From the Ontario College of Trades:

The first ever Interprovincial Red Seal exam for the trade of Cement (concrete) Finisher will be available in Ontario as of April 1, 2018. Once released, individuals will be able to achieve a Red Seal Endorsement (RSE) on their Certificate of Qualification (C of Q).

This will be the first time that the RSE is available in the province of Ontario for this trade.

The RSE is a professional designation that recognizes the knowledge, skills and experience of the journeyperson. The RSE signifies the standard of excellence of the Red Seal Program.

Once the Red Seal exam is implemented for the Cement (concrete) Finisher trade, the provincial C of Q will no longer be available. At that time, all individuals interested in obtaining a C of Q will be required to write and pass the Interprovincial Red Seal exam.

Effectively immediately, and prior to the release of the Red Seal Cement (concrete) Finisher exam in Ontario, the following opportunity is available:

Holders of a Certificate of Apprenticeship (C of A) issued by the Ministry of Advanced Education and Skills Development (MAESD) (or the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities (MTCU)) can apply to become a member of the College’s Journeypersons Class and be issued a provincial C of Q without passing a C of Q exam.

Individuals who are approved through the College’s Trade Equivalency Assessment can apply to become a member of the College’s Journeypersons Class and be issued a provincial C of Q without passing a C of Q exam. To be eligible for the Trade Equivalency Assessment, 5000 applicable trade hours are required.

Furthermore, once the exam is implemented, existing holders of the a Certificate of Apprenticeship and/or members of the College’s Journeyperson’s class (holders of a provincial Certificate or Qualification) wishing to obtain a Red Seal endorsement, may apply at any time to write the examination.

Note: The introduction of the RSE does not impact the voluntary status of the Cement (concrete) Finisher trade; holding and maintaining a valid C of Q remains voluntary for this trade.

Should you have questions, please do not hesitate to contact the College’s Client Services Department toll-free at 1-855-299-0028 between Monday to Friday 8:30 a.m. – 5 p.m.

CLICK HERE to go to this announcement on the Ontario College of Trades website.