“I took this program at Olds College and was active as secretary and shop foreman of the Ag Mech Club. After graduating I moved to Calgary to begin work as a shop technician. I successfully completed my journeyman certificate and spent two and half years as a shop technician before moving into field service work. I accepted the position of lead hand back at the shop and the following year advanced to shop foreman. I have since started my own business.”

Jonas Alm, Graduate

What can you expect from the program?

If you want to get your hands on the newest and largest industry equipment in service come to Olds College. This comprehensive program will give you a thorough understanding of engines, hydraulics, braking, electrical, starting, charging, fuel systems and more. Our classrooms are discipline specific (i.e. motor lab, machinery lab) with small student to instructor ratio and personal workbenches.

The class atmosphere is filled with dedication but at the same time you will find yourself relaxed and informal. We have fun! The Steak Fry & Car Bash, volunteering with STARS, and our very popular Shop Night are all Ag Mech club functions!

What will you learn?

With our experienced Journeyperson certified, industry-trained instructors you will receive an education placing you at the forefront of the technical curve. Our extensive tool room exposes students to a wide range of tooling solutions for better problem solving. Our large workshops comfortably house industry equipment for overhaul projects.

Upon successful completion of this program, students will be able to:

Employ current Occupational Health and Safety and Industry safety standards and procedures in the workplace
Communicate to achieve desired outcomes in industry
Make decisions regarding the adjustment and repair of agricultural and heavy equipment systems
Demonstrate proficiency in adjustment and repair of selected agricultural and heavy equipment systems to meet industry and government standards
Diagnose common faults on agricultural and heavy equipment
Maintain agricultural and heavy equipment
Use advanced technologies on agricultural and heavy equipment

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CAREER OPPORTUNITIES

Olds College has a solid reputation working with employers in the industry! This directly translates into jobs for our graduates. Opportunities include, but are not limited to:

Diagnostic and repair technician
Equipment maintenance and servicing
Construction companies
Heavy equipment repair facilities
Agricultural equipment dealerships
Parts, sales and distribution
Company service representative
Farm worker/equipment repair

Visit ALIS to find Occupational Profiles with current wages, industry trends and more!

ALIS Occupational Profiles

Credential: Certificate

Length of Program: One Year

Method of Delivery: On-Campus

Program Intakes: Fall Intake – September program start

Program Dates: Please visit our Dates & Schedules page to confirm start and end dates of your desired program and confirm campus closures.

Applications Open: October 1

Selection Process for Admission: First Qualified, First Accepted

Tuition, Mandatory Fees, Books, and Supplies: Please refer to the current Fee Schedule for details.

Tuition & Fees: $5,950 / Books & Supplies: $4,200

*These fees are provided as estimates only for the purposes of budgeting. Please note that this is an estimate for domestic students (international students should refer to the Fee Schedule) and all fees are subject to change.

What do I need to apply?

Admission Requirements:

Meet the English Language Proficiency Requirement (completed at minimum 3 years of formal education taught entirely in English or provide the results of a recognized English Language Proficiency exam)
Applicants for the certificate must have:
- 50% or better in English Language Arts 30-1 or 30-2
- 50% or better in Math 20-1 or Math 20-2

Academic Upgrading and High School Applicants: Applicants currently in high school or who are completing academic upgrading must submit proof of enrolment and any available interim/midterm marks. Final marks must be submitted within one month following the completion of the course(s) and no later than one month prior to the program start date.

Out of Province Applicants: Please refer to the Provincial Equivalency Chart for course equivalencies.

International Applicants: Olds College welcomes applications from international applicants and those who have completed their high school education outside of Canada. Please note, it is still necessary to meet all of the noted admission requirements, including English Language Proficiency. Further information can be found on our website under International Students.

Alberta’s Apprenticeship & Industry Training

When you graduate with the certificate, achieve a GPA of 2.3 or higher, and receive department consent - you can choose to write the apprenticeship exam for the first and second periods in either the Agricultural or Heavy Equipment programs. If you decide to stay for the second year and get your diploma either specializing in Agricultural or Heavy equipment, you then have the option of writing apprenticeship exams for full technical accreditation towards your specific trade. You will also be well-placed to attain Alberta Journeyman Status pending completion of job training hours specified by Alberta Industry Trade Board. Graduates are in demand by industry professionals.

Olds College also offers the Agricultural Equipment Technician Apprenticeship and Heavy Equipment Technician Apprenticeship program for prospective students who are currently employed and wish to pursue journeyman status.

I want to take the two-year program, why do I have to apply for the certificate first?

To start in the program, you first apply to the Certificate. While completing the Certificate, you can complete an Intent to Return form (no fee) to return for the Diploma program. The Certificate to Diploma pathway actually gives students MORE flexibility - as students may have the opportunity to work for an employer and return for apprenticeship technical training for periods three and four (rather than continuing on in the diploma), and after successfully completing one year they would also receive a credential.

What will my schedule look like?

Classes are scheduled Monday to Friday between 8 AM and 5 PM and are delivered in blocks (few classes over a shorter time). All students are automatically scheduled in their classes and the schedule is available one month before your program starts. Our program has a lot of hands-on time, with approximately 420 lecture hours and 275 laboratory/shop hours in the first year of the program. The lecture portion also includes time in our component classrooms - which include hands-on work benches.

Admitted Student Information

Program Dates: Find out when your term start and end dates are, so that you know when you are expected to be in attendance. For more information, please review the Program Dates & Fee Schedule.

Class Registration: You will be registered into your classes automatically. This will happen approximately 1 month prior to the start-date for your program. You will be notified once you have been timetabled into your courses. You will be able to see your class schedule in your My Olds College account. If you need to make any changes to your class registration, please contact the Office of the Registrar.

Technology Recommendation: It is strongly recommended that you come to Olds College with the following technology:

A device capable of running Microsoft Office, preferably a laptop

As part of your student accounts, all students have access to Office 365 for the duration of their time with Olds College. To access this you just need to follow these steps:

Go to portal.office.com
Enter your Olds College email address and password
Once logged in there is a button on the right that says "Install Office Apps"

This will give you access to the full Office suite on your computer, for both Windows and Mac based platforms.

Materials & Supplies:

The materials on our tool kit list are to be purchased before starting the program in September. There are several local businesses in Olds that supply the requirements. Please adhere to the maximum tool box size listed on the tool list. (Don't bring a tool box that is larger than this)

View the Tool List

You will be required to purchase "tool chips" at a cost of $50. These tool chips allow you to use specialized tools out of the tool room and also include the cost of shop towels and supplies that will be used in the lab classes. At the end of the year, $20 will be refunded if you return all of your tool chips.

Information on other required textbooks and any further supplies will be provided as you attend each class. All books and supplies will be available during the first few weeks of classes in the College Campus Store.

Other Important Information:

Safety Regulations: Wearing safety equipment and abiding by industry safety standards is mandatory within our program.
Student Clubs: Ag Mech Club
Apprenticeship ILM: Because of the accreditation that our program has with Alberta Apprenticeship for the Heavy Equipment Technician and Agricultural Equipment Technician programs, we use the Apprenticeship ILM’s (Individual Learning Modules) as our reference material for the Agricultural and Heavy Equipment Program. Students will also be required to purchase additional textbooks, which they will be told more about on their first day of classes. These modules and textbooks are available at the Olds College Campus Store at 1.800.661.6537 or 403.556.4630.

Agricultural and Heavy Equipment Certificate

What can you expect from the program?

What will you learn?

CAREER OPPORTUNITIES

Program at a glance

What do I need to apply?

Alberta’s Apprenticeship & Industry Training

Ready to apply? Visit our Admissions page for more info or go to Apply Alberta to submit an online application!

Admitted Students