Electrician Certification Updates (2026)

Apprentices Certified on or after May 1, 2026

If you successfully complete your Electrician Apprenticeship Education Program on or after May 1, 2026, you will receive:

• two journeyperson certificates:
  • Construction Electrician
  • Industrial Electrician
• the option to write one or both Red Seal exams to obtain a Red Seal endorsement for one or both branches; and
• one Advanced Diploma.

Electrician Journeypersons Certified in Alberta before May 1, 2026

All Alberta electrician journeyperson certificates issued prior to May 1, 2026, were issued under the Construction Electrician branch.

If you were previously certified in Alberta and wish to have two separate Industrial Electrician and Construction Electrician journeyperson certificates, you can apply for a Certificate/Document Replacement application.

• Visit MyTradesecrets, click Apply Now, and follow the directions to request the replacement.

Once the Certificate/Document Replacement application is complete, you will receive:

• a Construction Electrician journeyperson certificate (with a Red Seal endorsement, if you already had it) and
• an Industrial Electrician journeyperson certificate without a Red Seal endorsement.

To obtain a Red Seal endorsement for the Industrial Electrician trade (or Construction Electrician, if you weren’t previously certified with a Red Seal), you must submit a Red Seal application for the trade in which you want the endorsement. Once your Red Seal application is approved, you will be eligible to write the Red Seal examination for that trade.

Trades Qualifier Candidates Previously certified in Alberta before May 1, 2026

If you were certified through the Trades Qualifier program before this date, you received an electrician journeyperson certificate with or without a Red Seal issued under the Construction Electrician branch. If you wish to have separate Industrial Electrician and Construction Electrician journeyperson certificate, you can apply for a Certificate/Document Replacement application through MyTradesecrets.

• Visit MyTradesecrets, click Apply Now, and follow the directions to request the replacement.

Once the Certificate/Document Replacement application is complete, you will receive:

• a Construction Electrician journeyperson certificate (with a Red Seal endorsement, if previously held); and
• an Industrial Electrician journeyperson certificate without a Red Seal endorsement.

To obtain a Red Seal endorsement for the Industrial Electrician trade (or Construction Electrician, if you weren’t previously certified with a Red Seal), you must submit a Red Seal application for the trade in which you want the endorsement. Once your Red Seal application is approved, you will be eligible to write the Red Seal examination for that trade.

Ongoing Trades Qualifier Candidates with an Application Received before May 1, 2026

If you’ve already applied for the Electrician trades qualifier program, you have 18 months from your application approval date to complete all requirements for your specific program (either qualifying through work experience or recognized credentials).

Once you complete all program requirements, you will receive a Construction Electrician journeyperson certificate with Red Seal endorsement.

If you wish to obtain an Industrial Electrician journeyperson certificate with Red Seal endorsement, you can apply for the Industrial Electrician trades qualifier recognized credential program. Once you application is approved, you will be eligible to write the Red Seal examination to obtain an Industrial Electrician journeyperson certificate with Red Seal endorsement.

Trades Qualifier candidates applying in Alberta after May 1, 2026

If you apply for the trades qualifier work experience program after May 1, 2026, you will choose which branch you wish to become certified in. Once you successfully complete the program requirements, you have the option to apply for the trades qualifier recognized credential program to write the exam and obtain the journeyperson certificate for the other electrician branch.

Will the electrician trade name be different on the Tradesecrets website or MyTradesecrets online account?

The trade profile for electrician will remain under the same name. The name of the trade on an application will vary, depending on the program:

Apprenticeship Applications:

For apprenticeship, the trade name will continue to be listed as electrician on the application form.

Trades Qualifier Applicants – Applied Before May 1, 2026:

If you apply to the trades qualifier program under the Electrician trade before May 1, 2026, the trade name remains as electrician on the application form.

Trades Qualifier Applications – Applying on or After May 1, 2026:

If you apply to the trades qualifier program after May 1, 2026, you must choose the specific branch when applying:

• Construction Electrician, or
• Industrial Electrician

Do I need to select one electrician branch when applying?

Apprenticeship education program applicants will not need to select a branch. Once you complete your apprenticeship, you will receive both a Construction Electrician and Industrial Electrician journeyperson certificate and an education credential.

After May 1, 2026, trades qualifier applicants will need to select an electrician branch when applying. Upon completion of all program requirements, you will receive the journeyperson certificate with Red Seal endorsement for the branch you applied for.

Is the curriculum different with this new designation?

No. The electrician curriculum in Alberta went through updates in the 2023-24 and 2024-25 academic years to align with both Construction Electrician and Industrial Electrician content.

Do apprentices need to write more exams with a second branch designated?

Apprentices will still be required to write only a single period exam per period. If you wish to obtain Red Seal certification in both branches, you will need to write both Red Seal exams.

Is a fee required for a certificate/document replacement application for previously certified Electrician journeypersons who want to obtain an Industrial Electrician certificate as well?

Yes, a fee is required to replace your existing Electrician journeyperson certificate. However, upon processing, you will receive a Construction Electrician journeyperson certificate (with Red Seal endorsement, if previously held), and an Industrial Electrician journeyperson certificate (without a Red Seal endorsement).

What if I lose my Construction Electrician and/or Industrial Electrician journeyperson certificate?

If you lose either journeyperson certificate, you must submit a certificate/document replacement application for each certificate you need replaced and pay the applicable fee for each one.