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Trades

ASET’s tradesperson to CTech pathway program celebrates a decade in Alberta

Jan 17, 2025 | 12:57 PM

The Association of Science and Engineering Technology Professionals of Alberta (ASET) are providing a new opportunity for tradespersons in Alberta.

ASET, which has 300 members from Red Deer, for example, is offering the tradesperson to CTech pathway program which helps a journey person earn the ASET designation of certified technician.

ASET says the designation can open the door for multiple new career directions. This year marks the 10th anniversary of the program. In January 2015, ASET launched the program and became the first province to do so.

A CTech is described as someone who performs routine technical procedures with occasional direct supervision and who may assume limited responsibility for any decision-making process.

This includes tasks such testing, troubleshooting, inspection, calibration, design drafting, quality control, maintenance, modeling, data compilation, estimating, sales, surveying, field supervision, technical sales, and teaching.

“ASET introduced the tradesperson to CTech pathway program to reduce barriers to certification and employment opportunities for applicants who may have experience in an applied science, information or engineering technology discipline within their designated trade,” said Melanie Leaf, ASET registrar and director of practice, in a media release.

“Having a CTech designation also means having an ASET membership, which has its privileges and benefits as well.”

Jarin Wildeman, a Red Seal-certified and Blue Seal-certified journeyperson millwright, decided to apply for the CTech designation to achieve more professional credibility in his career.

The application process took him a year and a half to complete after starting it in 2016.

“Earning my CTech designation and becoming an ASET member helped me in terms of the number of employers, recruiters and headhunters who reached out to me afterwards, requesting my professional expertise and offering me opportunities to join their companies,” said Wildeman.

“Above all, my ASET designation has earned me the respect of other industry professionals who, in many past experiences, would not offer me the same respect when I held only the Red Seal-certified journeyperson credential.”

For more information visit the ASET website.