Skilled Trades Ontario to Launch Certificates of Qualification, Wallet Cards for Skilled Trades Professionals

July 26, 2023

This summer, Skilled Trades Ontario will begin issuing over 17,500 certificates of qualification and more than 200,000 wallet cards to apprentices and certified skilled trades workers across the province.  

Over the coming months, skilled trades professionals in compulsory and non-compulsory trades who received their certification after January 1, 2022, will begin receiving their certificates of qualification in the mail.  

A certificate of qualification is an official document that proves that a person is qualified to work in a particular skilled trade in Ontario. To obtain a certificate of qualification, individuals are required to have passed their certification exam and have met all requirements to practice their trade in Ontario.  

“This is an exciting milestone for thousands of skilled trades professionals,” said Melissa Young, CEO and Registrar, Skilled Trades Ontario. “Not only do certificates of qualification and wallet cards serve to validate credentials, they are a testament to the hard work, resilience and unwavering dedication behind every certified skilled trades professional. I look forward to seeing them proudly displayed on worksites and in businesses across the province.”  

Beginning this fall, wallet cards will be issued to apprentices and certified compulsory and non-compulsory skilled trades professionals in the province. Wallet cards can be easily carried while working on the job, in the event they are requested by inspectors or clients. 

“The flow of skilled people into our business is critical given the link to innovation and efficiency that are so essential to our global competitiveness,” said Linda Hasenfratz, Executive Chairman and CEO, Linamar Corporation. “That is why we are heavily invested in developing a generation of young people in skilled trades. I am thrilled to see our skilled tradespeople getting the recognition they so richly deserve for the critical work they do and essential role they play in our business.”  

Since launching last year, Skilled Trades Ontario has provided online verification of the status and license details of compulsory apprentices and journeypersons on its online public register. This service will continue to be publicly available and updated.  

Certificates of qualification issued prior to January 1, 2022, will continue to be valid and recognized by Skilled Trades Ontario.

Quick Facts

• Over the coming months, Skilled Trades Ontario will begin issuing new certificates of qualification to over 17,500 newly certified skilled trades professionals.  
• This fall, the agency also plans to release wallet cards to more than 200,000 apprentices and skilled trades professionals. 
• Certificates of qualification and wallet cards prove that a person is qualified to work in a particular skilled trade in Ontario.  
• The public register also confirms that a compulsory skilled trades professional or apprentice can legally work in a compulsory trade. This service has been fully operational since Skilled Trades Ontario launched last year.  
• Certificates of qualification issued by the previous administration prior to January 1, 2022, will continue to be valid and recognized by Skilled Trades Ontario.