Trades - Apprenticeship in Machinist at Southern Alberta Institute of Technology in Calgary, Canada is a trades - apprenticeship in Trades programme. The programme runs for 4 years, delivered on campus. Tuition is CAD 1,256 per year for local students.
This apprenticeship leads to journeyperson certification through Alberta's Apprenticeship and Industry Training, delivered in person at SAIT's Main Campus over four one-year periods. Each period requires a minimum of 1,560 hours of on-the-job training combined with eight weeks of classroom instruction, using standard scheduled classroom and lab delivery rather than a blended format. The technical curriculum progresses from safety, measurement, machine tools, trade math, and print reading in period one, through metallurgy and heat treatment in period two, into computer numerical control (CNC) machines and CAD/CAM software in period three, finishing with CNC machining centres, metrology, and leadership content in period four. A distinguishing requirement of this program is that applicants must secure employment with an employer willing to sponsor an apprenticeship before they can register for classroom instruction with Alberta Apprenticeship and Industry Training, so the work placement comes before the SAIT coursework rather than alongside it. The program suits candidates with good hand dexterity and speed, mechanical understanding, and strong problem-solving skills, since machinist work demands precision, high concentration, and physical effort. Graduates work operating lathes, milling machines, drills, and grinders across manufacturing, tooling, and precision engineering, and the Red Seal endorsement allows certified machinists to work across Canada.
Requirements
Admission Requirements: Entry runs through Alberta Apprenticeship and Industry Training (AAIT) rather than SAIT's own admissions office. The minimum requirement is successful completion of English 10-2, Math 10-3 and Science 10, or a pass mark on all five Canadian GED or Canadian Adult Education Credential (CAEC) tests, or a pass on AAIT's own entrance exam. AAIT recommends applicants instead hold an Alberta High School Diploma including English 30-2, Math 30-3 and Physics 20, Chemistry 20 or Science 20, plus related career and technology studies coursework. This is a registered apprenticeship: applicants must first secure an employer and a signed apprenticeship contract before attending SAIT's block-release or online technical training, which they book through MyTradeSecrets. SAIT's page for this trade publishes no English-language test score and no admission GPA; it is a course/exam bar set by AAIT, not a SAIT-competitive process.
Application Details
Application Deadline:Domestic applicants apply through ApplyAlberta: for Fall 2027 entry applications opened 7 October 2026 and close 30 June 2027, while Winter 2027 entry (opened 4 March 2026) closes 23 October 2026 and Spring 2027 entry closes 30 April 2027. International applicants apply through SAIT's Virtual Admissions System; the Fall 2027 window opened 4 August 2026 but SAIT lists the international closing date as still to be announced, while the Winter 2027 international deadline is 30 October 2026. Some allied-health programs, including Respiratory Therapy and Medical Laboratory Technology, close earlier to allow time for entrance testing, though the exact 2027-cycle testing dates were not yet posted. Admission is not rolling: SAIT enforces firm published deadlines, though popular programs can close early and some domestic programs reopen after their deadline if seats remain. These are institution-wide dates; this programme publishes no deadline of its own.
