League for Innovation in the Community College January 2019 | Page 23

T
he Southern Alberta Institute of Technology (SAIT) amount of time to perfecting their abilities, with some
began in 1916 with 11 students and two pieces of beginning their journey while still in high school.
donated machinery. Over the last 100 years, SAIT
has become a leader in applied education, specializing in In 2017, four SAIT competitors earned the right to represent
action-based learning. Today, SAIT welcomes more than Canada at WorldSkills Abu Dhabi in the Aerospace
50,000 students each year—offering degree, diploma, and Technology, Cabinet Making, Culinary Arts, and Industrial
certificate programs; continuing education classes; pre- Mechanic Millwright categories, respectively. To represent the
employment programs; and, importantly, a long-lasting focus nation’s top skilled youth in trades and technologies is no small
on apprenticeships. accomplishment. From day one of the program, apprentices
gain valuable work experience and access to professional
Historically, an apprentice would be bound to an apprentice
mentors and networks to further enhance their skillset.
master for skills training, food, and a few shillings. Of course,
this is a notion of the distant past. As society has evolved, “[Students] represent a cultural shift that is going on right now
although the core idea may remain, the teacher-to-student at the high school and postsecondary levels to reposition
method of instruction has also evolved. the skilled trades as not only in-demand jobs or careers, but
also requiring very high levels of capabilities as leaders and
In 1948, training for apprentices under the province of Alberta’s problem solvers, pursuing excellence in their particular skilled
Apprenticeship Act marked the beginning of a new era for trades,” Belvedere says.
SAIT in applied education, with 171 students enrolled in five
apprenticeship programs. As the economy continued to boom,
“
SAIT’s earn-while-you-learn apprenticeship programs,
SAIT’s evolution continued and, fast-forwarding to today, now alongside grants, scholarships, and the eligibility for
offers 35 apprenticeship and pre-employment programs. employment insurance, eases the financial burden students
Balancing their time between
technical training and hands-on
work in their chosen trade, SAIT’s
apprentices are equipped with
both knowledge and experience to
effectively continue succeeding in the
province’s growing trade industries.
Apprenticeship is a
proven education
model that integrates
on-the-job and
classroom learning ...
sometimes face. “The apprentice
is a paid employee, developing
valuable skills while adding
productive value on the job,”
Belvedere says. This model not
only provides students with the
opportunity to begin their career
early, but also provides them with
networking opportunities with key industry people they meet
“Apprenticeship is a proven education model that integrates
along the way.
on-the-job and classroom learning,” says Nino Belvedere,
SAIT Apprentice Coordinator. “It’s highly effective for helping Just as apprenticeships have evolved, SAIT works to improve
learners connect theory and practice—which works particularly and develop its apprenticeship curriculum. The in-house
well for students who learn best by doing.” development of modules allows for regular updates, and
improvements to training scenarios are made as the industry
At SAIT, there are several pathways to take to enter a trade continues to evolve, further ensuring student success.
with varying delivery methods to meet student needs and Apprentices have never been more vital in today’s modern
interests. The more apprentices who can be effectively trained, workforce. As an educational institution and training ground
the more opportunities there are to satisfy industry demands for such skilled workers, SAIT’s nimble approach and industry
for skilled labour. connections provide a successful platform for apprentices to
thrive in this ever-changing world of work.
If there’s one thing that remains true about past apprentices,
it’s that each individual is highly skilled in his or her trade.
Whether students are using SAIT’s state-of-the-art facilities or
working on the job, apprentices dedicate an unprecedented
Shelby Feldman is Communications Coordinator, Southern
Alberta Institute of Technology.
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