Legislation
Apprenticeship training in Nunavut comprises a combination of workplace training and educational class instruction. The Apprenticeship, Trade and Occupations Certification Act establishes the Nunavut government as the public authority responsible for apprenticeship. The Act establishes a Nunavut Apprenticeship, Trade and Occupations Certification Board. The Board's main function is to advise the Minister of Family Services on matters relating to training and the certification of people in designated trades and occupations. In advising the Minister, the Board draws upon the expertise of local Apprenticeship Advisory Committees appointed by the department's Supervisor of Apprenticeship, Trade and Occupations Certification.
The Regulations under the Act also provide the government with extensive authority to regulate apprenticeships. The Regulations address qualifications for apprenticeship, establish standards for examinations, and provide for inspection of training. The Regulations also provide the department's Supervisor of Apprenticeship, Trade and Occupations Certification with the authority to establish the contents of and standards for the in-school portion of apprenticeship training. The Supervisor must approve the location of trade instruction courses, the major pieces of equipment used in the instruction, the instructional materials, and the curriculum. The regulation also directly addresses instructor qualifications.
External and Internal Review
The Department of Family Services administers all aspects of apprenticeship training within the territory. Apprentices and tradespersons are registered in the program and monitored while gaining experience on the worksite. Apprentices attend technical training to fulfill the requirements for certification.
Quality of programming is monitored through mechanisms such as operational reviews, board reports, and graduate and employer satisfaction surveys. Nunavut Arctic College, Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (NAIT), Southern Alberta Institute of Technology (SAIT) and Aurora College in the Northwest Territories deliver most of the in-school educational class instruction in apprenticeship programs. The Nunavut Apprenticeship Review Board, made up of industry representatives and government conducts the accreditation reviews for all the trades training at Nunavut Arctic College.
An Interprovincial Standards "Red Seal" Program promotes and facilitates the standardization of provincial and territorial apprenticeship training, as well as the regular updating of national trades standards in order to reflect the ongoing technological changes taking place in all trades. The Canadian provinces and territories developed the Red Seal program in cooperation with the federal government (Employment and Social Development Canada) to standardize trade skill requirements and provide greater employment mobility throughout Canada. A Certificate of Trades Qualifications bearing the Red Seal provides training recognition in most jurisdictions throughout Canada. For employers in other jurisdictions, the Red Seal is an assurance of quality training and certification to nationally recognized standards.
Other Organizations Related to Quality Assurance in Colleges and Apprenticeship
Nunavut Arctic College is a member of the Colleges and Institutes Canada. Colleges and Institutes Canada does not perform quality assurance functions with respect to its members, but it does promote quality programming and the use of high academic standards by conducting research and facilitating broad discussion on quality assurance issues.
The Department of Education is a member of the Association of Accrediting Agencies of Canada (AAAC). AAAC is a national organization composed of professional associations involved in promoting good practices in accreditation of educational programs. Information on the activities of these professions with colleges and universities can be accessed through the AAAC Web site.