Sponsor an Apprentice

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• Find out how your business or organization can employ and/or sponsor an apprentice.

Sponsor Eligibility

• Are you prepared to take on the obligations of a sponsor in a formal Apprenticeship Education Agreement?
• Find out more in the Sponsor Eligibility Policy . (AIT Operational Policy Manual)

• a legal entity recognized in Alberta:
  • (e.g. employer, consortium of employers, labour organization, non-profit
• able to provide your apprentice with:
  • appropriate paid employment
  • a journeyperson mentor for guidance, feedback, and assessment
  • encouragement to progress through the apprenticeship programs

1. Learn about program requirements

• Be prepared to support your apprentices.

• Explore the apprenticeship programs offered in Alberta here. here
  • Which apprenticeship program will the apprentices you sponsor need to register in?
  • How many periods, hours of classroom instruction, hours of on-the-job instruction, are required for certification?
• Educate yourself so you can better support your apprentices.
• Review the required apprentice wages in Schedule 1 (pages 20 and 21) of the Apprenticeship Education and Industry Training Programs Regulation. Apprenticeship Education and Industry Training Programs Regulation .
  • As a sponsor, you must ensure your apprentices are paid wages in accordance with Schedule 1.
• Review the required apprentice-to-mentor ratios in Schedule 2 (pages 22 and 23) of the Apprenticeship Education and Industry Training Programs Regulation. Apprenticeship Education and Industry Training Programs Regulation .
  • To employ an apprentice, an employer needs to also employ a journeyperson mentor (in the same trade as the apprentice) to provide instruction, guidance, and supervision.
  • As a sponsor, you must ensure the ratio of apprentices to mentors complies with Schedule 2.

2. Enter into an Agreement

• If your apprentice is not registered in the apprenticeship education program with AIT:
• More about online sponsor consent for an apprentice application
• If your apprentice was already registered without a sponsor or with a different sponsor:
• More about Apprenticeship Education Agreements

• Ask them to register online here and enter your organization as their sponsor. here
  • Provide the apprentice with name, email address, and phone number of a contact person to enter.
• Once they've submitted their application, you'll get an email with a link to confirm your sponsorship of the apprentice and enter into an Apprenticeship Education Agreement.
  • If you do not have access to this email, you can log in to your Alberta.ca Account and click Go to dashboard to access the application. Alberta.ca Account
  • You will need to log in with the same email address the apprentice used to identify you on their application.
• You may choose to pay an apprentice's application fee online.
• You may be asked to approve any previous work experience the apprentice has for credit toward their program.
• Complete and sign a Request for Approval of Apprenticeship Education Agreement form to register your sponsorship of the apprentice. Request for Approval of Apprenticeship Education Agreement
• Have your apprentice sign the notice and upload it to their MyTradesecrets account through the Applications tab.
• Ask to see their Apprentice ID Card or visit the visit the Check Credentials tool to confirm their period. Check Credentials
  • Call the AIT Information Line at 1-800-248-4823 if you or the apprentices has questions about the status of their apprenticeship.

3. Provide Mentorship

• Provide your apprentice with paid, on-the-job instruction under the mentorship of a certified journeyperson.
• Approximately 80% of an apprenticeship program is on-the-job, so effective mentorship is key.
• Effective mentorship includes providing apprentices with:

• information, knowledge, guidance, and opportunities to develop their skillsets,
• opportunities to integrate what they learn in the classroom with their on-the-job experiences,
• continual support, monitoring, and feedback, and
• assessments of their competencies gained from on-the-job learning activities.

4. Track Progress

• Keep track of and evaluate your apprentice's on-the-job instruction.

Verify all hours, months, and work in your apprentice’s record book (blue book).

• Learn more about the Apprentice Record Book.

• Ensure both you and the apprentice have completed the appropriate sections to document their hours of on-the-job training and competencies practiced.
• At the end of each year, have the apprentice upload their signed-off record book pages to their MyTradesecrets account. MyTradesecrets

5. Ensure Apprentice has Time Off to Attend Classes

• Part of a sponsor's role is to help the apprentice progress through the apprenticeship program.
• This includes attending their required classroom instruction and passing any associated exams.

• If your apprentice is eligible to attend classes, they will be notified in the spring when class schedules become available for registration. class schedules
• Apprentices should consult with their employer to determine the most convenient class to register in and receive time off.
• Apprentices are eligible to receive Employment Insurance (EI) while they are off work to attend class.
  • You'll need to provide a Record of Employment for their EI Application. | Learn more. Learn more.

6. Keep Records

• Maintain accurate records of your apprentices (and journeypersons).
• If an apprentice or journeyperson has provided you their name and AIT ID or certificate number, the Tradesperson Lookup Tool can provide you their:
• For Sponsors and Employers: A Sponsor's Guide to Apprenticeship | Jobsite Compliance For Apprentices: About Sponsors and Employers | Sponsorship Agreements Policy: Sponsor Eligibility Policy | Obligations of a Sponsor Policy Forms: Request for Approval of Apprenticeship Education Agreement | Notice of Release Templates: Exam Challenge Recommendation | Time Credit Recommendation

• contact information
• AIT Identification Number |
• period of apprenticeship
• hours worked
• key dates (to help you ensure they are progressing in their program):
  • registration date
  • period completion dates
  • training/class dates
• certification status
• trade
• period of apprenticeship

Alberta · Trade profiles