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Parts Technician - Materials Technician |
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Materials technicians are involved in the movement of materials in a wide variety of industries including agricultural, forestry, health, manufacturing, mining, oil and gas, transportation, and wholesale/retail industries. They are employed by organizations that produce, process and use products such as office supplies, tools and equipment, food goods, textile products, farm equipment or industrial supplies.
Materials technicians may be employed in many different settings and work with a wide variety of materials, and their duties and responsibilities can vary considerably from one job to another.
In general, a materials technician:
Materials technicians work primarily indoors, in office and warehouse environments, but may also work outdoors in all weather conditions. The work is physically demanding, requiring individuals to be on their feet all day.
Most materials technicians work a 40-hour week however; in large warehouses they may work shifts.
The work appeals to people who enjoy taking a methodical approach to their work, operating handling equipment, and keeping detailed records.
To be successful in the trade, materials technicians need:
Most materials technicians are located in urban centres where manufacturers, wholesalers and large retailers have their warehouses. Others may be located where large manufacturing facilities are concentrated in non-urban settings (wood products plants, petroleum production facilities, etc.).
For the foreseeable future in Alberta, the employment outlook for materials technicians is expected to be average compared to all other occupations.
Journeyperson wage rates vary, but generally range from $13 to $35 an hour, depending upon the level of experience, region of the province and the sector of industry.
With the appropriate training and work experience, individuals can advance into supervisory positions, or into related fields such as purchasing, inventory control or materials management.
To work as a Materials Technician in Alberta, a person must:
Materials technicians learn their skills by registering with Alberta Apprenticeship and Industry Training to participate in apprenticeship training. Upon successful completion, they are awarded the Alberta Journeyman Certificate.
A materials technician who holds a valid recognized credential that does not have a Red Seal may apply for:
Materials technicians who:
may be eligible to apply for trade certification under the Qualification Certificate Program.
Individuals possessing a valid Alberta Journeyman Certificate, an Alberta Qualification Certificate, an Alberta Occupational Certificate, or a valid recognized credential are eligible to receive a Blue Seal business credential after completing the necessary requirements.
The term of apprenticeship for a materials technician is 3 years (three 12-month periods) including a minimum of 1500 hours of on-the-job training and 6 weeks of technical training in each year of the apprenticeship.
To learn the skills required of a Parts Technician - Materials Technician in Alberta and be issued an Alberta Journeyman Certificate, a person must:
Most employers prefer to hire high school graduates and may select apprentices from among their current employees.
Some employers require their materials technicians to have working experience with the type of product sold (e.g., automotive or farm implement materials) so they can answer customer questions about product use.
- during on-the-job training, apprentice materials technicians earn at least 65 percent of the journeyperson wage rate in their place of employment in the first year, 75 percent in the second, and 85 percent in the third year.
- select an educational institution that offers training for Parts Technician - Materials Technician apprentices, and a time to attend training
- determine requirements for enrolling at the selected institution, and forward completed enrollment form to the selected institution
When apprentices attend technical training, they are required to pay the applicable tuition fee and purchase course supplies.
Grants, scholarships and other financial assistance may be available. For more information see Financial Assistance or contact an Apprenticeship and Industry Training Office.
There is no Red Seal program for this branch of the Parts Technician trade.
To qualify for an Equivalency document based on a recognized credential, a person must:
A person who holds a valid recognized credential, as described above, does not require an Alberta Equivalency document to work in the trade in Alberta. However, some employers may require Alberta documentation as proof that the holder is allowed to work in the trade or that the holder's credential is recognized.
To qualify for a Qualification Certificate based on a recognized credential, a person must:
To qualify for an Alberta Qualification Certificate based on work experience, a person must:
- a certified worker in the warehousing - basic occupation must have at least 4,500 hours and 36 months of ‘hands-on’ work experience as a parts technician
- a certified worker in the warehousing - intermediate occupation must have at least 4,500 hours and 36 months of ‘hands-on’ work experience as a parts technician
Time spent on supervisory or foreman duties, counter work, heading the tool crib, or on a training course is NOT counted as ‘hands-on’ work experience.
This application fee covers the review of the application, the assessment and confirmation of the applicant's work experience hours/months, the administration of the applicant’s demonstration of competency, and one attempt at the Qualification Certificate theory examination. The Qualification Certificate practical examination requires a separate fee as identified on the application noted above.
