Apprenticeship Electrician

Switch on your success!

Learn to install, maintain, repair and operate electrical wiring and devices safely. Complete all four periods of training to earn your electrician certificate and qualify to take the provincial exam to get your journeyman certificate and red seal exam.

Did you know you need to be a registered apprentice before you can apply to this program?
Find out how at tradesecrets.alberta.ca

Apprenticeship Electrician training close to home!

Our students agree – “it’s a great learning environment where you’ll get a more personal experience”.

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Unfortunately, at this point in time, this program is not available to international students. Please click the link to view all of our international students programs.

Career Potential

Electricians work for residential, construction and maintenance contractors, manufacturers, resource companies, and other large organizations. Construction based electrical work is subject to project based timelines. The nature of this work dictates that an electrician be flexible in both scheduling and location of work. Membership in trade union is voluntary; however some contractors employ only union people, while others employ only non-union.

Electricians may advance to positions such as foreman, superintendent, estimator or electrical inspector. Some electricians start their own contracting business, but must have a Master Electrician license in order to pull permits. Electricians may work toward additional tickets such as Power System Electrician, Instrumentation and Millwright.

Admission Requirements

Period 1

Students must be a registered apprentice with Alberta Apprenticeship and Industry Training (AIT) and be eligible for the identified period training. 

Period 2

Successful completion of Period 1

Period 3

Successful completion of Period 2

Period 4

Successful completion of Period 3

Transferability

The technical training is the standard through the Province; therefore apprentices may take their training at Portage College or any college or technical institute in Alberta offering Apprenticeship Electrician training.

Program Start/End Dates
Period 2: October 23, 2023 to December 15, 2023
Period 3: January 8, 2024 to March 1, 2024
Period 4: March 4, 2024 to May 24, 2024

Application Deadlines
Period 2:  October 17, 2023
Period 3:  January 2, 2023
Period 4:  February 27, 2023

Locations
Cold Lake Campus

Delivery
Blended

Apprenticeship Electrician Period 1

Tuition $1044.00
Student Association $68.95
Recreation Fee $23.54
Total $1,136.49

Visit  Portage Bookstore for textbooks and supplies

Apprenticeship Electrician Period 2

Tuition $1044.00
Student Association $68.95
Recreation Fee $23.54
Total $1,136.49

Visit  Portage Bookstore for textbooks and supplies

Apprenticeship Electrician Period 3

Tuition $1044.00
Student Association $68.95
Recreation Fee $23.54
Total $1,136.49

Visit  Portage Bookstore for textbooks and supplies

Apprenticeship Electrician Period 4

Tuition $1524.00
Student Association $68.95
Recreation Fee $23.54
Total $1,616.49

Visit  Portage Bookstore for textbooks and supplies

Other purchases may be necessary in order for students to complete their courses/program.

Apprenticeship Electrician

  • CIRCUIT FUNDAMENTALS

    Course ID: ELEC105

    Name: CIRCUIT FUNDAMENTALS

    Hours: 62

    Credits: 0

    This course will provide students with basic fundamentals of work, power, energy, and matter. Students will understand how these forces influence the characteristics of conductors, equipment and circuits. Students will develop an understanding of current, voltage, and resistance. They will apply this knowledge to series, parallel, and series-parallel circuits and their application to Edison Three Wire Distribution Systems.

  • STANDARD WORKPLACE SAFTEY AND EMF SOURCES

    Course ID: ELEC110

    Name: STANDARD WORKPLACE SAFTEY AND EMF SOURCES

    Hours: 30

    Credits: 0

    Students will acquire the knowledge and understanding of electromagnetic forces. In this course, students will learn the principles and functions of magnetism, induction, generators, cells and batteries.

  • LAB FUNDAMENTALS

    Course ID: ELEC115

    Name: LAB FUNDAMENTALS

    Hours: 50

    Credits: 0

    This course will allow students to demonstrate knowledge and skills in proper safety procedures using common tools and equipment in the electrical trade. Students will be able to demonstrate a variety of low voltage connections and circuits. These will include low voltage switching, relays, buzzers and chimes.

  • CODE PART 1 AND DRAWINGS

    Course ID: ELEC120

    Name: CODE PART 1 AND DRAWINGS

    Hours: 50

    Credits: 0

    Students will be introduced to the contents, structure and application of the Canadian Electrical Code. Specific areas covered are general rules, grounding, feeders, branch circuits, wiring methods, installation of equipment and lighting. The second part of this course will provide students with an understanding of blueprints, dimensioning, scaling and orthographic projections.

  • ELECTRICAL 1 LAB/SHOP

    Course ID: ELEC125

    Name: ELECTRICAL 1 LAB/SHOP

    Hours: 48

    Credits: 0

    ELEC125

  • AC CURRENT AND CIRCUIT PORPERTIES

    Course ID: ELEC205

    Name: AC CURRENT AND CIRCUIT PORPERTIES

    Hours: 29

    Credits: 0

    The student will describe basic electrical concepts and demonstrate their relationships with calculations in a variety of circuits. This course covers the current limiting effects of resistance, induction and capacitance in an AC circuit, which will be calculated by the student. Introduction to the concepts of inductance and induction to DC and AC circuits are discussed in this course.

  • RLC CIRCUITS

    Course ID: ELEC210

    Name: RLC CIRCUITS

    Hours: 58

    Credits: 0

    This course describes how resistors, inductors and capacitors affect an AC circuit when they are connected in series. The student will connect and analyze series and parallel RLC circuits to solve unknown circuit values and describe applications of this type of circuit.

  • CODE PLANS AND DIAGRAMS

    Course ID: ELEC215

    Name: CODE PLANS AND DIAGRAMS

    Hours: 37

    Credits: 0

    This course is the second period CEC level of Rules and Regulations, covering grounding (sec. 10), services, ampacity of conductors (Sec. 8), and service protection controls for single dwellings and apartments (Sec. 6). An overview of Section 18 Hazardous locations, Section 20 Class 1 locations, Section 22 Corrosive and Wet locations, and Section 24 Patient Care areas are also presented in this course. More detailed and specific plans and drawings are examined and calculated.

  • HEATING & COOLING SYSTEMS

    Course ID: ELEC220

    Name: HEATING & COOLING SYSTEMS

    Hours: 34

    Credits: 0

    This course discusses the principals of operation and installation of heating and cooling electrical controls and equipment. Temperature sensing devices, gas fired forced air systems, hot water heating systems, cooling systems and HVAC roof top units are discussed in this section.

  • MAGNETIC CONTROLS & SWITCHING CIRCUITS

    Course ID: ELEC225

    Name: MAGNETIC CONTROLS & SWITCHING CIRCUITS

    Hours: 34

    Credits: 0

    The student will learn the principals of operation and installation of relays, contactors, timers and smart relays. They will be able to describe the parts of a magnetic motor starter, understand the basic starter selection criteria and recognize the basic bench tests that can be performed. The student will also be able to describe the procedure for troubleshooting motor control circuits and describe the operation of automatic devices.

  • ELECTRICAL 2 LAB/SHOP

    Course ID: ELEC230

    Name: ELECTRICAL 2 LAB/SHOP

    Hours: 48

    Credits: 0

    ELEC230

  • THREE PHASE PRINCIPLES

    Course ID: ELEC305

    Name: THREE PHASE PRINCIPLES

    Hours: 76

    Credits: 0

    N/A

  • THREE PHASE MOTOR PRINCIPLES

    Course ID: ELEC315

    Name: THREE PHASE MOTOR PRINCIPLES

    Hours: 66

    Credits: 0

    ELEC315

  • TRANSFORMERS

    Course ID: ELEC320

    Name: TRANSFORMERS

    Hours: 32

    Credits: 0

    ELEC320

  • CODE

    Course ID: ELEC325

    Name: CODE

    Hours: 42

    Credits: 0

    ELEC325

  • ELECTRICAL 3 LAB/SHOP

    Course ID: ELEC330

    Name: ELECTRICAL 3 LAB/SHOP

    Hours: 48

    Credits: 0

    ELEC330

We acknowledge that Portage College’s service region is on the traditional lands of First Nation Peoples, the owners of Treaty 6, 8 and 10, which are also homelands to the Métis people. We honour the history and culture of all people who first lived and gathered in these lands.
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