Why These Tradespeople Want Red Seal Certification

by Ashton College Post Secondary Education

Johnny, Alex and Corinna work in the skilled trades. Johnny’s boss, Gord, is a Red Seal certified carpenter, who wants Johnny to take the Red Seal exam. Johnny finished his apprenticeship a few months ago, earned his provincial Certificate of Qualification and became a journeyperson carpenter.

After earning his journeyperson certification, Gord then earned his Red Seal Certification. It gave him better opportunities in his career, allowed him to start a successful business and helped him hire (and train) skilled employees like Johnny. He wants to see Johnny have the same level of success that he had.

Alex is a construction electrician who immigrated to Canada less than a year ago, and while he currently works at a construction site, he wants to earn his Red Seal Certificate to progress his career to the level he had in his home country and beyond.

Corinna is an automotive service technician who has been at the journeyperson level for a few years and is thinking about starting her shop. Alex and Corinna don’t know much about the Red Seal Program in terms of what it is and how it works, but they want to learn more and work towards it. Johnny took his friends out after work one night to explain what he’d learned from Gord.

“Did you know that the Red Seal Program has been around since the 50s, and it ensures that people in the 56 different Red Seal trades have the same skill levels regardless of what province or territory they are in,” Johnny said. “So we can move to any province or territory and know that our skills and training will be recognized there once we’ve completed the Red Seal exam preparation, taken the exam and earned our Red Seal Certification.”

“Really?” Corinna asked.

“Yes, each province does testing based on the national Red Seal standards. Corinna, as journeypersons, you and I have our provincial Certificate of Qualification, so we can join a Red Seal exam preparation course, take the exam, and when we pass, our Red Seal Endorsement goes on that provincial trade certificate.”

Corinna gave this some thought. When she starts her shop, having her Red Seal Certification would give her credentials to share with her customers and allow her to hire better staff.

“What about me? How do I get certified?” Alex said.

“Alex, because you have so much experience as a construction electrician already, you can apply to challenge the Red Seal Certification exam directly. If your application is approved and you pass the exam, you’ll become certified. You just need to enrol in a good red seal exam prep course.”

“Are the requirements the same for every trade?” Corinna asked.

“Each trade is different in terms of the requirements to challenge the exams and the necessary information to apply. You can check with the appropriate provincial bodies for more details.”

“I’m excited,” Alex said.

“Getting a red seal certification is the best thing we can do for our careers. Take this restaurant we’re in. Remember what you saw on the door when we came in? It said Red Seal Chef and the chef’s name. How did that make you feel about eating here?”

“Like this must be a great place to eat, and it is,” Alex said.

“Exactly,” said Johnny.

“I didn’t know I could challenge the exam without going through the entire apprenticeship program to become a journeyperson. I can see how getting a Red Seal Certification would be a great thing for me,” Alex said. “I’d be able to work at the level I had been back at home, and I’d be able to advance beyond that as well. Maybe, I could start my business and hire Red Seal Certified electricians too.”

“Now you’re talking!” said Johnny. “Plus, you get to put RSE, which means Red Seal Endorsement, on your business cards, website and any other marketing material, so clients and others will know that you have the certification.”

“So, this is a great way to prove we know our field,” Corinna said. “It shows people that I’ve taken my automotive service technician courses and have hands-on experience. Not to mention, it lets them know that I’ve been doing my job for quite a while at an advanced stage.”

“That’s right,” Johnny said.

“Who gets the certification?” Alex asked. “Not everyone is Red Seal Certified, right?”

“Only people who are in one of the 56 Red Seal trades can get certified. Meaning, either those who have completed their apprenticeship, like myself and Corinna or those who have the necessary work experience, like you Alex, are eligible to take the Red Seal exam,” Johnny explained.

“I heard that skilled trades are based on Canada’s National Occupational Analysis. I needed to research that when I immigrated,” said Alex. “And the basis of the Red Seal program is that same occupational analysis, so what the government has catalogued as the skills and knowledge about our trades is the same for the Red Seal program. That makes sense if we’re looking at Red Seal certification as a national standard.”

“Yes, I’ve heard that, too,” said Corrine. “I heard that all the features included in the National Occupational Analysis are included in the Red Seal occupational standards, along with other things.”

“You’re right, the occupational standards align with the leading practices in our industries and help us understand what the expectations are for journeypersons,” Johnny said. “And when we’re getting close to our exam times, there are plenty of tools to help us with Red Seal exam preparation on the Red Seal site at http://www.red-seal.ca/resources/g.2tr.2.1dy-eng.html.”

The opportunities for Red Seal certified trades are diverse and nationwide. Take a look at how to get further ahead in your trade at www.red-seal.ca.