Available Intakes
Overview
Learn to build and repair custom or production-type fixtures and furniture made of wood or wood substitutes with both manual and CNC machinery.
If you are creative, like working with your hands and working with a high degree of accuracy, you will enjoy working as a cabinetmaker.
As a cabinetmaker, you will build wood units, create detailed drawings, make layouts and patterns, set-up and operate woodworking equipment before cutting, shaping, moulding and assembling components. During assembly, you will use glue, clamps, dowels, nails and screws to secure pieces together. Once you have completed the assembly, you will apply veneer, finishing products or apply plastic laminates.
During your career, you will need to estimate materials, select woods or other materials and consult with customers on projects. With furniture, you may do refinishing or restoration work and installations of cabinetry and millwork. You will use a variety of tools, including manual or hand tools as well as Computer Numerical Controlled (CNC) equipment.
This is a non-compulsory trade – individuals can work in the trade without certification if the employer deems the individual to have the skills of a journeyperson. However, individuals who are working in the trade and learning the trade must become a registered apprentice.
Is this the right fit for me?
Students who have the following characteristics see greater success in the cabinetmaker trade:
- good customer service and communication skills
- an eye for detail and a desire to do precise work
- good eyesight for selecting woods and to look for surface imperfections
- good hand-eye coordination and manual dexterity
- the ability to visualize a finished product from drawings, blueprints and other specifications
- a commitment to safe work habits
Credentials
Upon successfully completing the required working hours and apprenticeship education periods, graduates will be awarded journeyperson status by Alberta's Apprenticeship and Industry Training.
Cabinetmaking is a Red Seal Endorsed trade – a recognizable standard that allows tradespeople to work across Canada.
Career opportunities
Start your career by finding an employer who is willing to indenture you as an apprentice or gain experience with our Pre-Employment Cabinetmaking program. As a cabinetmaker, you will work indoors, often in a shop environment or installations in residential or commercial properties and can be exposed to noise, airborne sawdust and chemicals from painting and stripping.
You will work with power tools in a shop with automotive bays, often found in industrial settings, with exposure to noise from power tools and exhaust gases. Your career will be dynamic and you will be constantly adapting to industry changes and automotive design trends.
After becoming a journeyperson, you may advance to supervisory positions or take on new apprentices. Some journeypersons go on to run their own businesses – we can help you build your business with our Blue Seal business certificate.
Tuition and fees per year*
- Period 1: $1,263
- Period 2: $1,263
- Period 3: $1,263
- Period 4: $1,263
*Tuition, fees, books and supply costs are subject to change
Requirements
Entrance requirements for all apprenticeship programs are set by Apprenticeship and Industry Training.
When can you apply?
Registration for the 2022/23 academic year opens May 10, 2022.
| Period | Start date | End date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Aug. 29, 2022 | Oct. 21, 2022 |
| 2 | Oct. 24, 2022 | Dec. 16, 2022 |
| 3 | Jan. 3, 2023 | Feb. 24, 2023 |
| 4 | Feb. 27, 2023 | April 21, 2023 |
Meet the Makers
SAIT celebrates alumni winner and nominees in the first Made in Alberta Awards
Admission and completion
To enter an apprenticeship, you must have the educational qualifications required or recommended education for the trade to which you apply.
Entrance requirements are monitored and set by Alberta Apprenticeship and Industry Training.
Minimum requirements
Successful completion of the following courses:
- English 10-2
- Math 10-3
OR
A pass mark in all five Canadian General Educational Development (GED) tests
OR
Alberta Apprenticeship and Industry Training Entrance Exam
Recommended path
Apprentices with an Alberta High School Diploma that includes the following courses:
- English 30-2
- Math 30-3
- Physics 20 OR Chemistry 20 OR Science 20
- Related career and technology studies (CTS) courses
How to register
Registration for apprenticeship education is run through Alberta Apprenticeship and Industry Training. Learn how you can register for your next intake.
Apprenticeship and Industry Training Client Services
1.800.248.4823
tradesecrets.alberta.ca
Suite 200 Willow Park Centre
10325 Bonaventure DR. SE
Calgary, AB
After you register
Email is the primary source of communication after you have registered for your intake. Please ensure your personal email account is managed appropriately to receive our emails, files and communications. We recommend you add the sait.ca domain to your safe senders' list or you risk missing critical email messages.
Training
The term of apprenticeship for a cabinetmaker is 4 years (four 12-month periods), including a minimum of 1360 hours of on-the-job training and 8 weeks of apprenticeship education each year.
apprenticeship education performance
To be successful in apprenticeship education, an apprentice must pass each section of the course and pass the AIT exam. The passing grade for each section in the course is a 65%. A passing mark on each provincial exam Exam and the Interprovincial Qualification (or Red Seal Exam) is 70%.
Costs 2022/23
Tuition and fees*
| Period | Tuition fees | SAIT fees | Saitsa fees | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $960 | $231 | $72 | $1,263 |
| 2 | $960 | $231 | $72 | $1,263 |
| 3 | $960 | $231 | $72 | $1,263 |
| 4 | $960 | $231 | $72 | $1,263 |
SAIT fees
Campus recreation fee: $49
Lab and material fee: $82
Student support fee: $50
Student technology fee: $50
Books and supplies*
- Books or modules along with other items for class average out to $600 per period.
- It is recommended that you do not purchase books or modules ahead of time as they might be outdated by the time you attend classes and they cannot be returned to the bookstore.
- Personal Protective Equipment will be required for the program, which may be an additional cost to apprentices.
*Tuition, fees, books and supply costs are subject to change.
