How to Become a Welder Apprentice in Saskatchewan
Becoming a welder apprentice in Saskatchewan: SATCC entrance rules, the 5,400-hour three-level program, the pre-employment route, and the Red Seal exam.
How to Become a Carpenter Apprentice in Saskatchewan
Becoming a carpenter apprentice in Saskatchewan: SATCC entrance rules, the 7,200-hour four-year program, technical training weeks, and the Red Seal exam.
Applies in: Saskatchewan
Becoming a carpenter apprentice in Saskatchewan runs through the Saskatchewan Apprenticeship and Trade Certification Commission (SATCC), which oversees and administers the apprenticeship and trade certification system in the province. Carpenter is a Red Seal trade with a four-year, 7,200-hour program. Certification is voluntary in Saskatchewan, and the Commission is the regulator for the carpenter, carpentry framer, and carpentry scaffolder titles. The entrance table lists Carpenter and sub-trades together, so confirm which sub-trade, if any, your registration covers before signing.
Step 1: Check the entrance requirements first
The Commission entrance requirements table lists Carpenter, and sub-trades, at Grade 10 mathematics and Grade 10 science. The accepted mathematics credits are Workplace and Apprenticeship, Foundations, or Pre-calculus, and modified and general mathematics credits are not acceptable. A Grade 12 transcript with no modified classes, a Canadian Adult Education Credential, or GED 12 is described as the guarantee that the educational entrance requirements are met. People who do not meet the requirements take entrance requirement training as prescribed by the Commission. English is the language of instruction in all apprenticeship programs and is the common language for business in Saskatchewan. Get the transcript position settled before approaching employers, so a shortfall does not surface after a hiring conversation has started. The entrance requirements are stated in the Commission entrance requirements document, revised April 2026.
Step 2: Find an employer and register as an apprentice
Apprenticeship is work-based training: you learn the trade on the job with an employer and attend technical training in blocks. Find an employer doing carpentry work who will take you on as an apprentice, then register as an apprentice with the Commission. The Commission is the body that trains apprentices, certifies tradespeople and apprentices, and regulates the system, so the registration and the training progression run through it. All apprentices must maintain employment in the trade throughout the apprenticeship, as the Saskatchewan Indian Institute of Technologies states in its academic policy for Commission technical training. Keep a record of every hour you work from the start, because the program is counted in hours per year and in total hours. Confirm the current application filing route and any supporting documents with the Commission at registration, since no opened Saskatchewan page for this trade states the current form or filing steps.
Step 3: Work at least 1,800 hours each year
The Commission technical training table lists Carpenter as a four-year trade at 7,200 hours. The Institute Level 1 page states that to graduate from a level of training, an apprentice must successfully complete the required technical training and complete at least 1,800 hours of on-the-job experience per year, and that the total time required for Red Seal certification is 7,200 hours and at least four years in the trade. Plan on steady full-time work with the employer across the four years, with technical training blocks taken during the program. Carpenters construct, renovate, and repair buildings and structures, working for construction companies including carpentry contractors, among other employers, as described in the Commission trade pages. The pace depends on steady work and on training seats, so treat four years as the planned length rather than a promised finish date.
Step 4: Complete the levels of technical training
Technical training follows the Commission table pattern of eight weeks in two years and seven weeks in two years. The Institute states that its Carpentry Level 1 program is eight weeks, 40 days, and 240 hours, with instructor-led classes covering theory and in-shop work, a written test in each course, and a comprehensive final examination on the final day. Its Level 2 program is seven weeks, 35 days, and 210 hours. Students must maintain a minimum of 90 percent attendance throughout training to remain in the program, with all absences counting against attendance hours. A course passing mark is 60 percent and an overall passing mark is 70 percent at the Institute, and students who succeed acquire all course credits with the level hours and advance to the next level once the hours requirement has been filled. Those marks and attendance rules are the Institute delivery of Commission technical training policies, so confirm the same rules at the provider you attend. The Institute pages are the Carpenter Level 1 page and the Carpenter Level 2 page.
Step 5: Pass the interprovincial examination and hold the certificate
Finish the required technical training and the 7,200 hours over at least four years, then write the interprovincial examination. Passing it carries the Red Seal endorsement, which Job Bank states is available to qualified carpenters on successful completion of the interprovincial Red Seal examination, for carpenters under NOC 72310. Job Bank also states that completion of secondary school is usually required for the occupation. Once certified, the certificate and Red Seal endorsement support work across Canada, subject to the rules of the province where the work is done. Keep the training record and the certificate, and confirm with the Commission whether any separate credential applies to a sub-trade scope, such as framing or scaffolding, before taking work described in those terms.
Figures and details not verified
No opened Saskatchewan page states a contract registration fee, a tuition amount for any level of technical training, an apprentice wage rate or percentage, a pass mark for the interprovincial examination, or the week lengths for Levels 3 and 4 beyond the Commission table pattern used above. Those figures are cut from this guide rather than borrowed from the Alberta, Manitoba, or Ontario carpenter pages. Confirm each one with the Commission before signing a contract or paying a fee.
Related guides:
The Saskatchewan carpenter apprenticeship, step by step
- Check the entrance requirementsGrade 10 mathematics and Grade 10 science, with modified and general mathematics credits not accepted
- Find an employer and register with the SATCCRegistration as an apprentice with the Saskatchewan Apprenticeship and Trade Certification Commission, with an employer who provides the on-the-job training
- Work at least 1,800 hours each yearA four-year program totalling 7,200 hours, with technical training of eight weeks in two years and seven weeks in two years
- Complete the levels of technical trainingLevel 1 at eight weeks and 240 hours and Level 2 at seven weeks and 210 hours as delivered by the Saskatchewan Indian Institute of Technologies, with 90 percent attendance required
- Pass the interprovincial examinationThe Red Seal endorsement is available on successful completion of the interprovincial Red Seal examination, and carpenter certification is voluntary in Saskatchewan
Questions people ask
How long does a carpenter apprenticeship take in Saskatchewan?
Four years, totalling 7,200 hours. The Saskatchewan Apprenticeship and Trade Certification Commission technical training table lists Carpenter as a four-year trade at 7,200 hours, with in-school training of eight weeks in two years and seven weeks in two years. A Saskatchewan Indian Institute of Technologies Level 1 page states that the total time required for Red Seal certification is 7,200 hours and at least four years in the trade, with at least 1,800 hours of on-the-job experience per year. Job Bank, for carpenters under NOC 72310, states that completion of a three- to four-year apprenticeship program is usually required.
Is carpenter a compulsory trade in Saskatchewan?
No, for the carpenter title. Job Bank, for carpenters under NOC 72310, states that trade certification for carpenters is compulsory in Quebec and available, but voluntary, in all other provinces and the territories, which includes Saskatchewan. Job Bank separately states that trade certification for framers is available, but voluntary, in Saskatchewan, and lists carpenter, carpentry framer, and carpentry scaffolder as regulated job titles under the Saskatchewan Apprenticeship and Trade Certification Commission. Do not carry the Quebec compulsory rule, or any other trade's compulsory list, into Saskatchewan carpentry.
What education do I need to start?
Grade 10 mathematics and Grade 10 science. The Commission entrance requirements table lists Carpenter, and sub-trades, at Grade 10 for both subjects, accepting Workplace and Apprenticeship, Foundations, or Pre-calculus mathematics, and states that modified and general mathematics credits are not acceptable. A Grade 12 transcript with no modified classes, a Canadian Adult Education Credential, or GED 12 is described as the guarantee that the educational entrance requirements are met, and people who do not meet the requirements take entrance requirement training as prescribed by the Commission. English is the language of instruction.
Where is the technical training delivered, and how long is each level?
Technical training is delivered by training providers under the Commission, including the Saskatchewan Indian Institute of Technologies. The Institute states that its Carpentry Level 1 program is eight weeks, 40 days, and 240 hours, and its Level 2 program is seven weeks, 35 days, and 210 hours, matching the Commission table pattern of eight weeks in two years and seven weeks in two years. Students must maintain a minimum of 90 percent attendance throughout training to remain in the program. Confirm the provider and the current schedule for Levels 3 and 4 with the Commission, since the opened Institute pages cover Levels 1 and 2 only.
What marks do I need to pass each level?
At the Saskatchewan Indian Institute of Technologies, a course passing mark is 60 percent and an overall passing mark is 70 percent, and students must successfully complete each course to complete the program, acquiring all course credits with the level hours and advancing to the next level once the hours requirement has been filled. Those marks are the Institute delivery rules under the Commission technical training policies, so confirm whether the same marks apply at the provider you attend before relying on them. No pass mark for the interprovincial examination is stated on any opened Saskatchewan page for this trade.
What fees and wages apply during the apprenticeship?
No registration fee, tuition figure, or apprentice wage percentage is stated on any opened Saskatchewan page for this trade, so none is given here. The Commission technical training table and the Institute pages state hours, years, and training weeks only. Confirm the current contract registration fee, the tuition for each level, and the wage arrangement with your employer and the Commission before signing anything, and do not use another province's fee or wage figures for Saskatchewan.
Sources
- Saskatchewan Apprenticeship and Trade Certification Commission, High School to Apprenticeship Guide 2026-27 — the Commission role, the Carpenter technical training row of four years and 7,200 hours with eight weeks in two years and seven weeks in two years, and the Red Seal designation.
- Saskatchewan Apprenticeship and Trade Certification Commission, Entrance Requirements for Apprenticeship Training — Grade 10 mathematics and science for Carpenter and sub-trades, accepted mathematics credits, modified and general credits not accepted, the Grade 12 transcript guarantee, entrance requirement training, and English as the language of instruction.
- Saskatchewan Indian Institute of Technologies, Carpenter Level 1 — the eight-week, 240-hour program, the 90 percent attendance rule, the 60 percent course and 70 percent overall passing marks, the 1,800 hours per year rule, and the 7,200-hour and four-year total for Red Seal certification.
- Saskatchewan Indian Institute of Technologies, Carpenter Level 2 — the seven-week, 210-hour program and advancement to Level 3 once the hours requirement has been filled.
- Job Bank, Carpenter in Canada — Job requirements — NOC 72310 employment requirements, certification compulsory in Quebec and voluntary in all other provinces and the territories, framer certification voluntary in Saskatchewan, the Red Seal endorsement, and the Saskatchewan Apprenticeship and Trade Certification Commission as the regulatory body for carpenter, carpentry framer, and carpentry scaffolder.