Paint It Red: A Quick Look at Canadian Heavy-Duty Certification & The Red Seal Program

A long time ago, in a webinar far, far away…

(Editor’s Note: Oh come on Suz, it was like last week.)

Okay. Last week, on the Trucknews.com “Recruiting, Training, and Retention” webinar (recap here), we heard a bit about the Red Seal Program, which instantly caught our interest. Was it a certification situation? Is Canada training its seals to be diesel technicians? Wouldn’t a seal look so cute in coveralls?

(Yes, it’s AI. Our graphic designer is out sick. Sorry, Sam!)

Anyway….

We’ve written a bit about how to become a diesel technician in the good ol’ US of A (maybe you remember our certification adventure?), but after listening to the webinar, we couldn’t help but wonder: Do things work differently on the Canadian side?

The answer is…sorta. We don’t have the server space for all the information that’s out there, but grab some poutine, set your hockey stick down, and settle in for a quick look at how the Canadian trades operate.

AN ABBREVIATED LOOK AT THE CANADIAN DIESEL JOURNEY

Here’s something that may shock and amaze our U.S. readers: Canada’s heavy-duty techs are regulated! Yes, friends, Canadian heavy-duty technicians, like a number of other trades, need to obtain apprentice and journeyman certification through their provincial or territorial government and not just courses or schools alone.

For example, per the Canadian Job Bank, heavy equipment technicians in Alberta are overseen by Alberta Advanced Education, Apprenticeship and Industry Training (AIT). The AIT website outlines the path to apprenticeship, including education requirements, courses at approved schools, and how long the apprenticeship lasts. The “Heavy Equipment Technician” branch, for instance, requires four years and a “minimum of 1500 hours of on-the-job training and 8 weeks of classroom instruction each year.”

Potential heavy-duty techs can start pretty young, at least in Alberta; the Registered Apprenticeship Program allows you to earn credit towards your certification and your diploma if you’re close enough to an approved work site to get on-the-job training. (You have to be at least 15 years old, and your parents have to be cool with it.)

Regardless of age, if you successfully complete your heavy equipment technician apprenticeship in Alberta, you’re awarded a journeyman certificate. Cool! Just bear in mind there are several heavy-duty branches (again, this is just Alberta) and if you’re in one of them, you may have more work to do post-apprenticeship before you can become a journeyman. The “Truck and Transport Mechanic” branch of the heavy equipment technician trade, for example, requires a completed apprenticeship (three years with the 1500 on-the-job training/eight weeks of classroom instruction a year) and…

• 6,750 hours of work experience and 64 months, minimum, of work (not or…and. You need both those things)
• Pass a theory exam
• Employer Declaration Letter (basically, a form from your employer-to-be detailing your job offer)

Again, everything we just talked about was just for Alberta. Canada has 10 provinces and three territories. Each one has its own trade regulating body, and there may be differences in apprentice/journeyman requirements. Here, let’s take a look at Manitoba, just because it’s a cool-sounding word (thought to be a Cree term meaning “the narrows of the Great Spirit”): Manitoba’s heavy-duty techs are regulated by the Apprenticeship Manitoba entity, and their apprenticeship program requires 1800 hours and four years.

(Costs for all this stuff, by the way, will vary.)

So…if you move from one province to another, is all your hard work lost? Nah. Apprentices moving from Alberta to another province, for example, can have at least some of their progress transferred (depending on where they’re going and what its regulations might be). In addition, journeymen with a recognized trade credential from another province can work in Alberta without needing to register with AIT or re-do all their education.

(Not every credential is recognized, by the way. It will come down to what province or territory you’re from or moving to. In the course of our research, though, we did find that plenty is transferable.)

Phew! If you’ve made it this far, pause for a maple syrup break.

You good? Okay. On to the endorsement of the hour: the Red Seal Program.

WHAT IS THE RED SEAL PROGRAM?

The Red Seal Program lays down a set of country-wide standards that those in the trades must meet. If you meet those standards, you get a very nice red seal on your trade certificate that basically serves as an endorsement of your skills.

Yes, it is a seal, as in something you stick on paper. Not a living seal to act as your sidekick and do your bidding (sorry).

In the Trucknews webinar, Jim Pinder of Erb Group said the Red Seal brings consistency to the industry. Indeed, having that red seal on your journeyman certificate means you meet overriding national standards instead of provincial. We don’t really have an equivalent to it in the U.S. yet…the closest thing you could compare it to might be the ASE.

So, how do you get the coveted red seal? Through an exam. The heavy-duty equipment technician exam has, at press time, 135 questions in multiple-choice format. Actual cost will depend on what province you’re in and what trade you want endorsed.

WHO CAN TAKE A RED SEAL EXAM?

Per the Official Canadian Red Seal “Get Ready” Guide (note: opens a PDF), those eligible to take the exam are:

• Apprentices who will take the Red Seal exam while completing their apprenticeship and getting their journeyman certifications;
• Journeymen who already have their certifications;
• Skilled tradesmen who never received certification in the province or completed an apprenticeship.

You must get 70% of the questions correct to pass, by the way.

HOW LONG HAS THE RED SEAL PROGRAM BEEN AROUND?

A long time ago, in a province far, far away…

(Editor’s Note: SUZ. You already used that in this article!)

Oh. Sorry. Anyway, back in 1952 in Ottawa, a little thing called the National Conference on Apprenticeship in Trades and Industries (think Tradeapalooza) was held. Those in attendance recognized the need for common standards across at least some of the trades. By 1959, the Canadian Council of Directors of Apprenticeship had formed; the Red Seal Program was introduced that same year.

DOES A DIESEL MECHANIC NEED A RED SEAL?

No. As long as you have your journeyman certificate (or you’re a registered apprentice), you don’t need a red seal to get and keep a job. It just doesn’t hurt. Think of it as an “above and beyond” step — something to make you more marketable. You may also get a higher salary, but that’ll be dependent on where you work.

Speaking of…if you switch provinces you don’t need to go through the legwork of ensuring your current certifications transfer — just wave that pretty red seal at people and open up for business.

The Red Seal is good for life, by the way; it doesn’t expire. It may also allow you more flexibility with your work — in Alberta, at least, if you have a Red Seal you can continue to work even if your actual trade certification has expired or is from another province. Other trades in the Red Seal Program include carpenter, cook, ironworker, and welder, so you’re in good company.

We hope you’ve enjoyed this little trip north of the border; we definitely did! If you’re interested in learning more about the Red Seal Program, head to its website to get started, eh?