Parts technicians are responsible for warehousing activities such as shipping and receiving, and planning and managing the flow of goods into, within and from organizations.

In Alberta, the Parts Technician trade has two branches:

• Parts Technician - Parts Technician
• Parts Technician - Materials Technician.

For simplicity, the two branches are referred to as parts technician and materials technician in this profile.

Parts technicians manage and dispense parts inventories, and may be responsible for stock handling, identifying and cataloguing parts and assemblies, ordering, receiving, inspecting, sorting, or pricing and selling parts. They may work with parts from the original manufacturer or other manufacturers of automotive, heavy duty, farm implement, industrial, recreational vehicle, plumbing, electrical or other types of equipment.

Duties and responsibilities vary depending on the size of the wholesale, retail or warehouse distribution business and the types of parts involved. Some businesses specialize in one line of equipment such as a particular line of automotive parts; others stock parts for several makes of machinery and hardware supplies.

In general, parts technicians:

• sell supplies and parts
• order parts and keep inventories
• receive supplies and store them according to a pre-arranged system
• organize and ship exchange parts and returns
• keep price lists and catalogues updated
• prepare statements
• submit bills
• keep records
• receive payments.

Materials technicians may be employed in many different settings and work with a wide variety of materials. Their duties and responsibilities can vary considerably from one job to another. However, in general, materials technicians:

• prepare, generate and pick orders
• pack and ship orders
• receive shipments and ensure they are complete and in good order
• process orders, customer product returns and the return of products to suppliers
• control and manage stocking and storage to prevent loss
• arrange the transport of materials by rail, air or road
• calculate transportation costs and prepare transportation documents
• import and export materials
• use electronic material identification tools to schedule items for delivery and co-ordinate the delivery of products to end users
• maintain material identification records
• co-ordinate activities with internal and external customers
• participate in business operations and planning
• operate computer systems
• operate material handling equipment (for example, dollies, hand trucks, pallet jacks, forklifts, cranes, conveyers)
• use storage systems to handle and store products (use equipment to move items and place them in appropriate storage areas or bins)
• supervise warehouse personnel
• purchase materials
• control inventory and forecast inventory needs
• plan and supervise safety programs
• design and plan warehouses.

Parts technicians and materials technicians may work indoors or outdoors. Indoor environments include offices, warehouses and storerooms where large inventories are kept, often on rows of shelves or in bins. Working hours vary depending on the industry.

The work can be physically demanding. Materials technicians often are on their feet all day and lift items that weigh up to or over 20 kilograms.

Parts technicians need the following characteristics:

• the ability to deal effectively and courteously with the public even in difficult situations
• basic math skills
• the ability to pay careful attention to details such as parts catalogues and electronic inventory systems.

They should enjoy variety and working with people.

Materials technicians need:

• physical strength and stamina
• manual dexterity
• the ability to work independently
• good math, communication and computer skills
• the ability to get along well with customers and fellow workers.

They should enjoy taking a methodical approach to their work, operating handling equipment and keeping detailed records.

To work in Alberta, a parts technician or materials technician must be ONE of the following:

• a registered apprentice
• a certified journeyperson
• someone who holds a recognized related trade certificate  
• work for an employer who is satisfied that the technician has the skills and knowledge expected of certified journeyperson
• self-employed.

To register with Alberta Apprenticeship and Industry Training, apprentices must:

• have an Alberta high school transcript with at least English Language Arts 10-2 and Math 10-3, or equivalent, or pass an entrance exam.
• find a suitable employer who is willing to hire and train an apprentice. Most employers prefer to hire high school graduates. 

Some employers require parts technicians to have experience working with the types of product sold (for example, automotive or farm implement parts) so they can answer customer questions about product use.

The term of apprenticeship for parts technicians is three years (three 12 month periods) that include a minimum of:

• 1,500 hours of on-the-job training in each year
• six weeks of technical training in the first and third years
• eight weeks of technical training in the second year.

The term of apprenticeship for materials technicians is three years (three 12 month periods) that include a minimum of:

• 1,500 hours of on-the-job training in each year
• six weeks of technical training in each year.

There are exceptions if the applicant has a recognized journeyperson certificate in a related trade.

High school students can earn credits toward apprenticeship training and a high school diploma at the same time through the Registered Apprenticeship Program (RAP).

Parts technician apprentices may take the interprovincial exam in the final period of their apprenticeship training to earn a Red Seal (certification recognized in most parts of Canada).

Technical training is arranged by Alberta Apprenticeship and Industry Training and is currently offered at:

• Grande Prairie Regional College 
• Lakeland College in Vermilion
• Lethbridge College
• the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (NAIT) in Edmonton  
• Red Deer College
• the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology (SAIT) in Calgary.

For more information, visit the Technical Training Centre on the Alberta Apprenticeship and Industry Training website.

Post-secondary institutions may offer pre-employment programs for prospective apprentices or continuing education programs for journeypersons on an as needed basis. For local information, visit the websites of post-secondary institutions near you.

Parts technicians are employed by wholesale and retail businesses, and warehouse distributors that deal with all types of parts.

Materials technicians are employed by organizations that produce, process or use products such as office supplies, tools and equipment, food goods, textile products, farm equipment or industrial supplies. Most work in urban centres where manufacturers, wholesalers and large retailers have their warehouses. Some are employed where large manufacturing facilities are concentrated in non-urban settings (for example, at wood products plants or petroleum production facilities).

With the appropriate training and related work experience, parts technicians and materials technicians may advance to supervisory positions or move into related fields such as purchasing, sales, inventory control or materials management. 

The employment outlook for parts technicians and materials technicians will be influenced by a wide variety of factors including:

• trends and events affecting overall employment (especially in the industries listed below)
• location in Alberta
• employment turnover (work opportunities generated by people leaving existing positions)
• occupational growth (work opportunities resulting from the creation of new positions that never existed before)
• size of the occupation.

Parts technicians are part of the larger National Occupational Classification 1472: Storekeepers and Parts Clerks. In Alberta, 84 per cent of people employed in this classification work in the following industries:

• Retail Trade
• Wholesale Trade
• Repair, Personal, Religious and Other Services
• Manufacturing
• Mining and Oil and Gas Extraction
• Public Administration.

Over 3,300 Albertans are employed in the Storekeepers and Parts Clerks occupational group which is expected to have an annual below average growth of 1.8 per cent from 2012 to 2016 in Alberta. It is forecasted that about 59 new positions will be created each year in addition to job openings created by employment turnover. (Note: Since parts technicians form only a part of the larger occupational group on which this forecast is based, only a portion of the new positions created will be for parts technicians.)

Materials technicians are part of the larger National Occupational Classification 1471: Shippers and Receivers. In Alberta, 80 per cent of people employed in the Shippers and Receivers occupational group work in the following industries:

• Wholesale Trade
• Retail Trade
• Manufacturing
• Transportation and Warehousing.

Over 20,500 Albertans are employed in the Shippers and Receivers occupational group which is expected to have an annual below average growth of 1.8 per cent from 2012 to 2016 in Alberta. It is forecasted that about 369 new positions will be created each year in addition to job openings created by employment turnover. (Note: Since materials technicians form only a part of the larger occupational group on which this forecast is based, only a portion of the new positions created will be for materials technicians.)

Employment turnover is expected to increase as members of the baby boom generation retire over the next few years.

Journeyperson wage rates vary but generally range from $13 to $35 an hour plus benefits, depending on industry sector and geographic location in the province. Apprentice parts technicians and materials technicians earn at least 65 per cent of the journeyperson wage rate in their place of employment in the first year, 75 per cent in the second and 85 per cent in the third.

According to the 2011 Alberta Wage and Salary Survey, Albertans in the:

• Storekeepers and Parts Clerk occupational group earned on average from $17.38 to $27.29 an hour. The mean wage for this group was $22.67 an hour. For more detailed information, see WAGEinfo
• Shippers and Receivers occupational group earned on average from $15.75 to $21.29 an hour. The mean wage was $18.51 an hour. For more detailed information, see WAGEinfo

Alberta Apprenticeship and Industry Training website: tradesecrets.alberta.ca

Motor Dealers' Association of Alberta website: www.mdaofalberta.com