Red Seal endorsement — national journeyperson credential; >80% of Canadian apprentices in Red Seal trades; 4-hour multi-choice exam, 70% pass, individual not firm

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.

Mechanics:

• Held by individual tradespeople, not firms
• Requires a Certificate of Qualification plus a 4-hour multiple-choice exam
• 70% pass mark
• Covers 54 designated trades
• >80% of Canadian registered apprentices are in Red Seal trades

Confidence: Verified (ESDC + Skilled Trades Ontario published data).

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 origin: launched 1991 by the Canadian Construction Association to create a national, portable construction-management credential which is also individual but ICI-focused.)