Skilled trades · Ontario · Free
Your next move in the trades starts here.
Getting in, moving up or running a trades business: pick where you are and go straight to what helps. Plus the new $5,000 Red Seal Completion Bonus, in plain language.
By Nick Gonzalez, founder, U.S. Air Force veteranPublished Last reviewed How we research and correct this
New from the Government of Canada
$5,000 for finishing your Red Seal.
Under Team Canada Strong, certified tradespeople in eligible Red Seal trades will be able to apply for a $5,000 completion bonus starting November 16, 2026.
- $5,000
- per Red Seal certification, up to $50,000 in total
- Nov 16
- 2026: the application portal opens
- Apr 1
- 2025: certified on or after this date? You can apply
- May 31
- 2027: the deadline if you were certified before Nov 16, 2026
Who it is for
- You completed an apprenticeship and earned certification in a designated Red Seal trade on or after April 1, 2025
- You are a Canadian citizen, permanent resident or protected person
- You are not currently attending high school
- Permanent residents whose SIN starts with a 9, and protected persons, must also show proof of status
Deadlines
- Certified April 1, 2025 to November 15, 2026: apply by May 31, 2027
- Certified on or after November 16, 2026: apply within 12 months of your certification date
Get these ready first
- Social Insurance Number
- Mailing address, and an email address (recommended)
- Banking details for direct deposit
- Your Red Seal trade, certification date and province or territory
- Your apprentice identification number
Once you start, you have 28 calendar days to submit everything or you begin again. Some provinces ask for more.
Launch League does not run or handle this program and you do not apply through us. You apply to the Government of Canada (we offer free help with the application, below). Read on Canada.ca on November 1, 2026 (program page, October 23, 2026 news release). Rules and dates can change, so confirm there.
Free help from Launch League
Want a hand with the application?
Government forms are easy to get wrong and hard to fix. Nick will walk you through it, free, whether you are a tradesperson or a trades employer.
What free help covers
- Checking whether you qualify for the $5,000 Red Seal Completion Bonus, and whether your trade is Red Seal
- Getting your documents and details together before you start, so you finish inside the 28-day window
- Walking through the official Government of Canada application with you while you fill in your own
- For employers: working out which federal and provincial apprenticeship programs fit your business and what you need to apply, including the Build Canada Apprenticeship Service when it launches
How it works
- No charge and no catch. Using the help is optional
- You enter your SIN and banking details yourself, directly on the Government of Canada site. Launch League does not collect or store them
- You apply to the government, not to us. We cannot approve an application or guarantee a result
Tradespeople and trades companies
Know someone who just finished their apprenticeship? Send them this page. The bonus portal opens November 16, 2026.
Keep going
More for the trades
- $5,000 Red Seal Completion Bonus guideWho qualifies, the dates, what to have ready and how to apply.New
- Apprenticeship grants, loans and incentivesEvery federal program for apprentices, tradespeople and employers in one place, with what is open and what is coming.Funding
- Red Seal trades list: all 54 tradesWhat the Red Seal is, which trades have it and how to register for the exam.List
Pick your door
Where are you in the trades?
Each door goes to the pages on this site that fit you best.
I want to get into the trades
Student, parent, career changer, veteran. Your first step, how apprenticeship works and what the trades pay.Show meI'm in a trade and want to level up
Finish your ticket and claim the bonus, move into leadership, learn AI, or start your own thing.Show meI own a trades business
Hire and keep apprentices, win back the jobs you quote and lose, and run the business better.Show me
Door 1 · Getting in
I want to get into the trades
You do not need to know your trade yet. Start with what fits you, then pick the route that matches your age and your life.
- Take the free career quizA few minutes to find out whether hands-on work fits you and which kind.Start here
- The skilled trades hubHow apprenticeship works in Ontario, the routes for each age, and the first step for you.Guide
- I'm in high school: OYAP and SHSMEarn credits and real experience in a trade before you graduate.Students
- What the trades payOntario median pay and outlook from Job Bank, trade by trade.Pay
- How to become an electrician in OntarioOne trade, step by step, as an example of the whole path.Trade guide
- University, college or apprenticeship?What each costs, how long it takes and where it leads.Compare
- Women in the tradesWho is already there, what the numbers say and where to start.Guide
- Veterans and military familiesFree career coaching from a fellow veteran, plus a checked list of trades and training resources.Free
- Lost a job? Start over in the tradesA decision about which pathway fits, and a written plan.Career change
- A parent helping a teenager decideWhat apprenticeship means for your teen and how it compares.Parents
Beginning in early 2027, the federal Team Canada Strong Youth Placements program is planned to support people aged 15 to 30 with paid, entry-level work placements of up to four months that connect to apprenticeship pathways. Official program page.
Door 2 · Already in a trade
I'm in a trade and want to level up
You already have the hardest part: the skill. Here is where it can take you next.
Finish your ticket and claim what is yours
Certified in a Red Seal trade on or after April 1, 2025? The $5,000 bonus is above. If you worked in a trade but never completed an apprenticeship, the Government of Canada says you may be able to be assessed and write the certification exam as a trade qualifier. Rules differ by province. Find your province.Get paid more to be in class
The federal government says a $400 weekly top-up through the Apprenticeship Training Grant, paid on top of Employment Insurance during in-class technical training, is expected to launch in spring 2027. Not open yet. Details on Canada.ca.Move into leadership
Great at the work and now running people? Our leadership and supervisor development is built for that jump, and the business courses and community are for owners and leaders growing into the role.Learn AI so it works for you
Quotes, emails, scheduling, paperwork. Practical, one-to-one AI training with no technical background needed.Start your own trades business
Thinking of going out on your own? Start with the how to start a business in Ontario guide, then build the plan in the Business Plan Maker.
Door 3 · Owners
I own a trades business
Two problems keep coming up: finding good people and losing work you already earned. Both have a next step here.
Hire and keep apprentices
- Take students and apprenticesCo-op, OYAP and career days. Join the local employer list. No fee, no obligation.Employers
- Host a studentTell us the tasks, how many students and how often. Free, and we make the introduction.Hosts
- Speak at a career dayShow students and job seekers what your trade is really like. Formats are still in design, so tell us what you would use.Schools
Grow and run the business
- Revenue and AI systems for HVAC, plumbing and electricalRecover missed calls and lost leads, follow up every estimate and cut office admin.Systems
- AI Profit Sprint: one working workflow in 7 daysEstimate follow-up, missed-call recovery and daily reporting, built in your own tools.Fast start
- The Revenue Recovery LoopA five-stage check and a two-minute score for the jobs you quote and never win.Free score
- Business coaching for owners: Operator CouncilA private council for established owners, with a monthly 1:1 and a weekly owner boardroom.Coaching
- Websites, SEO and missed-call text-backGet found, answer every lead, collect more reviews.Get found
The Government of Canada says the Build Canada Apprenticeship Service is launching later this fall. It is planned to give employers financial incentives of up to $10,000 for hiring first-year apprentices in eligible Red Seal trades, help match apprentices to jobs and offer navigation support.
What is coming
Team Canada Strong, by date
The federal plan is $8 billion to recruit, train and hire 80,000 to 100,000 new Red Seal trades workers over five years. These are the dates announced so far.
November 16, 2026: Red Seal Completion Bonus portal opens
$5,000 per eligible Red Seal certification. Details above.Later this fall: Build Canada Apprenticeship Service
Employer incentives of up to $10,000 for hiring first-year apprentices in eligible Red Seal trades.Early 2027: Youth Placements
Paid, entry-level placements of up to four months for people aged 15 to 30.Spring 2027: Apprenticeship Training Grant top-up
Expected: $400 a week during in-class training, on top of Employment Insurance.
Source: Government of Canada, Discover careers in the skilled trades, read November 1, 2026. Planned dates can move. Launch League is independent of the Government of Canada.
Questions
Quick answers
- Who can get the $5,000 Red Seal Completion Bonus?
- The Government of Canada says you must be a Canadian citizen, permanent resident or protected person, not currently attending high school, and have completed an apprenticeship and earned certification in a designated Red Seal trade on or after April 1, 2025. It pays $5,000 per Red Seal certification, up to $50,000 in total.
- When can I apply?
- The application portal opens November 16, 2026. If you were certified between April 1, 2025 and November 15, 2026, apply by May 31, 2027. If you are certified on or after November 16, 2026, apply within 12 months of your certification date.
- Does it cover every trade?
- No. It covers designated Red Seal trades only. There are more than 300 designated trades in Canada and 54 of them are Red Seal trades. Check the Red Seal list for yours before you count on the bonus.
- What do I need to apply?
- The government lists your Social Insurance Number, mailing address, banking information for direct deposit, your Red Seal trade and certification date, your province or territory of certification and your apprentice identification number. An email address is optional but recommended. Some provinces may ask for more. All documents must be in within 28 calendar days of starting, or you start again.
- Is Launch League part of this program?
- No. This is a Government of Canada program and you apply to the government directly. We read the official pages and put the dates and rules in one place. Confirm everything on Canada.ca before you act.
- Can Launch League help me apply?
- Yes, for free. Nick can help you check eligibility, get your documents ready and walk through the official Government of Canada application with you. You enter your own SIN and banking details directly on the government site, and we do not collect or store them. We cannot approve an application or guarantee a result. Employers can get the same free help finding and applying to apprenticeship programs. Use the contact page to ask.
- I am not certified yet. Where do I start?
- Pick the first door below. In Ontario you need to be 16 or older, with permission to work in Canada, and find a sponsor such as an employer or union. Our trades hub walks through each step.
Not sure which door?