New Overhead Door Technician Designation Now Available in Alberta

Overhead Door technicians play a vital role in the installation and maintenance of all types of overhead doors and the related mechanical and electrical components. Up until January 2015, this extremely important role was not one that had any certifications or standardized training and qualifications attached to it. This made it difficult for overhead door companies to ensure that the technicians they were hiring were going to be able to provide the extremely high level of skilled work that is required for this position. 

Strategic considerations behind the request stemmed from a desire to raise the profile for overhead door technicians in the hopes of boosting the interest in this role as a career path for new overhead door technicians. Another aspiration of the designation was to provide standardized skill sets to the current 700 to1,000 overhead door technicians currently working in the industry. In addition, the goals of formalizing the occupation will be to create a greater understanding of the work that is performed and to raise awareness levels of the importance of safe working procedures and practices—a holistic approach to making the industry safer and more productive for employers, employees, and customers alike.

In the spring of 2009, the overhead door industry submitted a request to the Minister of Advanced Education and Technology to have the overhead door technician position listed as a formal occupation.

Creative Door’s HSE Manager, Steve Nyenhuis, had the chance to join the Provisional Committee that was formed to oversee and make recommendations on the request. The committee was comprised of representatives from overhead door companies in Alberta that employ approximately 50 per cent of the Alberta overhead door technicians, which includes Creative Door.

In the fall of 2013, the committee approved the occupation regulation and designation and recommended it be sent to the Alberta Apprenticeship and Industry Training Board. The Board has since approved the proposal and, as a result, the Minister has approved the designation which became effective on January 1, 2015. Alberta is the first province in Canada to designate the overhead door technician position as a designated occupation.

There are two levels of industry-defined competencies that will apply to overhead door technicians and, though highly recommended by Alberta overhead door companies and the Canadian Door Institute, the competency levels are voluntary, not mandatory for employment. Interested in learning more about how you can participate in the program? Click here to read more about the Overhead Door Technician Training Fact Sheet.

There are costs associated with the different levels of the designation. Student loans, grants, scholarships, and other financial assistance may be available. For more information about the program please visit the Alberta Apprenticeship Industry Training website.