Apprenticeship - You’re hired SATCC: Building a certified workforce
The Saskatchewan Apprenticeship and Trade Certification Commission (SATCC) has always promoted the benefits of hiring and training apprentices.
Apprenticeship, a supply and demand training system that has been in Saskatchewan for decades, is a well-recognized path to journeyperson certification. It’s a training system that makes good business sense. Apprentices improve workplace productivity because they understand their company’s practices and complete work correctly the first time.
While one of the SATCC’s primary roles is training apprentices, another main role is certifying tradespeople.
Recently, the SATCC has been reminding business owners and managers that apprenticeship isn’t the only pathway to certification. Experienced tradespeople can “challenge” the journeyperson certification exam.
“Journeyperson certification demonstrates to clients that a company’s staff members have the knowledge and skills to perform quality work,” SATCC CEO Jeff Ritter said. “Journeypersons also play a key role in training a company’s next generation of workers.”
Certification benefits employers, but also their employees, Ritter said. “When tradespeople achieve their journeyperson certification, they gain a lifelong credential recognizing the breadth and depth of their abilities. It’s a credential that is recognized across Canada as the standard of excellence for the skilled trades.”
Tradespeople work in noncompulsory trades and learn their skills on the job over many years, but not through an apprenticeship. There are four compulsory trades in Saskatchewan: Sheet Metal Worker, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Mechanic, Plumber and Construction Electrician. Workers in these trades must be either journeypersons or apprentices. All other trades are non-compulsory – or voluntary – and tradespeople, as long as they’ve acquired the necessary number on-the-job hours, can achieve certifica- tion via the trade qualifier route.
The exam trade qualifiers complete is the same certification exam apprentices take once they’ve successfully completed all of their required technical training.
“Trade qualifiers follow a different path, but if they pass the journeyperson certification exam, they earn the same credential as apprentices,” Rit- ter said.
Once tradespeople are approved to take the certification exam as trade qualifiers, they can apply for upgrader training to refresh their knowledge and prepare for the exam. Although this training is mandatory for the Insulator and Powerline Technician trades, voluntary upgrader training is available in a variety of other trades, including Automotive Service Technician, Carpenter, Industrial Mechanic, Mobile Crane Operator and Welder.
“We want to offer trade qualifiers solid support, so when they take the journeyperson certification exam, they are set up to succeed,” Ritter said. “That’s why we offer upgrader training for a variety of trades in a variety of formats – online and / or in a classroom setting.”
Again, Ritter emphasized that journeyperson certification results in satisfied employers, satisfied employees and satisfied clients.
“A certified workforce is a reputable workforce,” he said. “Journeyperson certification recognizes advanced skills and experience, and it helps instill confidence in customers.”
To learn more about achieving journeyperson certification as a trade qualifier, call 1-877-363-0536 or visit saskapprenticeship.ca. You can also get in touch with the SATCC through Facebook (@ SaskApprenticeship); Twitter (@SKApprentice); and Instagram (@skapprentice).