November 22, 2023 – Christopher Stubbs has been selected by the Canadian Council of Directors of Apprenticeship (CCDA) as the recipient of the 2023 Red Seal Award of Excellence. Congratulations!

This award is bestowed annually to one apprenticeship authority staff member who demonstrates inspiring leadership in the development and promotion of apprenticeship and skilled trades certification.

Stubbs is the director of Innovation and Inclusion at Saskatchewan Apprenticeship and Trade Certification Commission (SATCC) and, according to CCDA, has “demonstrated an outstanding commitment to the growth and development of skilled trades and apprenticeship programs throughout his career over the past two decades”.

A Red Seal-certified journey himself (cosmetology/hairstylist, 1997), Stubbs’ work has had an enormous impact on the Red Seal Program, continues CCDA, through his contributions as the lead for CCDA’s harmonization initiative since 2015.

“This initiative has greatly benefited apprentices across the country by enabling them to seamlessly advance in their training should they move provinces during their apprenticeship,” writes CCDA. “The work to align apprenticeship technical training among the provinces was daunting and would not have been possible without Chris’ patient guidance and expert facilitation with thousands of stakeholders across Canada.”

In his most recent role, Stubbs drafted SATCC’s Innovation and Inclusion strategy. He also oversaw SATCC’s pilot Tiny Homes project, which saw 32 homes built in 22 Indigenous communities and involved the participation of 35 apprentices and 98 students.

Most recently, he served as the co-chair for CCDA’s Supporting Black Apprentices Community of Practice, from 2022 to 2023.

Stubbs was also selected as CCDA’s representative at the 2022 and 2023 International Labour Organization’s conferences in Switzerland, where he contributed to discussions on labour standards in apprenticeship.

“The CCDA is grateful for the opportunity to recognize Chris, particularly as he will begin retirement in the coming months,” writes CCDA.

The Canadian Council of Directors of Apprenticeship is responsible for the Red Seal Program. All provinces and territories, plus the federal government, participate as members.