Trades FAQ

You can take your 2nd and 4th classroom instruction periods here. 

The 2nd and 3rd periods of heavy equipment technician are common to the 2nd and 4th periods of agricultural equipment technician.  

We provide all the heavy equipment technician training periods.

Blue Seal program is the common name for the Achievement in Business Competencies Program.  

This program was established by Alberta Apprenticeship to encourage journeypersons to go on to study business.  This is helpful if you plan to own or manage a business. 

Complete details are available on the Blue Seal page of the Tradesecrets website. 

Lakeland offers you the ability to take both online and face-to-face business courses in Lloydminster. You can earn while you learn since you can fit these courses into your work schedule.

Take courses in our one year General Business Certificate. You'll need at least four courses to reach the 150-hour minimum to earn a blue seal. If you have the academic requirements, you could earn the certificate.

Please contact our Business Enrolment Specialist for more information about how to apply for courses and how to reach your goal.

The interprovincial standards Red Seal program has been around since 1959. 

Currently, the Canadian Council of Directors of Apprenticeships (CCDA) is working on a harmonization initiative so trades are more closely aligned.  

By writing and passing your Interprovincial, or red seal, exam you will be able to work anywhere in Canada without having to write another province’s trade exam.  

Not all trades have red seal standards. If your trade does, you’ll write the Alberta exam on the last Thursday of your training period and the red seal one on the Friday. 

For more information, check the Red Seal website.

Lakeland also offers prep courses for Red Seal exams for anyone who hasn’t achieved their red seal status. Check trades continuing education for those courses.

No. But we’d like you to take all of your training at Lakeland. You can take your classroom instruction at any of the approved post-secondary institutions in Alberta.

Your apprenticeship includes an annual training period plus required hours on the job.  

The number of training periods and length of the training period run depends on the trade. 

Training periods range from six weeks to 10 weeks. Check your program on our website or on Trade Secrets for more details.

These vary by trade.  

Some, such as electrician, recommend grade 12 English, math and at least 1 science.  

Alberta Apprenticeship provides both minimum requirements as well as recommended paths.  

You may also write an entrance exam to qualify for training.  

Check the Trade Secrets eligibility and educational requirements page for more details.

Yes. We prefer you use MyTradesecrets to register. This includes online payment of your fees. 

Out of province apprentices who have received approval from their provincial apprenticeship office will need to call the Lakeland Apprenticeship office directly to  confirm eligibility and register for classroom instruction. Please call 780 853 8500.

It's a preferred path to be registered with an employer. You don’t have to be, but we recommend you sign an apprenticeship contract with an employer. 

This means you are eligible for classroom instruction. You will also begin to keep track of your on-the-job hours. 

Each training period requires a minimum number of hours as well as passing that period’s exam before you can move to the next level of training.

We offer the following trades:

• Automotive Service Technician
• Carpenter
• Electrician 
• Heavy Equipment Technician
• Parts Technician (online)
• Steamfitter-pipefitter
• Welder

Pre-employment is for individuals who do not have any work experience in the trade that they are interested in and are having difficulty finding an employer to sign them on as an apprentice. 

You take the same classroom instruction as the first apprenticeship period. The pre-employment program is followed by a four-week practicum.  

You can then challenge the first apprenticeship exam. If you pass, you can then look for an employer and continue your apprenticeship.  

Often, our pre-employment students have found a job and an apprenticeship through their practicum.  

On the other hand, an apprentice is usually registered with an employer contract. Each apprenticeship period has a classroom instruction period (usually three or four years) with a minimum required on-the-job hours. As you pass the exam and complete your hours, you move through the training to become a journeyperson.  

Apprenticeship is post-secondary education that blends hands-on work experience with classroom instruction. Typically, this is the route for individuals who are sponsored by an employer, however, you do not need to be sponsored to come into your 1st period of classroom instruction.

They have a 90% + success rate. 

Often, they find a job where they did their practicum.

We offer all three periods of parts technician online.

Our online program is strictly work at your own pace.

The standard things every student needs - 3-ring binder, loose leaf paper, pens and pencils, calculator.

Typically, you’ll receive your Individual Learning Modules (ILMs) on your first day of class as these are included in the fees you pay (unless otherwise stated).

If you require any specific tools, they will be listed on your program page.