Apprenticeship is post-secondary education with a slight deviation from the normal experience.  Apprenticeship begins with finding an employer.  Employers hire apprentices and enter into an Apprenticeship Agreement to support and tutor the apprentice while working towards their Journeyperson status.  Approximately 80% of an apprentice’s time is spent on the job under the tutelage of a certified journeyperson.  The other 20% involved attending technical training at their technical training provider of choice – such as Keyano College.
                       

To become certified journeypersons, apprentices must learn theory and skills, and they must pass examinations.  Requirements for certification; including the content and delivery of technical training are developed and updated by the Alberta Apprenticeship and Industry Training Board.
                                          

The term of a Heavy Equipment Technician is four years (four 12 month periods) that include a minimum of 1,500 hours of on-the-job training and eight weeks of technical training each year.