“It's been even more popular than we expected”
For years, Cade Collier knew he wanted to be an electrician. He grew up with the trade; his dad and brother are in the field. He tried other construction jobs to be sure, but they didn't offer the same spark.
“Electrical has been my favourite. It’s just something I love.”
It’s also something in which Collier, now 21 years old, hopes to excel quickly. His current employer, an industrial contractor, recognizes his strengths and wants him to move into a leadership position as soon as possible, an opportunity that requires journeyperson certification.
Until recently, Collier hadn’t started the in-class portion of his apprenticeship, having instead accrued “thousands and thousands” of hours of learning on the job. But thanks to a recent pilot project at NAIT, he may be able to start as foreman by mid-2026.
For the first time, the polytechnic taught four trades during the summer, a season when campus shops and classrooms are relatively quiet. Collier (pictured below) enrolled in the first period of Electrician, setting himself up for the remaining three periods almost back-to-back, and putting himself on the fast track to achieving his goal. He’s already enrolled in the second period.
“Leadership is the path I’ve taken and I want to keep heading that way,” he says.
Collier’s success – along with that of well over 100 other summer students – has also helped set a path for NAIT apprenticeship education. Demand for the pilot proved so strong that summers on campus will likely only get busier.
Proving the possibilities
“It's been even more popular than we expected,” says Josh Boyd, director of NAIT’s Office of Apprenticeship.
While NAIT would have liked to offer more seats, a goal of the project was simply to prove that the polytechnic could meet the demand arising from the province’s strong economic growth and the ongoing retirements of baby boomers.
Mobilizing in the summer to do that required an unprecedented – but successful – offseason meshing of gears that included instructors, facilities, the registrar’s office and more.
“We validated a lot of things,” says Boyd. “I feel this sets a standard.”
"It's been even more popular than we expected.”
The summer offerings, from June through August, established a model that can be adapted as needed. Already, Boyd foresees the possibilities. While there was a waitlist of 177 students for the 140 seats offered across the four programs, some trades showed stronger demand.
The best performers were Electrician and the first period for pipe trades, which both quickly filled to 100%, notes Boyd. Millwright, second and third periods, followed at just shy of capacity. Future summer offerings for both are “a strong likelihood.”
And other trades may join them. “I think this opens the door to try things with other programs,” says Boyd. At minimum, he believes availability could increase for popular offerings – with an eye kept on the direction of the Alberta economy.
“Everything we do is guided by student demand and industry needs,” says Boyd. “That's how we make decisions and try new things.”
The first step to bigger and better
Those decisions can mean a lot to apprentices like Collier, who is eager to see his career develop.
Going to school to learn theory ultimately means gaining a wider variety of skills. Collier loves the problem-solving involved in being an electrician, and being “on the tools.” And he knows they’re the foundation for the skills he’s about to begin developing as a leader.
“You learn how to deal with people better; you get to learn how to run a job better,” says Collier. “It’s the first step to bigger and better.”
That’s good for his prospects in the field, but he knows it will have an even more profound impact. It isn’t just for himself that Collier is taking advantage of the chance to move more quickly toward certification.
“The biggest reason I want my journeyman ticket and to keep growing is that I have a two-year-old daughter at home,” he says. “The biggest thing is providing for my family – they’re who I’m working for.”