• Life@Enns Brothers
• Career Opportunities
• Technicians

 

           

Plan for Success:

1. Read the trade profile for your apprenticeship program. This will provide you with a description of the work you will be doing and lists the requirements of the program.
2. Know what you are responsible for as an apprentice. These responsibilities are legislated, which means you are legally responsible for knowing them and following them. These include:
   1. Paying tuition and required fees.
   2. Using financial assistance received from the government only to pay for education and living costs associated with training, and returning any unused funds.
   3. Completing hours of practical training and examinations according to the Apprenticeship Technical Training Registration Guide and the Apprenticeship and Certification Act.
   4. Following the Apprenticeship Code of Conduct within the Apprenticeship Technical Training Registration Guide.
   5. Alerting the Executive Director within 15 days of name or address changes or if you are no longer an employee of a particular organization. This must be done in writing.

• Understand the relationship you have with your employer and journeyperson. It is important to build a strong working relationship with your employer and journeyperson to ensure the investment in your apprenticeship is beneficial to all parties. Your employer is the individual or organization that hired you and pays you to work for them; your journeyperson is the individual or organization committed to helping you get opportunities to learn on the job and reports back on your progress, and is registered with Apprenticeship Manitoba. Your employer and journeyperson are often, but not always, the same individual or organization.

1. Register for school. In coordination with your journeyperson and the needs of the company, register for technical training with Apprenticeship Manitoba. You want to attend technical training every year of your program if possible. Technical training terms are typically 12 weeks per level of your program. Keep in mind peak seasons for your employer; an agriculture-based company is not going to want you to attend school in the summer.
2. Make sure your hours are consistently being tracked and reported. Work with your journeyperson to ensure your hours are being reported to Apprenticeship Manitoba every six-to-twelve months. You can also check with your Apprenticeship Training Coordinator to make sure your hours are being regularly reported.
3. Pass your final examination. Your final examination is typically scheduled to be completed at the end of your final level of technical training unless extenuating circumstances occur. You are allotted four hours for your examination, which is in a multiple choice format. Your instructor will spend time on exam preparation in class, but you should plan on spending time studying for the exam individually as well. A 70 percent or higher is required to pass.

 

Services and Supports:

Essential Skills: In order to succeed in your program, you must possess essential skills required for basic learning. These include math, reading, interpersonal communication, and computer skills. If you have not been in school for an extended period of time or feel your essential skills need to be topped up, there are many resource centres available, such as the Workplace Essential Skills Training Centre (WEST) in Winnipeg, which offers free services.

Special Accommodations: Special accommodations for examinations are available for individuals who have a language barrier or disability that may prevent them from demonstrating their full ability on the examination. Documentation from a qualified professional is required, and you must fill out a request form (available through Apprenticeship Manitoba).

Financial Supports: Various forms of financial support is available including:

1. Employment Insurance: EI may be available while attending the in-school training sessions, if you have worked sufficient hours and paid into the EI account.
2. Provincial Assistance: Funding is available to help cover the cost of childcare and living expenses when attending technical training. To apply, submit an application on the first day of class.
3. Assistance for First Nations Bands of the Manitoba Métis Federation: After receiving your Confirmation of Registration letter in the mail, consult your band or MMR regional office and have them write a letter addressed to you in which they identify the funds they will cover. Forward this letter to the Director of Operations at a Manitoba Jobs and Skills Development Centre and bring the letter to your first day of class.
4. Grants: There are many grants available for apprentices through the government, including:
   1. Apprenticeship Incentive Grant: This is a taxable cash grant of $1,000 per year of apprenticeship, to a maximum of $2,000 per person. It is available to registered apprentices after the successful completion of their first or second level in one of the Red Seal designated trades (see Understanding Trades). The deadline of application is June 30, the year after the date of completion of your level. You must include a copy of your Apprenticeship Registration Card and a copy of your Apprenticeship Level Completion Letter with your application. To be eligible, you must be:
      1. A Canadian citizen, permanent resident, or protected person.
      2. Not a high school student, though some exceptions may apply.

• A registered apprentice with an employer, union training centre, training trust fund, joint apprenticeship training committee, or apprenticeship authority.

1. A registered apprentice with a provincial/territorial apprenticeship authority in an Interprovincial Standards Red Seal program trade.

1. Apprenticeship Completion Grant: This $2000 maximum taxable cash grant was designed as an incentive for apprentices to complete their program and receive journeyperson status. The deadline for application is June 30 the year after you obtain certification. A copy of your Certificate of Qualification and a copy of your Confirmation of Apprenticeship Completion Letter must be submitted with your registration. To be eligible, you must be:
   1. A Canadian citizen, permanent resident, or protected person.
   2. Not a high school student, although some exceptions may apply.

• Able to show you have completed your apprenticeship program in a designated Red Seal trade.

1. Able to show you are a certified journeyperson in a designated Red Seal trade.

1. Tuition Fee Tax Rebate: Apprentice graduates in Manitoba are eligible to receive a 60 percent income tax rebate on their eligible tuition fees, including tuition fees paid by an employer. This was designed to help support new journeypersons while living and working in Manitoba. To take advantage, complete form T1005: Manitoba’s Graduate’s Tuition Fee Income Tax Rebate. You do not need to include any documentation when you make this claim, however you may be asked to provide proof of tuition paid or graduation to support the claim.

 

Exam Information:

The final examination before you receive your Certificate of Qualification is typically delivered during the end of your technical training, in the last year of your program. Before taking the final examination, you must successfully pass all unit tests first. You are allotted four hours to complete the multiple choice theory examination. You must receive a 70 percent or higher to pass. If you do not pass the exam, you will be given a summary of your results that detail the areas in which you need improvement. Should you be unsuccessful on your second trial, you must take approved upgrading before attempting the exam a third time. Certain trades also require the completion of a practical exam to augment the certification process. Check your trade profile to see if this applies to you.

1. Exam Schedule: Select the time and location that works best for you on the exam schedule, and include it on your exam application. Give multiple options, should your first choice be unavailable. You will receive an exam application when you are notified of your exam eligibility.
2. Study Tips: While your instructor will review for the exam in class, it is important to study independently as well. Follow these tips to ensure your success:
   1. Read the profile for your trade. It covers information on training standards, a link to the occupational analysis, sample exams, and recommends supplementary books to read.
   2. Keep all of your notes and textbooks from your technical training and review them before the exam.
   3. To stay current on industry standards and to improve reading comprehension, read Trade Magazine.
   4. Make notes about skills or information you learn while working.
   5. Ask questions.
   6. Polish your essential skills by visiting the Essential Skills Drop-In Centre.

Look up unfamiliar words in a dictionary and write down their definition to add to your notes.