Who am I?
Could you work with heavy-duty machinery and solve heavy-duty problems? Do you like precise work? Are you good with your hands? Do you have an aptitude for mechanical things? Then, Boilermaker may be the job for you!

What do I do?
If you choose this job, you will soon be building, erecting, repairing, testing and maintaining all types of boilers, tanks and pressure vessels. Boilermakers perform structural and plate work on dust, air, gas, steam, oil, water and other liquid-tight pressure vessels. You will be fabricating and repairing boilers, tanks, heat exchangers, fired heaters, reactors and other pressure vessels. You develop layouts and plan the sequence of work. You lay out plate, sheet steel or other heavy metal, and locate and mark bending and cutting lines. You shape the metal using metalworking machines such as shears and drill presses. You cut metal plate and brackets using an oxy-fuel torch, and chip and grind parts to shape for fitting together. You also fit and tack weld parts together using electric arc welding equipment.

How much do I make?
As an apprentice Boilermaker, you earn at least 60% of the journeyman wage rate in your place of employment in the first year of your apprenticeship. You earn 75% in the second and 90% in the third year. The journeyman rate of pay is $20 to $28 an hour plus benefits. In addition to the basic hourly rate, employers provide statutory holiday and vacation pay. Employers may also provide benefits such as group insurance for health, dental and vision care, retirement packages, and training benefits. In total, benefits can be worth 20% to 30% over and above the basic hourly pay rate.

The standard workweek is 40 hours. Some overtime is possible.

How do I advance?
With experience and additional training, you can move into positions with more responsibility. These include supervisory positions like foreman or superintendent.

Like most careers in the construction industry, your skills in this trade are portable. If you want to relocate, you can take your skills with you.

How do I learn?
Alberta’s Apprenticeship and Industry Training Act specifies that to work as a Boilermaker in Alberta, you must be a registered apprentice or a certified journeyman of the trade.

To enter the Boilermaker apprenticeship program, you need at least an Alberta Grade 11 education with a passing mark in Math 20 or 23, Pure Math 20 or Applied Math 20 or equivalent or you must pass an entrance exam. You must also find an appropriate employer who is willing to hire and train you as an apprentice. Employers generally prefer to hire high school or post-secondary graduates. Some may select apprentices from among their current employees.

To register in the apprenticeship program, you and your employer must complete the Apprenticeship Application and Contract form and submit it to the nearest Apprenticeship and Industry Training office.

How long will it take?
Your apprenticeship lasts three years (three 12-month periods). This includes at least 1500 hours of on-the-job training each year. It also includes two six-week blocks of technical training in the first year and one six-week block of technical training in each of the second and third years.

If you have successfully completed related courses of study, a pre-employment program or work experience, you may be eligible for advanced standing in the apprenticeship program.

Where do I learn?
Alberta Apprenticeship and Industry Training arranges for the availability of technical training. Training is usually offered at technical institutes or colleges. Once you become an apprentice, you are responsible for registering yourself for this training. You must contact the training provider directly. For more information on where Boilermaker training is available, visit www.tradesecrets.org.

When you attend technical training, you must pay the applicable tuition fee and buy supplies. Most apprentices are eligible for employment insurance (EI) while attending technical training. For more information, contact your local Human Resources Development Canada (HRDC) office.

You may also be eligible for a grant, scholarship or other financial assistance. For more information, visit www.tradesecrets.org.

Certification
As soon as you successfully complete the on-the-job training, technical training and examinations required by the apprenticeship training program, you are awarded an Alberta Journeyman Certificate.

Once certified, you may attempt the Interprovincial Exam to qualify for the Interprovincial Standards’ Red Seal. With a Red Seal, you can practice your trade in any province or territory in Canada where the trade is designated without any further examination.

Jump-start your career in construction
While you’re still in high school, check out your school’s Career and Technology Studies (CTS) courses. These hands-on courses can help you build the basic skills you need for work in the construction industry.

You could also begin an apprenticeship program and earn high school credits at the same time through the Registered Apprenticeship Program (RAP). After high school graduation, many RAP apprentices complete apprenticeship programs while working full-time.

See your school counselor for more information on CTS courses and RAP.

Where can I find out more?
For more information on career planning, apprenticeship and occupational training, or educational programs, contact the Career Information Hotline. Ask for the nearest Alberta Apprenticeship and Industry Training office or Alberta Human Resources and Employment service center. Phone: 1-800-661-3753 toll-free in Alberta or (780) 422-4266 in Edmonton. Persons who are deaf or hard of hearing: 1-800-232-7215 for message relay service or (780) 422-5283 for TDD service.

You can also visit Alberta Apprenticeship and Industry Training’s web site at www.tradesecrets.org.