2015 Red Seal Award of Excellence Award Bestowed on Mark Douglas

The former Executive Director of Apprenticeship and Industry Training, Alberta received the award during the Canadian Council of Directors of Apprenticeship (CCDA)’s fall meeting in Ottawa.

Photo: L-R: CCDA Chair Doug Ritter and award recipient Mark Douglas

The award was established by CCDA to recognize the contribution and the leadership of staff working in the field of apprenticeship and trade certification. It is awarded biannually to an individual providing outstanding achievement in the development and promotion of apprenticeship training in Canada.

Douglas’ career includes work as a Red Seal journeyperson electrician, post-secondary instructor, and 25 years with Alberta Apprenticeship and Industry Training. Douglas is considered a prime example of a professional engaging in a successful career through trade certification, says CCDA Chair Jeff Ritter. Douglas

• mentored staff through his commitment to lifelong learning and encouraged ongoing education and professional development
• was instrumental in the creation of Alberta’s Blue Seal Program, which supports tradespeople in developing business skills to facilitate their transition into leadership, supervisory and entrepreneurial roles
• has been a strong advocate of the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology’s Trades to Degrees program, allowing trades professionals to utilize their trades credential to move into the third year of the Bachelor of Business Administration degree program

On the interprovincial file, Mark provided strong leadership and unwavering support for both the CCDA’s Foreign Qualification Recognition (FQR) and Harmonization initiatives. He championed efforts to substantively align apprenticeship training across Canada in response to long-standing requests from Canadian industry.