sheet metal worker

Regulated Occupation: YES.
National Occupation Classification Code: 7261
Employment Outlook: Below average occupation growth in Alberta
Minimum Educational Requirement: Apprenticeship
Length of Apprenticeship Training: 4 years of training while you work
Trades Certification: YES (Compulsory Certification Trade)

OCCUPATION INFORMATION YOU NEED TO KNOW:

OCCUPATION INFORMATION YOU NEED TO KNOW:

Can I practice in my trade right away?

No, even if you have a foreign trade certificate or diploma, and experience you need to contact the Alberta Government - Alberta Apprenticeship and Industry Training. Depending on your training and work experience you will receive all the information about how you can qualify for certification in your trade in Alberta. See the address of all offices of Alberta Apprenticeship and Industry Training


READ MORE...See more detailed information for people who have work experience in trades but do not have the registered apprentice title or journeyman certification - Alberta Qualification Certificate

What are the duties for this trade?

Sheet Metal Workers measure, cut, fasten, assemble and install various metal products and encasings for products such as: pollution control systems, dust collectors, air-slides, material blowers, heating and ventilation systems, air conditioning systems, metal cabinets and metal shelving, metal furniture, metal partitions in public washrooms, electrical panels and related equipment, laboratory equipment, metal signs, troughing and roof drainage systems, and custom metal fabricated products.

Sheet Metal Workers use a variety of metals (examples: aluminum, brass, copper, galvanized steel, nickel, stainless steel, tin plate) and they may also work with fiberglass and plastic as substitute materials for metal.

Sheet Metal Workers do part of their work in a shop and then, they need to go to the construction site to install the product. Sheet Metal Workers usually work 40 hours each week; overtime is required to meet construction deadlines.

See the general occupation profile, employment outlook and training information for Sheet Metal Workers; please note that companies may have different specific requirements in their job postings and job descriptions.

READ MORE�See the general occupation profile, employment outlook and training information for Plumbers; please note that companies may have different specific requirements in their job postings and job descriptions.

. Alberta Learning Information Service: ALIS Occupation Profiles
Trades Secrets

What other titles are used for this trade?

* Assembler - Structural Metal Fabrication
* Custom Sheet Metal Fabricator
* Fabricator, Platework
* Layer Out Developer - Structural Metal and Platework
* Layer Out, Sheet Metal � Metal Furniture Model Maker
* Metal furniture Patternmaker
* Plater Structural Metal and Platework
* Platework Fabricator and Fitter
* Platework Fitter
* Sheet Metal Erector
* Sheet Metal Fabricator
* Sheet Metal Installer
* Sheet Metal Layer-Out
* Sheet Metal Model Maker
* Sheet Metal Patternmaker
* Sheet Metal Worker

READ MORE...See a long list of related job titles for Construction Millwrights and Industrial Mechanics in JobFutures

What educational institutions offer training for this trade in Alberta?

Alberta Apprenticeship and Industry Training is responsible for organizing trades training and certification in Alberta. Technical training is currently offered by:
. Southern Alberta Institute of Technology(SAIT) in Calgary
. Northern Alberta Institute of Technology(NAIT) in Edmonton

Please inquire with Alberta Apprenticeship and Industry Training if you are interested in pre-employment programs and training in this trade.

Find other educational institutions offering training for trades and other occupations in Alberta: search � EDinfo

What salary can I expect?

Journeyman Sheet Metal Workers in Alberta have a general rate of $18 to $32/hour plus benefits such as: health insurance, pension contributions, paid vacation days, paid sick days, etc� Overtime pay is usually higher than the regular hourly rate, and as agreed with your employer is considered for additional work over the 40 hours of regular work each week.

Apprentice Sheet Metal Workers through their four years of training earn more and more, getting closer to the journeyman hourly wage:
. first year of apprenticeship: 50% of the journeyman hourly rate
. second year of apprenticeship: 65% of the journeyman hourly rate
. third year of apprenticeship: 75% of the journeyman hourly rate
. fourth year of apprenticeship: 85% of the journeyman hourly rate

READ MORE�See updated salary information at the website �WAGEinfo

What is the employment outlook in Calgary?

In Alberta, 75% of Sheet Metal Workers are employed in the construction industry. The employment is with air conditioning and heating contractors who install systems in residential, commercial, institutional (examples: hospitals, schools) and industrial buildings.

Calgary�s economy is growing, creating favorable conditions for major remodeling, expansion and new construction of institutional, industrial and commercial buildings. Home building in Calgary is continues to be very active.

READ MORE...Is Calgary�s economy Construction Industry

What do employers expect beyond trade technical skills?

Every employer has a set of basic rules that apply to all employees. Employers expect everybody to know and follow these rules that range from being punctual in the morning at the start of the workday, to more complex rules, such as the health and safety program in your unit.

Employers expect good workplace communication skills and a combination of basic mathematics and document skills as required by increasingly complex instructions to operate tools and understand how to use computerized equipment.

READ MORE...Employer Expectations in the Construction

WHAT YOU NEED TO DO:

Start Your Application for Journeyman Certification

Contact the Government of Alberta � Alberta Apprenticeship and Industry Training and obtain information about the number of apprenticeship hours you are required to complete and what courses you need to take. If you have a foreign trades certificate or diploma you will be advised how obtain your journeyman certification and start practice your trade in the province of Alberta. Earning an Alberta trade certificates qualify you to practice anywhere else in Canada. 

READ MORE...Red Seal Program

Find More Career Options in Trades and Stay Connected

Use the following links to find more information about work in your trade, employment programs and financial help to study. These organizations help you connect with employers and people working in the industry:

. Construction Industry Employer Associations:
  . Alberta Home Builders' Association
  . Merit Contractors Associations

. Energy Industry Associations (Oil and Gas/Pipelines)
  . Canadian Energy Pipelines Associations (CEPA)
  . Petroleum Services Association of Canada

. Your Trade Union: Sheet Metal Workers Union Local 8 in Edmonton

. Understand Related Opportunities in Trades : Search Alberta Learning Information Service: ALIS Occupation Profiles and think of opportunities in related occupations and areas of practice.