The Saskatchewan Apprenticeship and Trade
Certification Commission (SATCC) oversees the
apprenticeship and trade certification system in
Saskatchewan. As an arms-length commission of the Government
of Saskatchewan, the SATCC performs four main roles: we train apprentices;
certify tradespeople and apprentices; regulate the apprenticeship
system of training and promote apprenticeship.
There are more than 40 designated trades in Saskatchewan – many
of these trades are in heavy construction, including mobile crane
operator; pipeline equipment operator; heavy duty equipment technician;
and truck and transport mechanic.
Training apprentices, and certifying tradespeople and apprentices,
benefits both employers and their employees.
Employers who train apprentices receive a solid return on investment.
According to a Canadian Apprenticeship Forum Study of
nearly 1,000 employers across 16 trades, for every $1 an employer
invests in an apprentice, the average return on investment is $1.47.
Training apprentices often means higher productivity and fewer
mistakes. An organization that trains someone from apprentice to
journeyperson will likely find the person they’ve trained themselves
is more productive than someone trained elsewhere because they
understand the structure and practices of the organization that’s
trained them.
Once apprentices achieve journeyperson certification, they continue
to add value to their companies. They possess the skills and
SASKATCHEWAN APPRENTICESHIP
knowledge to perform the full scope of their trade – and they’ve
demonstrated this through the successful completion of the journeyperson
certification exam.
Journeypersons are well qualified to train a company’s next generation
of workers; and their credential shows consumers they
can perform their work efficiently and effectively. Most trades in
Saskatchewan are Red Seal trades, which means once someone
achieves journeyperson certification, they receive the Red Seal endorsement
showing they’ve met the national standard of excellence
for their trade.
What does training an apprentice entail?
If an employer hires an employee and agrees to train them as an apprentice,
the tradesperson and the employer will sign a contract of
apprenticeship with the SATCC.
With apprenticeship training, the majority of training – about
85 per cent – happens on the job. Apprentices learn under the supervision
of an experienced mentor, often a journeyperson or experienced
tradesperson. It is up to the employer and its supervisors
to ensure apprentices have the opportunity to experience the full
scope of the trade.
Periodically, usually once per year, apprentices will attend technical
training in a classroom setting. Training typically lasts between
six to 10 weeks, depending on the trade. On the job, apprentices
AUREMAR/123RF
The Benefits of Apprenticeship
and Certification
By Jeff Ritter, Saskatchewan Apprenticeship and Trade Certification Commission
thinkbigmagazine.ca | Quarter 4 2019 | Think BIG 37
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