beginning by reading the work order and examining the vehicle. It’s the type of career that can be particularly rewarding if you enjoy doing precise work that is varied and challenging.
You’ll train in small classes with lots of hands-on practice. You’ll also find that our shop facilities have state-of-the-art tools and equipment that you will use to repair a wide variety of vehicles.
Similar Lethbridge College option: Automotive Systems – a 32-week certificate program.
Chair: Cal Whitehead • 403.320.3366 •
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From major construction projects like bridges and buildings to small finishing touches a new homeowner can be proud of, carpenters have a wide range of career options available. You can put your skills and knowledge to use providing a service that continues to be in strong demand.
Keep your personal interests in mind as you set your goals as a carpenter. Your ability to read plans, select and measure materials, and coordinate projects can help ensure costly mistakes and omissions are avoided on the job site. Attention to detail will keep things from falling through the cracks. You can look forward to pursuing a range of opportunities or specializing in one type of work such as framing, concrete work or finishing work. You could work alone, in teams or with helpers. Whatever direction you take, you’ll find the work rewarding if you take pride in creating a variety of things with your hands and honing your expertise in woodcraft.
At Lethbridge College, we’ll provide you with the high-quality training you want as part of your Carpenter apprenticeship. You’ll relate well to our instructors as they share their practical experiences with you. You’ll also appreciate our shops, which will give you access to the equipment and experience you need to succeed in your chosen field.
Cook - Weekly Apprenticeship Training
Chair: Charles Parker • 403.320.3226 •
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With the right combination of ingredients, training and skill, you can create magic in the kitchen. Lethbridge College has the recipe for your success with our Cook Apprentice program. You supply the enthusiasm and desire to achieve, and we’ll supply the experience you need to keep your apprenticeship on the right track. As a Cook Apprentice you will learn through observation, practice and study. With the Weekly Apprenticeship Training System (WATS) at Lethbridge College, the training takes place with your needs in mind. One day a week is spent at the College gaining the formal experience vital to your culinary future. For the rest of the week you will be putting what you’ve learned to practical experience on the job. It’s the perfect blend that allows you to pursue your education while continuing to earn an income.
From catering special banquets to preparing meals for large institutions to cooking up gourmet delights in an upscale restaurant, your Cook Apprentice training will prepare you for a host of opportunities. You will also benefit from Lethbridge College’s well-deserved culinary reputation. Our instructors have been recognized with everything from provincial to international awards for their skills. Their commitment to their craft is your guarantee of a quality experience at Lethbridge College.
Similar Lethbridge College option: Culinary Careers Diploma – a 16-month diploma program.
Chair: Cal Whitehead • 403.320.3366 •
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If you thrive on the opportunity to use your skills in a variety of settings, a career as an electrician could really light up your future. Electricians install, alter, repair and maintain systems designed to provide heat, light, power, control, signal or fire alarms for all types of buildings, structures and premises.
You won’t find yourself stuck in an office somewhere as an Electrician. Depending on the direction your career follows, you can expect work conditions to vary with each job, especially in construction.
From working outdoors on scaffolding to indoor jobs in clean comfort, the changes can be dramatic, helping to ensure you won’t be bored with your chosen career.
If you enjoy working with people, you could consider specializing in specific types of installations, such as residential (housing developments), commercial (office buildings), institutional (hospitals), or industrial (plants, factories). Being organized and having a friendly, courteous approach is vital to jobs in these areas.
Our instructors maintain close ties to industry to stay on top of trends and provide you with the best education for your investment. Classes are limited to a maximum of 16 students which provides for a low student-to-instructor ratio and enhanced learning. Our modern facilities are well-equipped and impeccably maintained.
Lethbridge College offers the electrician program to indentured apprentices through CBAT or Alternate Delivery.
The CBAT delivery method, which is for most apprentices, provides you with a flexible approach to your training. This option offers several advantages, including:
- a combination of lectures, labs and self-study, that lets you work at your own pace;
- flexibility in completion times as students can complete:
- in less than the required eight or 12 weeks
- in more than eight or 12 weeks, up to 25 percent extra time if you are having difficulty learning the material;
- students have direct access to instructors on a one-to-one basis at least three hours per day.
Electrician Alternate Delivery
Contact: David Moore • Electrician Alternate Delivery Coordinator at 403.320.3202 ext. 5351 • e-mail:
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Chair: Cal Whitehead • 403.320.3366 •
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Self-Paced Electrician Training Advantages:
- Work at your own pace
- Students in remote locations minimize time away from home
- Do not need to be away from work for 8 to 12 weeks
- Advisor that may be contacted by phone or e-mail
Entrance Requirements (Alternate Delivery)
You must be an indentured Electrician Apprentice that has been indentured in the past 18 months or has attended a technical training period in the past 18 months. If you have attended a technical training period, you must have a pass mark of 75 percent or better on your provincial exam.
Time Requirements (Alternate Delivery)
1st, 2nd, and 3rd year students have up to six months to complete the course, and 4th year students have 9 months to complete.
Supply Requirements (Alternate Delivery)
A computer with a printer, using Internet Explorer 4.0 or higher with Internet access.
How Do I Progress Through the Course? (Alternate Delivery)
Lethbridge College course material that is supplied through the Lethbridge College Bookstore is the primary source of material. At the end of each module, you will be required to write an end of module quiz that you access through the Internet. These quizzes are used to ensure that you have understood the module material. Throughout the course, you will be required to write supervised exams. These marks will count towards your final mark in the course. You must obtain a 65 percent average in theory, lab, and code to be qualified to write your provincial exam. The site for writing these supervised exams will be at Lethbridge College or a site that is closer to the student’s residence which will be arranged at the time of registration. Labs must be completed at Lethbridge College during normal class hours, and must be booked with your advisor.
How Do I Begin? (Alternate Delivery)
Eligible apprentices must first contact the Electrical program at Lethbridge College for an interview (contacts are listed below). Once department approval has been given, you may contact the Registrar’s Office to enroll in the program. You will be contacted by a Coordinator who will supply you with information needed to receive materials and ID numbers
Heavy Equipment Technician
Chair: Sheldon Anderson 403.394.7348 or 403.320.3202 Ext. 5319 •
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Heavy Equipment Technicians repair, overhaul and maintain heavy equipment such as highway transport vehicles, construction and earthmoving equipment, tractors and mobile industry equipment. If you work with a logical perspective, this could be the career for you. It’s a field with strong job prospects now and for the future.
You can expect everything from routine to situations that will challenge your skills and abilities. Heavy Equipment Technicians employed by companies with their own heavy duty equipment usually follow a regular inspection schedule for preventive maintenance and make any necessary repairs. In larger shops, you could specialize in engine overhaul, power shift transmissions, fuel systems, hydraulic controls, electrical and electronic equipment, air-conditioning, or track equipment.
You’ll also find that your work environment will vary considerably from one job to another. You could find yourself in a modern shop performing major repairs, or you could be in construction fields, working right on site, contributing directly to the success of a specific project.
Either way, you’ll find it a rewarding experience if you enjoy achieving expertise with precise work, problem-solving and working with your hands.
Similar Lethbridge College option: Agricultural and Heavy Equipment Technician – a one-year certificate program equivalent to the first and second years of apprenticeship training.
Chair: Sheldon Anderson • 403.394.7348 or 403.320.3202 Ext. 5319 •
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Knowing what is what and where it is located in a large warehouse requires a special set of skills that you can acquire as a parts technician. It can be the ideal opportunity for you if you enjoy variety, developing expertise, working with people and participating in your customers’ success.
As a parts technician, you’ll manage and dispense parts inventories, which may include automotive, heavy duty, farm implement, industrial, recreational vehicle, jobbers, plumbing, electrical and so on. You may be responsible for handling stock, warehousing, identifying and cataloguing parts and assemblies, as well as ordering, receiving, inspecting, sorting, pricing and selling. It all depends upon the size of the wholesale, retail or warehouse distribution business and the types of parts involved.
If you demonstrate the necessary skills and can work effectively with people, you could look forward to advancing to supervisory positions, such as parts department manager, store manager, or even store owner. With some sales experience, interested parts technicians can move into sales representative positions.
Lethbridge College has designed this program specifically with you in mind. We follow the Weekly Apprenticeship Training System (WATS) format. You will attend classes only one day a week, usually from mid-day to early evening, so your time away from the job will be minimized.
Chair: Cal Whitehead • 403.320.3366 •
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Turn up the heat on your future and get involved with an apprenticeship that can allow you to build a solid career. Welders are in demand in a variety of capacities.
Welders join or sever metals in beams, girders, vessels, piping and other metal components. You could also be involved in making metal parts used in construction and manufacturing plants, or welding parts, tools, machines and equipment.
Welding usually involves applying heat to metal pieces to melt and fuse them together. How you will actually do this will depend on the project and such things as the type of metal, its size and shape, and requirements for finished product strength. Welders use different processes and fillers depending upon the type of metal, its size and shape, and requirements for finished product strength.
You can expect to be involved in:
- electric arc welding - created as an electric current flows through an arc between the tip of the welding electrode and the metal. Filler materials are melted and added to fill the joint and make it stronger.
- gas welding - created from the combustion of burning gases, such as oxy-acetylene welding, which melts the metal. As with arc welding, filler materials are used to strengthen a joint.
You’ll find the work rewarding if you enjoy building things and working with little direction or supervision. To be successful in the trade, welders need manual dexterity, good vision (glasses are acceptable), eye-hand coordination, the ability to concentrate on detailed work, and patience. You should also expect to work in a variety of environments from outdoor construction sites to indoor jobs in production and repair shops.
As a welder, your career can take you to a variety of industries including vessel or structural steel assembly, steel fabrication, heavy equipment repair, pipeline construction, and commercial and industrial construction.
The Cook, Parts Technician and Welder apprenticeships last three years while the Automotive Service Technician, Carpenter, Electrician and Heavy Equipment Technician apprenticeships take four years to complete.
Apprenticeship programs require 8 to 12 weeks of classroom training each year, in addition to on-the-job training. The Weekly Apprenticeship Training System (WATS) format allows apprentices to take classes once a week during the term of their apprenticeship. At Lethbridge College, the Cook and Parts Technician apprenticeships follow the WATS format. First-to-third year distance electricians have six months to
complete the course and fourth year distance electricians have nine months.
We'd be happy to show you around!
We’d be happy to show you around! We are proud of the quality of our trade facilities. To arrange a tour, call 1.800.572.0103 Ext. 3322 or, to register, review the information below.
Registration
If you are an apprentice and would like to register for training courses at Lethbridge College, please contact:
Tel. 403.320.3323
Fax 403.317.3503
Toll-Free 1.800.572.0103
How Do I Become an Apprentice?
If you would like to become an apprentice, contact:
The Alberta Apprenticeship and Industry Training Board
Web: www.tradesecrets.org • E-mail:
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Alberta Apprenticeship and Industry Training Board
Lethbridge Office
Provincial Building, Room 280
200 – 5th Avenue South
Lethbridge, AB T1J 4C7
Telephone: 403.381.5380
Fax: 403.381.5795
Career Information Hotline: 1.800.661.3753
Ask about the Alberta Apprenticeship Scholarship Program. You might discover you’re eligible for a financial award!
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