Red Seal – How to Get Certification

Officially, what you receive is known as a Red Seal endorsement (RSE), however some individuals might refer to it unofficially as a Red Seal certificate. The distinction is that an endorsement is an extra degree of acknowledgement above your provincial or territorial certificate. The accreditation is nationwide, whereas trade certification is regional.

You must first obtain a Certificate of Qualification (or equivalent) from your province or territory before applying for a Red Seal certification. And, unless you have extensive expertise in your particular trade, this is typically only possible by undertaking a certified apprenticeship.

With a few exclusions, the basic procedure for someone new to the trades is as follows:

-You locate an organization ready to support your apprenticeship. (Before addressing possible sponsors, you might often stand out if you already have some education or expertise in the sector you've selected.) Your advertiser will agree to pay you for on-the-job training.

-You enroll as an apprentice with your provincial or territorial training authority.

-You go through two to five years of training based on your trade and past degree of expertise. Generally, most of the learning process occurs at your sponsor's job, and the remainder of it happens in a classroom setting at an approved institution.

-You must complete and pass tests at each level of training before receiving your provincial accreditation as a journeyman.

-You pass your trade's Interprovincial Standards Red Seal Examination, which is normally administered by your province's apprenticeship administration.

If you have extensive expertise in a certain profession, you may be allowed to take the Red Seal test as a "trade qualifier" or experienced journeyman.