The Red Seal Program is a Canadian program that sets common standards to assess the skills of tradespeople across Canada. Tradespersons who have successfully passed the Red Seal examination receive a Red Seal endorsement on their provincial/territorial trade certificate. The Red Seal, when affixed to a provincial or territorial trade certificate, indicates that a tradesperson has demonstrated the knowledge required for the national standard in that trade. The Red Seal endorsement promotes excellence to employers, instills pride in skilled workers, and facilitates labor mobility.

The Red Seal Program was created following the first National Conference on Apprenticeship in Trades and Industries, which was held in Ottawa in 1952. The program is a partnership between the Canadian federal government, the provinces, and the territories, and it is under the jurisdiction of the Canadian Council of Directors of Apprenticeship (CCDA) .

Trades that offer an interprovincial or Red Seal endorsement on a Certificate of Qualification permit the holder to work in other provinces/territories without needing to write any further examinations. There are 54 trades currently recognized in the Red Seal program, including cook, electrician, machinist, welder, heavy equipment operator, millwright, and roofer.

To get the Red Seal endorsement, a tradesperson needs to pass the Red Seal exam. The exam is a national standard that tests the knowledge and skills required for a particular trade. The Red Seal endorsement is a seal on a provincial or territorial trade certificate that shows that a tradesperson has the knowledge and skills necessary to practice their trade across Canada.

In summary, the Red Seal certification is a Canadian program that sets common standards to assess the skills of tradespeople across Canada. Tradespersons who have successfully passed the Red Seal examination receive a Red Seal endorsement on their provincial/territorial trade certificate, which indicates that they have demonstrated the knowledge required for the national standard in that trade. The Red Seal endorsement promotes excellence to employers, instills pride in skilled workers, and facilitates labor mobility.