Ontario Accepts Recommendations to Strengthen College of Trades

In partnership with the Ontario College of Trades, the province has accepted recommendations made by former Secretary of Cabinet Tony Dean in his report, Supporting a Strong and Sustainable Ontario College of Trades. Ontario will bring forward proposed legislative changes in the spring legislative session and will work closely with the college to implement Mr. Dean’s recommendations.

The College of Trades is an industry-driven governing body responsible for promoting and modernizing skilled trades in the province. Dean’s recommendations would help improve the college’s processes and clarify its mandate by

• supporting the existing trade boards to update and bring consistency to all trades’ scopes of practice

• reviewing how trades are classified through establishment of an independent and evidence-based process that will use risk of harm as a key criterion

• establishing clearer and more concise criteria on how journeyperson-to-apprentice ratios are determined

• developing an enforcement and compliance committee and appeal process to resolve potential conflicts earlier, as well as ensure enforcement activities are consistently carried out with safety and the public interest in mind.

The report was informed by an open and transparent year-long review that included consultations with several hundred tradespeople, employers and industry and trade boards representing more than 70 trades.

Ontario’s ongoing commitment to strengthen the skilled trades and apprenticeship system is part of the government’s plan to build Ontario up. The plan includes investing in people’s talents and skills, making the largest investment in public infrastructure in Ontario’s history, creating a dynamic, innovative environment where business thrives, and building a secure retirement savings plan.

The Ontario College of Trades provides members with benefits such as recognition as a skilled-trades professional, enforcement of trade regulations, and a mechanism to ensure public safety through a discipline and complaints process.
The college has 237,000 active members in more than 150 apprenticeable trades, including the electrical, construction, industrial, motive power, and service sectors.

Read the report: www.ontario.ca/deanreport. Find out more about the college: http://www.collegeoftrades.ca.