CAREERS partners with local employers to bring valuable and educational apprenticeship opportunities to youth 18 – 25 years of age in the Wood Buffalo region. Through these internship programs, students can gain meaningful work experience in their chosen career path. The program is managed as a continuing education program with youth completing technical training at a college while remaining in the CO-OP program.
“This program was the right choice for me and my brothers because it gave us all constant work and allowed us to go to school to finish our apprenticeships. It has allowed each of us to gain knowledge in our trade that we can use for our futures.”
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January 7, 2027 |
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1:00PM |
March 4, 2027 |
7:00PM |
March 5, 2027 |
10:00AM |
If you are considering the CAREERS CO-OP Apprenticeship Program, please read the following information to make sure it’s the right choice for you!
Please note, to be eligible for the next CO-OP intake, you must:
In addition to the eligibility requirements, applicants for the CAREERS CO-OP Apprenticeship Program (CCAP), must submit a completed package which also includes writing a Differential Aptitude Test (DAT), must meet the High School course requirements and have their CSO and CSTS certificates, and more.
The CAREERS Co-Op Apprenticeship Program is a competitive program for applicants who are within seven years of completing their high school diploma and meet the entrance requirements for their selected trade, as outlined by Alberta Apprenticeship and Industry Training. The selection process is competitive and considers several factors, including:
Applicants must also have completed the Construction Safety Training System (CSTS) and Common Safety Orientation (CSO). To be eligible, applicants must have resided in the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo for at least one year.
Successful candidates will be matched with a local employer and will have the opportunity to begin and complete their apprenticeship within the region.
When possible, apprentices rotate annually among participating employers to gain well-rounded experience within their trade. Conditions of employment may vary between employers, and apprentices may be required to move between union and non-union work environments, as well as between in-town and camp settings, as part of the rotation process. Apprentices placed with an employer may also be in any year of their apprenticeship.
CAREERS staff coordinate and manage apprentice rotations and monitor placements to help ensure apprentices receive a variety of workplace experiences throughout their apprenticeship. Depending on the trade, employer availability, and industry demand, an annual rotation may not always be possible. In these cases, apprentices may remain with the same employer for longer than one year.
CCAP apprentices are generally employed on a contract basis for the duration of each placement. As such, they are required to follow all applicable company policies, procedures, and workplace requirements, as well as CCAP guidelines.
In their final year of apprenticeship, or in some cases their second-to-last year when only one period of technical training remains, apprentices are placed on the Window for Hire list. At this point, participating program employers may offer them a permanent employment opportunity. Each year, the CAREERS Program Coordinator will communicate with participating employers about apprentices who are eligible and available for permanent employment.
Employers are asked to notify CAREERS when offering a permanent position to a CCAP apprentice. This ensures the apprentice’s program status and future rotation plans can be updated accordingly.
