Red Seal Program, specifically known as The Interprovincial Standards Red Seal Program is a program that sets common standards for

tradespeople A tradesman, tradeswoman, or tradesperson is a skilled worker that specializes in a particular trade (occupation or field of work). Tradesmen usually have work experience, on-the-job training, and often formal vocational education in contrast t ...

in Canada. It is a partnership between the Canadian federal government, the provinces and the territories. The Red Seal program is under the jurisdiction of the Canadian Council of Directors of Apprenticeship (CCDA) It was created in 1959 as a result of the first National Conference on Apprenticeship in Trades and Industries, held in

Ottawa Ottawa (, ; Canadian French: ) is the capital city of Canada. It is located at the confluence of the Ottawa River and the Rideau River in the southern portion of the province of Ontario. Ottawa borders Gatineau, Quebec, and forms the c ...

in 1952. Not all provinces/territories participate in all the Red Seal trades. There are 56 trades currently recognized in the Red Seal program. They include

cook Cook or The Cook may refer to: Food preparation * Cooking, the preparation of food * Cook (domestic worker), a household staff member who prepares food * Cook (professional), an individual who prepares food for consumption in the food industry * ...

electrician An electrician is a tradesperson specializing in electrical wiring of buildings, transmission lines, stationary machines, and related equipment. Electricians may be employed in the installation of new electrical components or the maintenance ...

machinist A machinist is a tradesperson or trained professional who not only operates machine tools, but also has the knowledge of tooling and materials required to create set ups on machine tools such as milling machines, grinders, lathes, and drilling ...

welder In a broad sense, a welder is anyone, amateur or professional, who uses welding equipment, perhaps especially one who uses such equipment fairly often. In a narrower sense, a welder is a tradesperson who specializes in fusing materials togethe ...

, heavy equipment operator,

millwright A millwright is a craftsperson or skilled tradesperson who installs, dismantles, maintains, repairs, reassembles, and moves machinery in factories, power plants, and construction sites. The term ''millwright'' (also known as ''industrial mecha ...

, and

roofer A roofer, roof mechanic, or roofing contractor is a tradesperson who specializes in roof construction. Roofers replace, repair, and install the roofs of buildings, using a variety of materials, including shingles, bitumen, and metal. Roofin ...

Operations

When tradespersons complete their

apprenticeship Apprenticeship is a system for training a new generation of practitioners of a trade or profession with on-the-job training and often some accompanying study (classroom work and reading). Apprenticeships can also enable practitioners to gain a ...

s and pass the Red Seal examination they receive a Red Seal Endorsement ("RSE") on their provincial/territorial trade certificate, usually called a "Certificate of Qualification". Chapter 7 of the ''Canada Free Trade Agreement'' (formerly the ''Agreement on Internal Trade)'' generally requires provincial and territorial governments to recognize individuals who hold certain trade certificates issued by a

Canadian province Within the geographical areas of Canada, the ten provinces and three territories are sub-national administrative divisions under the jurisdiction of the Canadian Constitution. In the 1867 Canadian Confederation, three provinces of British Nor ...

or territory as having met the requirements to practice their occupation elsewhere in Canada. Provinces and territories are responsible for administering apprenticeship training and trade certification in their respective jurisdictions, including the administration of the Red Seal Program. Each province and territory administers and regulates apprenticeship and certification under their own legislation: * Prince Edward Island's program is regulated by the ''Apprenticeship and Trades Qualification Act'' * Nova Scotia's program is regulated by the ''Apprenticeship and Trades Qualification Act'' * Newfoundland's program is regulated by the ''Apprenticeship and Certification Act'' *

New Brunswick New Brunswick (french: Nouveau-Brunswick, , locally ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is one of the three Maritime provinces and one of the four Atlantic provinces. It is the only province with both English and ...

's program is regulated by the Apprenticeship and Occupational Certification Act * Quebec's program is regulated by the Manpower Vocational Training and Qualification Act * Ontario 's program is regulated by the ''Ontario College of Trades and Apprenticeship Act.'' * Manitoba's program is regulated by the ''Apprenticeship and Certification Act.'' * Saskatchewan's program is regulated by the ''Apprenticeship and Trade Certification Act'' * Alberta's program is regulated by the ''Apprenticeship and Industry Training Act'' *

British Columbia British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include rocky coastlines, sandy beaches, for ...

's program is regulated by the ''Industry Training Authority Act'' * Nunavut's program is regulated by the ''Trade and Occupations Certification Act'' * The Yukon Territories' program is regulated by the ''Apprenticeship Training Act'' *

The Northwest Territories The Northwest Territories (abbreviated ''NT'' or ''NWT''; french: Territoires du Nord-Ouest, formerly ''North-Western Territory'' and ''North-West Territories'' and namely shortened as ''Northwest Territory'') is a federal territory of Canada. ...

' program is regulated by the ''Apprenticeship, Trade, and Occupation Certification Act'' Most provinces and territories use the Red Seal examination as the final certification exam in designated Red Seal trades. Many employers only hire persons with this qualification to avoid varying standards among the provinces.

References

External links

Red Seal Program official site
{{Skilled Trades in Canada , state=expanded Professional titles and certifications Vocational education in Canada Standards of Canada