Fast facts
| Trade code | 423A |
|---|---|
| Sector | Service |
| Classification | Voluntary trade |
| Certifying exam | Not prescribed under O. Reg. 876/21, s. 3 |
| Apprentice to journeyperson ratio | Not subject to a ratio |
| Red Seal trade | Yes |
| Active apprentices in Ontario | 154 (reported in Ontario's apprenticeship dataset) |
| Approved sponsors | 115 |
| Certifying body | Skilled Trades Ontario |
Last verified August 20, 2026 against the sources listed below.
What does a baker do?
A Baker prepares and bakes pies, tarts, squares, bread, rolls, cookies, cakes and other items for commercial and retail establishments as well as restaurants.
Skilled Trades Ontario describes the work of this trade as follows:
- prepares straight or sponge dough, yeast-raised pastry, puff pastry and aerated products
- makes savoury products such as filled pies, patties, rolls, biscuits, crackers and flat breads
- finishes and decorates cakes, prepares fillings, mousses, sauces, compotes and glazes
- prepares confectionary, specialty goods and desserts for dietary restrictions
- makes ice creams, sorbets/sherbets, gelatos and other frozen desserts
- calculates raw product requirements to meet production demand and controls inventory
How long is the baker apprenticeship?
The in-school portion of this apprenticeship runs to 2 levels. Skilled Trades Ontario does not publish a total hour requirement for this trade on its trade page; confirm the current requirement in the trade's apprenticeship training standard before signing an agreement.
What do you study in school for the 423A?
The in-school portion covers, but is not limited to:
- workplace health and safety
- sanitation and baking equipment operation
- calculations, ratios, costing, inventory control, recipe comprehension, portion control
- nutrition, ingredients, substitutions and alternatives
- fermentation
- various production methods for: cookies, crackers, flatbreads, savoury biscuits, cakes, specialty cakes, pastries, petit fours, desserts, almond paste, gum paste, sugar work and chocolate
- specialty seasonal products and wedding cakes
- bakery management
Is baker a compulsory trade in Ontario?
No. Baker is a prescribed trade under section 1 of O. Reg. 876/21, but it is not on the compulsory list in section 2. That means you can legally work in this trade in Ontario without holding a Certificate of Qualification. Certification is voluntary and serves as formal proof of competency to employers and clients.
Voluntary classification only covers certification under the Building Opportunities in the Skilled Trades Act. Specific work within the trade can still require separate licences or permits under other Ontario statutes, so confirm the rules for the actual work being done. The 23 trades where certification is mandatory are on the compulsory trades list.
How do you become a baker in Ontario?
The apprenticeship pathway for this trade is administered by Skilled Trades Ontario under section 14 of the Building Opportunities in the Skilled Trades Act, 2021:
- Find a sponsor and register a training agreement. An employer or union sponsor takes you on and the training agreement is registered with the ministry.
- Complete the on the job and in school training. The skills are set out in the trade's Apprenticeship Training Standard, signed off by your sponsor as you demonstrate them, alongside levels of in school theory at a training delivery agent.
- Receive your Certificate of Apprenticeship. Skilled Trades Ontario issues it when the program is complete.
- No certifying exam follows. O. Reg. 876/21, s. 3 does not prescribe a certifying exam for this trade, so the Certificate of Apprenticeship is the completion credential.
The exact training standard, current curriculum and program details are on the Skilled Trades Ontario page for Baker. On the job hour requirements vary by trade and are not published on this page yet; confirm them in the training standard before signing an agreement.
Is the 423A a Red Seal trade?
Yes. Baker participates in the Interprovincial Red Seal Program, the national standard for the trade across Canada, stewarded by the Canadian Council of Directors of Apprenticeship. A Red Seal endorsement on an Ontario Certificate of Qualification means the qualification is recognized in other provinces and territories without re examination, which matters for workers moving between provinces and for employers hiring from outside Ontario.
The Red Seal exam for this trade has 150 multiple-choice questions, each with four possible answers and exactly one correct answer.
How the 150 questions are distributed
| Major Work Activity | Questions |
|---|---|
| A. Performs Common Occupational Skills | 23 |
| B. Prepares Fermented Goods | 41 |
| C. Prepares Cookies, Bars, Cakes, Pastry and Quick Breads | 33 |
| D. Prepares Assembly and Finishing | 26 |
| E. Prepares Chocolate and Confections | 15 |
| F. Prepares Desserts, Ice Creams and Ices | 12 |
By question type, this trade's exam runs 20 to 30% knowledge and recall, 55 to 65% procedural and application, and 15 to 25% critical thinking.
Certification is not the only paperwork
A Certificate of Qualification covers the person. Running a business in the trade carries its own obligations: many Ontario municipalities require a contractor licence on top of personal certification, and construction employers must complete WSIB registration before work begins. Both are indexed on our sister site: municipal contractor licensing requirements by city and WSIB Form 1000, registration of constructors and employers, on Ontario Trade Registry.
What does a baker earn in Ontario?
| Median wage | $17.60 per hour |
|---|---|
| Low | $17.60 |
| High | $22.00 |
| Occupation measured | Bakers (NOC 63202) |
| Reference period | 2023-2024 |
Published by Employment and Social Development Canada through Job Bank, for Ontario as a whole. Read it as the pay range for the occupational group this trade belongs to, not a guaranteed rate: one NOC code can cover more than one trade, and wages vary by region, employer and experience.
A note on this trade's Red Seal status
Two official sources disagree here. red-seal.ca lists Ontario among the provinces that designate this trade Red Seal, while Ontario's own apprenticeship dataset does not flag it as a Red Seal trade. This page follows red-seal.ca, which is maintained by the Canadian Council of Directors of Apprenticeship, the body that runs the Red Seal Program. Confirm your own position with Skilled Trades Ontario before relying on it for interprovincial recognition.
Is the 423A recognised outside Ontario?
This trade has been part of the Interprovincial Red Seal Program since 1988. 12 of Canada's 13 provinces and territories designate it Red Seal: AB, BC, MB, NB, NL, NS, NT, NU, ON, PE, QC, YT, Ontario among them. Its National Occupational Classification code is 63202, which is how federal labour market data refers to this occupation.
Where can you train as a baker in Ontario?
| Public training providers | 3 colleges deliver the in-school portion |
|---|---|
| Approved sponsors | 115 employers registered to train apprentices |
| Apprentices in training | 154 |
Counts are from Ontario's published apprenticeships dataset. A sponsor is the employer or union that registers and trains the apprentice; you need one before an apprenticeship can start.
Related Ontario trades
Other service sector trades with certification records on this registry:
Official verification sources
- RegulationO. Reg. 876/21, Prescribed Trades and Related Matters (e-Laws)
- Certifying bodySkilled Trades Ontario: Baker
- ActBuilding Opportunities in the Skilled Trades Act, 2021 (e-Laws)
- WagesJob Bank wage data, Employment and Social Development Canada
- Red Seal profilered-seal.ca: Baker trade profile
- Participation dataOntario open data: Apprenticeships dataset
Classification, exam requirement and ratio status on this page are read directly from O. Reg. 876/21 as consolidated on e-Laws, not from secondary summaries. Facts not yet verified against a primary source are marked as not published rather than estimated.