Apprenticeship is a great way to develop employable skills while working and earning a paycheck. In fact, apprentices are required to find a job before they go to school. On the job, you’ll typically work under the direction of a journeyman who provides instruction as you gain experience. Your college study periods are short, usually about two months long, allowing you to build theoretical knowledge and more advanced practical skills. Apprenticeship programs require you to attend college once a year for three or four years. Carpenters construct, erect and repair buildings and other structures. Our program will teach you all aspects of construction from foundation to finishing through classroom theory and practice in the shop. We will show you how to set up formwork, prepare to pour, build wall and roof frames, construct stairs and build finished projects such as furniture. You will also learn core skills such as reading blueprints; planning your sequence of work; cutting and shaping materials; and checking completed units to ensure they are level and square, and the right size, shape and location. Our class sizes allow us to spend a great deal of individual time with apprentices both in the classroom and in the shop. You can take all four years of your carpenter education at Medicine Hat College.

Program Overview Apprenticeship is a great way to develop employable skills while working and earning a paycheck. In fact, apprentices are required to find a job before they go to school. On the job, you’ll typically work under the direction of a journeyman who provides instruction as you gain experience. Your college study periods are short, usually about two months long, allowing you to build theoretical knowledge and more advanced practical skills. Apprenticeship programs require you to attend college once a year for three or four years. Carpenters construct, erect and repair buildings and other structures. Our program will teach you all aspects of construction from foundation to finishing through classroom theory and practice in the shop. We will show you how to set up formwork, prepare to pour, build wall and roof frames, construct stairs and build finished projects such as furniture. You will also learn core skills such as reading blueprints; planning your sequence of work; cutting and shaping materials; and checking completed units to ensure they are level and square, and the right size, shape and location. Our class sizes allow us to spend a great deal of individual time with apprentices both in the classroom and in the shop. You can take all four years of your carpenter education at Medicine Hat College. How to Apply The first step to becoming an apprentice is finding a job in the trade you would like to study. This is like any other job search, except you are looking for an employer who is willing to hire you as an apprentice in a trade. Once you have found employment, you can complete the Apprenticeship Application and Contract. This will allow you to be accepted as an apprentice tradesperson. Access the form at www.tradesecrets.gov.ab.ca. After your application has been accepted, you will begin training with your employer and are now eligible to register for training at Medicine Hat College. You will then be sent an information package from the college on how to proceed with your registration (dates, times and location of first day of class). Career Opportunities Most carpenters are employed by construction contractors, are self-employed, or do construction or maintenance work for government agencies, utility companies or manufacturing firms. There are many exciting careers in the residential, commercial or industrial and maintenance sectors for carpenters. Carpenters are often job supervisors or foremen and take pride in their work, which is highly visible and requires a great degree of expertise. As the current workforce continues to age, the need for new carpenters will continue to rise rapidly over the next 10 years. This is a very portable trade and a journeyman ticket with a Red Seal is recognized across Canada. Carpenters are permanently employed and work a regular 40-hour week. Journeyman wages typically range from $22 to $34 an hour. Employment prospects for carpenters vary considerably depending upon the season and economic conditions.