Alberta Water/Wastewater Class 1 certification journey - which AWWOA courses should I take?

Hi everyone,

I’m looking to transition into the water/wastewater field in Alberta and eventually work my way toward Class 1 Water/Wastewater Operator certification.

My current background:

-BAPT (Bachelor of Applied Petroleum Technology) from SAIT, graduated in 2021
-About 3 years of experience working as a Safety Watch Technician in the oil & gas industry
-I don’t currently have water/wastewater operating experience

I’ve been looking at the courses offered by AWWOA, but I’m a little confused about the correct order and what I actually need.

From what I understand, AWWOA has an Entry Level Training course (1.2 CEUs) and a Level I Certification Preparation course (5.0 CEUs).

My questions are:

-What is the recommended path from zero water/wastewater experience to Class 1 certification in Alberta?
-Should I take the AWWOA Entry Level Training (1.2 CEUs) first?
-After Entry Level Training, should I take the 5.0 CEU Level I Certification Preparation course?
-Are there any courses or certifications that you would recommend taking before applying for OIT jobs?
-I’m mainly trying to avoid taking courses that I don’t need or doing them in the wrong order.

If anyone has gone through the Alberta certification process recently, I’d really appreciate hearing what path you took and what you would recommend.
Thanks in advance.