Trades - Apprenticeship in Welder at Southern Alberta Institute of Technology in Calgary, Canada is a trades - apprenticeship in Trades programme. The programme runs for 3 years. Tuition is CAD 1,256 per year for local students.
At a glance
Degree:Trades - Apprenticeship
Field:Trades
Duration: 3 years
Local tuition: CAD 1,256 / year
Information for the 2027/28 academic year · Last reviewed September 2026 ·
Program details
Overview
This apprenticeship leads to a Red Seal-endorsed journeyperson certification, delivered in person at SAIT's Main Campus, with a length that depends on which welding stream a student pursues: three one-year periods for the full Welder designation, or two one-year periods for the Welder-Wire Process Operator variant. Each period combines a minimum of 1,560 hours of on-the-job training with eight weeks of classroom instruction, and some intakes offer blended delivery mixing scheduled classes and labs with unscheduled coursework. Training builds from foundational safety through core welding processes, including gas metal arc, flux-cored arc, shielded metal arc, and gas tungsten arc welding, before moving into more advanced technique in later periods. The program suits candidates with good hand-eye coordination and vision, physical strength, and the ability to read blueprints and visualize a finished weld or structure from a print, along with comfort working in construction or shop environments. Graduates work as welders or welder-wire process operators, with the Red Seal endorsement recognized across Canada. Training is arranged through registration with Alberta's Apprenticeship and Industry Training system, which requires a sponsoring employer for the on-the-job component of the apprenticeship.
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 and Math 10-3, 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.
