By Ihor Cap 

Introduction

There are over 30,000 job titles in Canada but only a little more than 300 of these job titles are designated apprenticeship trades or regulated occupations in Canada.  Out of these 300 or so provincial and territorial apprenticeship trades, only 50 of them are “Red Seal’ trades that are recognized on a national basis.  If you are looking for a career in the trades but do not know where to find that information in Canada, look no further. This web page provides apprentices, employers, high school teachers, immigrants, on-the-job trainers, school guidance counselors, students, trade instructors, and workers with the most important web site links that (1) assist you with career guidance planning decisions, (2) inform you about available training options, and (3) identify entrance and certification requirements for each of the trades designated for apprenticeship in Canada.

You will find everything you need for each trade, for each province and territory of Canada in one place. You will have access to provincial and territorial documents, job descriptions, occupational profiles, tools and equipment lists, technical training plans or curriculum outlines (on-the-job and in-school training curricula where available), labor market information,  Canadian apprenticeship office web site landing pages, an apprenticeship video playlist, and comparative charts for available programs of study across Canada. You will also obtain access to national “Red Seal” documents, exam counseling sheets (exam weighting percentage breakdowns per trade), and sample questions (that is, sample red seal exam questions with answer keys for each red seal trade). This information relates to the National Occupational Analysis that is used to prepare the “Red Seal” National certification exam, what areas or scope of the trade is emphasized on the exams and actual percentage breakdowns for each block or duty area covered in the exam.

Web-Information and Resource Sites

1. www.careersintrades.ca Information for youth, educators, parents, employers and media on careers in skilled trades and regulated vocations (apprenticeships).
2. www.apprenticetrades.ca Information for students, young adults, apprentices, teachers/guidance counsellors, journeypersons, employers, parents and others about apprenticeship systems in Canada. 
3. www.skillscanada.com Information about skilled trades, technology careers and Canadian and International skills competitions
4. www.red-seal.ca Information about the nationally recognized "Red Seal" program, apprenticeship, national trade certification exam standards, counselling sheets, and sample exam questions, Interprovincial Program Guides, Ellis Chart and more. Note of Caution: Provincial and Territorial trade designated apprenticeship names may vary from Nationally Recognized and Red Seal designated Apprenticeship Trade names.   

How do you obtain a copy of the Red Seal documents? Go to the red-seal.ca web site and select and click Document Search from the Home Page Menu, Select the Trade Name you are interested in, Leave the Document Title field as is (Begins with),  Choose a Document Type from the Sub Menu of available documents (that is, CCDA Annual Report, Red Seal Matters, National Occupational Analysis (New), National Occupational Analysis (Old), Ellis Chart, Local Trade Names, Essential Skills Profile, Exam Counselling Sheet, Interprovincial Program Guide, Job Futures or Sector Council) and Select a Language preference (English or French from the submenu).

How do you prepare for a Red Seal National Exam? Click the following link to obtain this information: Preparation Guide for studying the Interprovincial Red Seal exam. There is lots of useful information contained in this guide about Interprovincial Red Seal Exams as well as learning strategies to guide you through the exam process (before, during and after the exam tips).

5. www.ellischart.ca Information about more than 300 designated trades in Canada, training, certification, entrance requirements, prior learning assessment and accreditation processes. Compares requirements across 13 Canadian apprenticeship jurisdictions. A Glossary and related sites are also included.

How do I obtain that cross comparison information from the Ellis Chart?
Click http://www.ellischart.ca/h.4m.2@-eng.jsp to arrive at the Ellis Chart menu. Select a Trade Name from the list of available Red Seal National trades, Skip to Options Field and leave all other fields as is, Select Main Chart from the Options Submenu and click Search.  Do not select the Education/Entrance Requirements as that information is also available in the Main Chart information. The Main Chart provides information by province and territory about General Information, Education/Entrance Requirements, available Curriculum Resources, and Assessment/Examination Resources.

6. www.workingincanada.ca The Working in Canada web site is a free Government of Canada resource which helps to prepare you to find employment in Canada. It provides numerous tools to help you with Job Titles and Descriptions, Finding a Job, Applying for a Job, Preparing for an Interview, Defining Regulated Occupations, and Starting Your Own Business. For newcomers it has information on how to get your skills recognized, and how to get Canadian work experience. Some of the Resource information links include, but are not limited to, The National Occupational Classification, Career Handbook, Essential Skills, and Labour Market Projections. As well, there are additional useful information links for job seekers, youth and students, older workers, Aboriginal people, and Immigrants (Newcomers) to Canada. 
7. www.hrsdc.gc.ca  Information about Government of Canada programs for skills development.
8. www.councils.org  Information about various industry sectors and skilled trades opportunities. 
9. www.caf-fca.org/english/index.asp The Canadian Apprenticeship Forum-Forum canadien sur l’apprentissage (CAF-FCA) is a Government of Canada funded Program that provides leadership to the apprenticeship communities in three areas:  (1) research, (2) discussion and collaboration, and (3) promotion and outreach. The site provides links to reports and resources, events, webcasts, press releases and other important government links.
10. http://www5.hrsdc.gc.ca/NOC/English/NOC/2006/aboutnoc.aspx The National Occupational Classification (NOC) Guide provides information and profiles for over 30,000 job titles or 520 occupational group descriptions. The guide serves many purposes such as resume building, job-seeking information, and career guidance and counseling services information notwithstanding.
11.  http://www.caj-jca.ca/index.php/caj-jca The Canadian Apprenticeship Journal is a publication of the Canadian Apprenticeship Forum-Forum canadien sur l’apprentissage (CAF-FCA) and is funded by the Government of Canada’s Sector Council Program. The Journal publishes articles about apprenticeship, training and certification in Canada to foster debate, dialogue and discussion within the apprenticeship communities.
12. http://bc.tradesinfo.ca/ - TradesInfo.ca – Is a web site dedicated to various employment services in the trades and hospitality industries with a focus on women, newcomers, youth, aboriginal people, and older workers. The services include, but are not limited to, providing complete Red Seal skill information,  a career web profile that includes a professional resume, various tools  to measure your trade skills, essential skills, and develop your trade resume and cover letter template, career action plan,  and related information resources. One truly great feature is the “Start Here’ tab that will take you to a list of trade profiles to view. Select any trade to get a complete overview of the scope of the trade selected, industry trends and observations, safety information, and related job titles. You will also see a convenient abstract of on-the-job practical skills required in a trade,  tools and equipment used in the trade, essential skills, terminology and glossary used, YouTube career related videos, job postings across Canada and wages where available, and more.
13. http://trades.exambank.com/index.html -  The Trades.ExamBank.com - offers online practice tests for apprentice-learners and tradespeople in various occupations designated for apprenticeship in Canada. The randomly generated practice exams were developed by qualified instructors in order to meet tradeschool, apprenticeship or Interprovincial exam requirements. Over 15 trade exams currently cover specific topics (units of instruction) or entire training periods (levels). You will receive a score as soon as you finish writing the exam. You can set up an account and begin practicing immediately by selecting a trade in the left hand column from a list of available practice exams. All of the exams are based on Alberta’s Apprenticeship and Industry Training Individual Learning Modules (ILMs) yet are common enough for use with learners in any province. A small fee is involved.

Author Information:

Ihor Cap, Ph.D.

Ihor Cap is Program Development Coordinator for Manitoba Entrepreneurship, Training and Trade, Apprenticeship Branch.  Ihor holds an Ed. S. (Education Specialist) degree and Ph.D. in Comprehensive Vocational Education from The Florida State University.  He is also a web author at http://articlesandblogs.ezreklama.com. Contact the author if you find any broken links or new URL address links to the sites listed herein. Write to ihorcap(at)hotmail.com.

 Last Updated: September, 2011