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Welder Schools & Training Programs in Alberta

Approved welder training in Alberta: public colleges, union training centres, private career colleges, and pre-apprenticeship programs — every listing verified.

14 verified listings · last refreshed 2026-11-14

What the labels mean

  • Public college: A publicly funded college that delivers approved in-school apprenticeship training.
  • Union training centre: Training run by a union or a joint apprenticeship committee, usually for members and registered apprentices in that trade.
  • Pre-apprenticeship program: A government-funded introduction to a trade. It is not credit-bearing apprenticeship training, and finishing one does not by itself make you a registered apprentice.
Public college

Portage College

Lac La Biche, Alberta

Public college approved to deliver welder classroom instruction (credit-bearing in-school training) per tradesecrets. Also runs a government-funded pre-apprenticeship welding track (academic upgrading + lab + 8-week work placement); grads may challenge the AIT period-one welding exam.

Approval: Approved training provider — Alberta Apprenticeship and Industry Training (Portage College named as welder classroom instruction provider on tradesecrets)

Verified 2026-10-20

Pre-apprenticeship program

Trade Winds to Success

Edmonton, Alberta

Free pre-trades training for Indigenous learners; women's electrician and residential carpentry cohorts in Edmonton, plus a pipe trades (plumber/welder/steamfitter) program in Calgary delivered with UA Local 496.

Program status: Pre-apprenticeship training provider (est. 2005) — partners with union training trusts including UA Local 496 (AIT-recognized), government agencies and Indigenous Skills and Employment Training agreement holders

A government-funded introduction to the trade — not an approval to deliver credit-bearing apprenticeship in-school training.

Verified 2026-10-17

Pre-apprenticeship program

Women Building Futures

Edmonton, Alberta

Free 12- or 17-week Journey to Trades multi-trade program (electrical, carpentry, plumbing, welding); includes the AIT Level B Trades Entrance Exam. Offered in Calgary, Edmonton and Red Deer.

Program status: Pre-apprenticeship training provider — tuition fully funded by partners including the Government of Alberta (legacy partner)

A government-funded introduction to the trade — not an approval to deliver credit-bearing apprenticeship in-school training.

Verified 2026-10-17

Union training centre

Alberta Pipe Trades College

Edmonton, Alberta

UA Local 488 training centre for plumber-gasfitter, steamfitter-pipefitter and welder apprenticeships; open to union and non-union apprentices. (program_url is the alis/Government of Alberta listing; the college's own site URL was not verifiable.)

Approval: Recognized training provider — Alberta Apprenticeship and Industry Training (Plumbers and Pipefitters UA Local 488; named on tradesecrets alternative training providers page for gasfitter, plumber and welder)

Verified 2026-10-17

New to the trade? How to become welder — the full guide.

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