Changing Careers in Canada: How Online Training Can Help

Changing careers in Canada rarely means starting from zero. Most people close one specific skills gap, often while they keep working, and online training is one way to do it. This guide covers how common a change of occupation is, what Job Bank says about seven entry-level roles in Alberta, how long training takes when you count it in hours, and what newcomers should check first.

The short version

• How common: Statistics Canada followed workers who were 24 to 35 in 2005. By 2015, 49.3% of the women and 48.5% of the men were working in a different occupation.
• Training is normal: 32.5% of Alberta workers aged 25 to 64 took job-related training in the 12 months to November 2022 (Canada: 30.9%).
• Check the role first: Job Bank outlooks for the seven roles below run from Good to Limited, and the usual education runs from a high school diploma to a university degree.
• Time: a 420-hour certificate takes about 7 months at 12 to 15 hours a week, or about 4 months at full-time pace.
• Money: funding rules depend on the program and the school. Confirm each one with the funder before you count on it.

How common it is to change occupations in Canada

Changing occupations is ordinary. Statistics Canada followed workers who were 24 to 35 years old in 2005 and looked at their occupation again in 2015. Close to half had moved: 49.3% of the women and 48.5% of the men. The study does not say how it defined a change, so read the figures as a sense of scale, not a forecast for any one person.

Learning at work is just as common. In Alberta, 32.5% of workers aged 25 to 64 took job-related training in the 12 months to November 2022, against 30.9% across Canada. Both sets of numbers describe workers in general, not Ucademy students, and the figures sit in the block below.

What online study changes for a career changer

The main change is the schedule. Online programs let you study in the evenings or on weekends and keep your income while you retrain. You can study from Calgary, Fort McMurray or a small town without a commute or a move.

Online study does not make the work lighter. Self-paced courses need a fixed weekly routine, because nobody else sets your deadlines. Work out your weekly hours before you enrol, and treat them like a shift.

It does not promise a job either. Training builds skills; employers decide whom they hire. That is why the next step is to look hard at the role you want, and only then at the course.

Check the target role before you choose a program

Each occupation has its own entry route. Job Bank, the Government of Canada’s job and labour-market site, lists the education employers usually ask for, a wage range and a three-year outlook for each Alberta region. Start there, then compare it with current postings in your city. The table covers seven roles that career changers often look at.

Job Bank bases each outlook on expected openings compared with the number of people looking for work in that occupation. A Limited rating means more competition for each opening. Two of the seven roles carry it, general office support and logistics coordinators, so a longer search is realistic there.

The table also shows why the highest wage is not always the easiest target. Cybersecurity specialists have the top median, but Job Bank lists a university degree as the usual route in. A short certificate can be a first step toward that kind of role, not the whole route.

A five-step plan for the first three months

Program length is easier to compare in hours. Ucademy’s published programs run from 420 hours (the IT Professional and Security Analyst certificates) to 960 hours (the Software & Web Developer Diploma). A diploma of that size takes roughly 15 months at 12 to 15 hours a week, which is a long commitment next to a full-time job. See the full list of programs for the hours of each.

Newcomers to Canada: what to check first

For newcomers, online study can fit around settlement tasks and a first job. Two practical requirements come up first: enough English to follow lessons and write short work documents, and a reliable internet connection.

Beyond that, check three things before you choose a program:

• Is your occupation regulated in Alberta? If it is, you usually have to register with the regulator before you can work in it.
• Do your credentials from abroad need an assessment, and how long does that take?
• Which roles accept the experience you already have? Many employers value Canadian references, so a short placement or volunteer role can help.

Our guide for newcomers starting a career in Alberta goes through these steps in more detail.

Paying for training: three facts to know

Funding rules change and differ by program and school. Check each one with the funder before you count on it.

• Canada-Alberta Productivity Grant (CAPG): pays 75%, up to $5,000, for short instructor-led training finished within 52 weeks. A full diploma usually does not qualify, and the employer applies, not the trainee.
• Canada Student Grant: most students at private for-profit schools are no longer eligible.
• Canada Training Credit: available to people aged 26 to 65, with $250 added to your limit each year and $5,000 as the lifetime maximum.

Our funding guide for Alberta covers the other options and what each one asks for.

Where to start

Pick two roles from the table, check their entry rules, and then compare programs by hours. The step-by-step plan in How to Change Careers in Alberta covers the same decisions with more detail. When you have a shortlist, you can request information and ask an advisor about hours, pace and what a program covers.

Ucademy is an online career college based in Alberta.

Sources

• Statistics Canada, occupational change between 2005 and 2015 (released Jan 27, 2021)
• Statistics Canada, Labour Force Survey Supplement, job-related non-formal training (12 months to Nov 2022)
• Job Bank, wages and outlooks for Alberta (pages per occupation, NOC 22221, 21220, 13110, 13112, 14100, 13201, 21232)
• Alberta.ca, Canada-Alberta Productivity Grant
• Canada.ca, Canada Student Grant for full-time students
• Canada Revenue Agency, line 45350, Canada training credit