Learning Task 2: Red Seal Program
Describe the Red Seal Program
The Red Seal program is the Canadian standard of excellence for skilled trades, setting common standards to assess the skills of tradespersons across Canada. The program has been in existence for over 50 years and is administered by each of the designated provincial and territorial apprenticeship authorities under the guidance of the Canadian Council of Directors of Apprenticeship (CCDA). The formal name of this program is the Interprovincial Standards Red Seal Program.
The Red Seal is not a certificate. It is an endorsement that is affixed to a provincial or territorial trades certificate upon successful completion of all provincial requirements and the Red Seal exam. It is available in 57 different trades, and over 625,000 tradespeople in Canada have obtained the Red Seal Endorsement (RSE) to date. The top 10 Red Seal trades based on endorsements issued to date are:
- construction electrician
- automotive service technician
- carpenter
- industrial mechanic (millwright)
- plumber
- welder
- heavy-duty equipment technician
- cook
- steamfitter/pipefitter
- truck and transportation mechanic
A listing of all Red Seal trades can be viewed at:
Importance of the Red Seal
The Red Seal is important because it provides a standard of competency that is recognized across Canada and is respected in a number of other countries. It denotes that an individual has the knowledge and skill sets for accomplishing work in their trade.
Once you have received your Red Seal endorsement, you may use the RSE acronym on your résumé, business cards, and promotional information.
Red Seal exam
The Red Seal exam is administered to determine whether apprentices and experienced tradespeople meet the Canadian Red Seal standards. The examinations are developed for each of the Red Seal trades with the assistance of industry trade experts from across the country and are based on the National Occupational Analysis (NOA). (More information on the NOA is provided below.)
To qualify to write a Red Seal exam, an individual must have fulfilled all requirements set out by their provincial/territorial apprenticeship authority. The criteria for eligibility to write the exam differ from one trade to another and depend on the type of applicant (e.g., apprentice, trade qualifier/challenger, journeyperson).
The Red Seal Endorsement Official Mark on a provincial/territorial trades certificate signifies that you have completed the Canadian recognized standard of competency in your trade. In some cases (e.g., in British Columbia), the Red Seal exam is taken in lieu of a provincial exam in the final level of the apprenticeship training. In other provinces or territories the exam may be taken in addition to other provincial requirements.
To receive your Red Seal endorsement, you must achieve a mark of 70% or higher on the Red Seal exam. If you are unsuccessful in passing the exam, you must wait a set period of time before your next at