If you want to become an electrician apprentice in Saskatchewan, you'll need to enter a program governed by the Saskatchewan Apprenticeship and Trade Certification Commission.

If you are not a certified electrician, becoming registered with this Saskatchewan apprenticeship body is the only way you can legally work in the field.

To become a registered electrician apprentice in Saskatchewan, you must be employed by an employer willing and equipped to train you. That means their program must be approved by the Saskatchewan Apprenticeship Program and they must provide a certified electrician to work with you one-on-one.

When you have an employer, you will work with them and the local Saskatchewan apprenticeship office to file legal paperwork for you to become registered so you can start work and begin training. Most of your training is done on the job site, but some of it is technical training that will take place at SIAST Palliser Campus located in Moose Jaw or SIAST Woodland Campus located in Prince Albert.

There are four levels in the Saskatchewan apprenticeship program. Each of them lasts one year. During that time you must complete eight weeks of technical training in a classroom and 1800 hours of on the job training as an electrician apprentice. When you meet the hourly requirements for each year and meet the proficiency requirements, you advance to the next level of training.

Employers generally prefer to hire those with a minimum of a high school diploma and some aptitude for science and math. However, these are not mandatory. If you didn't complete high school, you can contact a local Saskatchewan apprenticeship office and have your skills and abilities assessed to see if you are a good match for becoming an electrician apprentice.

These are some of the classes you will take during your weeks of technical training: Introduction to Electricity, Wiring Methods, Wiring Circuits, Wiring Design, Mathematics, Electromagnetism, Occupational Health and Safety, Transformers, Industrial Electronics, Electric Motors, Algebra, Trigonometry, Rigging, and Alarm Systems. You will put all you learn into practice when you undergo on the job training.

The skills you learn on the job are also structured. When you work as an electrician apprentice, you learn how to install electrical raceways, lay out and troubleshoot DC circuits, wire circuits according to the Canadian Electrical Code, read blueprints and schematics, and learn how to safely operate the various hand tools of the trade. The training builds upon learned skills and advances throughout the four years of training so you finish with the skills needed for a variety of applications in construction and industrial settings. In all, you must log and complete 7200 hours of supervised work hours. The accepted apprenticeship to journeyman ratio is 2:1, so you will receive plenty of personal instruction.

As an apprentice, you will be considered an employee and will be required to abide by your employer's regulations as far as working hours and conditions go. You will receive a regular paycheck that is determined by the Saskatchewan apprenticeship regulations taking into account union policies and average wage of certified electricians. Since your skills will be limited, until you pass your final exam, you will be paid apprentice wages rather than electrician wages.

Your employer has a double role, that of an employer and of an educator. The company must log your hours and submit them on a regular basis as well as report on your progress. In the same way, you are also a student and an employee and should make learning the skills of your trade your top priority so you can assure yourself of job security when you become certified.

If your employer doesn't think you have learned the necessary skills well enough or if you don't pass your examinations with a grade of at least 70%, you will not be able to advance in your training or become certified. If that should happen, or if you have any other problems come up during your electrician apprenticeship, be sure to contact a local Saskatchewan apprenticeship office and get the help you need so you can learn the trade and have a brighter future. Not everyone is cut out for being an electrician and you may find that out after you begin training. Remember that your apprenticeship registration is a legally binding contract, but if you and your employer agree you can't meet the requirements, you may be able to break it.

If you find being an electrician apprentice is something you love doing, you can use it as a stepping stone to more advanced training and maybe start your own company some day. Either way, you can enjoy working in a career that offers job diversity and fulfillment while you earn a good wage.

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