Overview
Learn to be an integral part of the movement of materials in a wide variety of industries including agriculture, forestry, health, manufacturing, mining, oil and gas, transportation and retail industries.
If you like taking a methodical approach to your work, operating and handling equipment and keeping detailed records, you'll enjoy working as a Materials Technician. They are employed by organizations that produce, process and retail a wide variety of products.
In general, you will:
- prepare, generate, pick and ships orders
- receive shipments and ensure they are complete and in good order
- process customer and supplier returns
- apply inventory management practices and maintain accurate inventory records
- schedule and arrange transportation of materials using rail, air or road
- calculate transportation costs and prepare transportation documents
- maintain material identification records inventory
- interact with internal and external customers
- operate computer systems
- operate material handling equipment (dollies, hand trucks, pallet jacks, forklifts, cranes, conveyors)
- handle and store products in appropriate storage areas
- supervise warehouse personnel
- participate in business operations and planning
- participate in safety programs
- design and plan warehouses
- practice Total Quality Management (TQM)
Materials technicians may be employed in many different settings and work with a wide variety of materials. Job requirements and responsibilities can vary considerably from one job to another.
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?
To be successful in the trade, materials technicians must have:
- physical strength and stamina
- manual dexterity
- the ability to use proper lifting techniques to lift items up to 18 kilograms
- the ability to work independently
- good math, communication and computer skills
- the ability to get along well with customers and fellow workers
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.
Career opportunities
Start your career by finding an employer who is willing to indenture you as an apprentice Most materials technicians are located in urban centres where manufacturers, wholesalers and large retailers have their warehouses. Others may be located where large manufacturing facilities are concentrated in non-urban settings (wood products plants, petroleum production facilities, etc.). For the foreseeable future in Alberta, the employment outlook for materials technicians is expected to be average compared to all other occupations.
Journeyperson wage rates vary, but generally range from $15 to $35 an hour, depending upon the level of experience, the region of the province and the sector of the industry.
With the appropriate training and work experience, individuals can advance into supervisory positions, or into related fields such as purchasing, inventory control or materials management.
Some journeypersons go on to run their own contracting firms — we can help you build your business with our Blue Seal business certificate
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 material technician is 3 years (three 12-month periods) including a minimum of 1500 hours of on-the-job training and 6 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 | $720 | $231 | $54 | $1,005 |
| 2 | $720 | $231 | $54 | $1,005 |
| 3 | $720 | $231 | $54 | $1,005 |
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.