The Mechanic Red Seal Journey

Mechanic Red Seal Certification

The coveted Mechanic Red Seal is the culmination of a four year apprenticeship and on-the-job experience. I never forgot about the people I worked with who took the time to explain how systems worked and the best tools to use.

The stepping stones to achieving your Mechanic Red Seal will vary depending on fate and possibly luck in some cases. Above all don't stop trying and show your true colors to perspective employers. Stay in contact and don't allow them to forget your face.

Attitude is everything. Every year our shop accepts a commercial transport pre-apprentice for a one month practicum. Every one of these guys are energetic, respectful and humble. The college instructor hand picks these 20 something future mechanics and it's very easy to work with them sharing over 100 years of combined experience in our shop.

There is a difference when working in a fleet shop compared to a customer shop. However there's no rushing around making quick decisions for the sake of saving time and money for a customer. A fleet shop has spare units to hand out and when it comes to our school bus fleet we can not cut corners for the sake of time. Transporting children means special attention on safety.

There are so many mechanical fields available. When I apprenticed the commercial transport and heavy duty trades was combined. We covered trucks and earth moving equipment so the curriculum was very broad. Now those two areas are separate trades and specialized. Just having a journeyman ticket doesn't mean you qualify for everything available. There's mining, construction, trucking, automotive, logging and so on. Pick one and go for it with the most enthusiasm you can muster.