{"id":1150,"slug":"red-seal-endorsement-individual-journeyperson-credential","title":"Red Seal endorsement — national journeyperson credential; >80% of Canadian apprentices in Red Seal trades; 4-hour multi-choice exam, 70% pass, individual not firm","kind":"reference","scope":"business","status":"current","audiences":["kevin","candid-team"],"topics":["gc-vertical","signalling-theory"],"reference_body":"**Claim:** The **Red Seal endorsement** is the national journeyperson certification under the Interprovincial Standards Red Seal Program, administered through ESDC with the provinces. In Ontario, **Skilled Trades Ontario** has managed apprenticeship registration since **April 2, 2025**.\n\nMechanics:\n\n- Held by **individual tradespeople**, not firms\n- Requires a Certificate of Qualification plus a 4-hour multiple-choice exam\n- **70% pass mark**\n- Covers **54 designated trades**\n- **>80% of Canadian registered apprentices are in Red Seal trades**\n\n**Confidence:** Verified (ESDC + Skilled Trades Ontario published data).\n\n**For Candid:** Red Seal is an *individual* credential — held by carpenters, electricians, plumbers, etc., not by GC firms. For a GC owner's site, surfacing the Red Seal holders on the team (in team bios) is a credible competence signal; for the firm-level reputation stack, Red Seal does not apply directly. (Contrast with [[gold-seal-cca-1991-origin-and-purpose]] which is also individual but ICI-focused.)","rationale_body":null,"metadata":null,"links":{"outgoing":[{"slug":"research-brief-trust-networks-in-group-reputation-may-2026","title":"Research brief: trust, referral networks, and in-group reputation in Ontario's trades economy (May 2026 — Foundation Brief #3)","kind":"reference","scope":"business","link_type":"relates-to"}],"incoming":[]},"created_at":"2026-05-25T13:34:11.187Z","updated_at":"2026-05-25T13:34:11.187Z"}