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The Qualification Certificate Program provides experienced tradespeople an opportunity to demonstrate that their skills, knowledge and experience meet the standards for certification in an Alberta designated trade.
The standards and requirements for the Program are set by Alberta industry, through the Alberta Apprenticeship and Industry Training Board.
An applicant who meets the standards for certification may be granted a Qualification Certificate. If the trade is designated under the Interprovincial Standards Red Seal Program, the certificate may have a Red Seal endorsement.
Two options are available for certification:
The Program is administered by the Government of Alberta, Enterprise and Advanced Education, Apprenticeship and Industry Training.
You may have a recognized credential but want an Alberta trade certificate.
Under the Qualification Certificate Program - Recognized Credential, a person who holds a credential that is recognized by the Alberta Apprenticeship and Industry Training Board may be eligible for an Alberta trade certificate – an Alberta Qualification Certificate. Successful completion of one of more examinations is required.
The Qualification Certificate Program - Recognized Credential applies to all recognized credentials except those that bear an Interprovincial Standards Red Seal.
If you hold a valid recognized credential in an Alberta-designated trade, you do not require an Alberta trade certificate to work in Alberta.
Most credentials issued by a regulatory authority in Canada in a trade that is designated in Alberta are recognized in Alberta. As well, the Alberta Apprenticeship and Industry Training Board has recognized other credentials such as QL5/QL6 certificates issued to regular force members by the Department of National Defence (Canada) (DND) in some trades and the Canadian Elevator Industry Education Program (CEIEP).
In most cases, a regulatory authority is the same authority that administers apprenticeship training. Other examples include licensing bodies such as the Ontario Technical Standards and Safety Authority (TSSA) and the British Columbia Safety Authority.
To find out if your credential is recognized, visit recognized certificates.
To qualify for an Alberta trade certificate based on a recognized credential, you must hold a recognized credential that is:
To obtain an Alberta Qualification Certificate in an Alberta-designated trade based on a recognized credential:
If you hold a valid recognized credential, and want an Alberta document that says you do, you may apply under the Equivalency Program for an Alberta document that indicates you hold a recognized credential and are allowed to work in a particular trade or branch of a trade.
If you hold a valid credential that is not recognized, or you do not hold any trade credential, you may apply to have your skills and knowledge assessed against Alberta’s standards under the Qualification Certificate Program – Work Experience.
No matter what experience you have in your trade, without certification that is recognized in Alberta, you just aren’t as employable as you could be. In some trades, without certification, you just aren’t employable at all.
Under the Qualification Certificate Program – Work Experience, an experienced tradesperson who does not hold a trade credential, or who holds a trade credential that is not recognized in Alberta, may apply to have their skills, knowledge and experience assessed against the standards for certification in an Alberta designated trade. Evidence of a prescribed amount of work experience and demonstration of competency, as well as successful completion of one or more examinations, is required.
To apply for an Alberta trade certificate based on work experience, you must
To obtain an Alberta Qualification Certificate based on work experience:
The hours of work experience required for each trade are listed in the table of Work Experience Requirements in Hours and Months (see page 5).
Apprenticeship and Industry Training will verify the work experience you identify in your application by contacting your current and/or previous employers to discuss the work you did in your trade and confirm the number of months and hours of work experience you have in that trade.
You will be required to demonstrate that you have the skills, knowledge and competence in your trade that are expected of an Alberta-certified journeyperson in that trade.
If you are applying in a trade that has a practical exam (see page 6), you must demonstrate your competence by successfully completing that exam(s). There is a practical exam fee which varies with the cost of materials and equipment.
If you are applying in a trade that does not have a practical exam, you must demonstrate your competence by providing an Employer Declaration Letter (EDL). An EDL is a letter from your employer that confirms you are functioning at the level expected of an Alberta-certified journeyperson in your trade.
In all trades, you must score at least 70% on a written theory examination. Interpreters or readers may be allowed – check with an Apprenticeship and Industry Training office (see also Examination Interpreter/Reader Restrictions). You'll be notified of your exam date after your work experience has been verified and your EDL has been accepted.
If you hold a valid recognized credential, but want an Alberta trade certificate, you may apply under the Qualification Certificate Program – Recognized Credential.
If you hold a valid recognized credential, and want an Alberta document that says you do, you may apply under the Equivalency Program for an Alberta document that indicates you hold a recognized credential and are allowed to work in a particular trade or branch of a trade.
