SKILLED TRADES IN ONTARIO. Overview by Garfield Dunlop, MPP

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1 Overview by Garfield Dunlop, MPP

2 Test Skilled trades are a path to prosperity for many Ontarians, and a way to rebuild our economy. Let s ensure that we provide these Ontarians with every opportunity to succeed. Garfield Dunlop, MPP Critic for Skilled Trades and Apprenticeship Reform Front: PRECISIONS FINE HAIR SYTLING TECHFORM PRODUCTS LTD. MAURICE MECHANICAL LTD. Garfield Dunlop, MPP Critic for Skilled Trades and Apprenticeship Reform

3 Preface Ontario needs a world-class skilled trades sector designed and built to accommodate the needs of the twenty-first century economy. The PC Caucus strongly believes skilled trades are the path to a bright and prosperous future for our province and for many Ontarians who wish to pursue rewarding, exciting careers. Forty years ago, skilled trades were not necessarily seen as the pathway to a rewarding career for young Ontarians. Today, with over 140 registered trades in Ontario across four sectors (construction, industrial, motive power, services), skilled trades are a dynamic, evolving industry offering life-long careers in challenging fields. Many of the trades that are included in the service sector today didn t even exist thirty years ago, demonstrating how this field continues to develop and make significant contributions to our economy. While the sector continues to evolve to meet the new demands of the economy, the government regulatory regime has not changed significantly in forty years and is not meeting the needs of employers and employees, and our economy in general. This needs to change. We need to modernize skilled trades to: Respond to the needs of employers, employees and our economy and put these interests ahead of all other interests in the sector. Prepare young Ontarians for the skilled trade jobs of today and of the future through well-designed, quality apprenticeship training programs based on collaboration with all participants in the sector employers, employees, unions, colleges, private training organizations and government. Put the accountability for decisions regarding all aspects of skilled trades back in the hands of elected representatives. Be flexible and adaptable to the changing realities of skilled trades. Skilled trades are a path to prosperity for many Ontarians, and a way to rebuild our economy. Let s ensure that we provide these Ontarians with every opportunity to succeed. Garfield Dunlop, MPP Critic for Skilled Trades and Apprenticeship Reform

4 Garfield Dunlop, MPP Critic for Skilled Trades and Apprenticeship Reform

5 Message from Garfield Dunlop, MPP Ontario faces a shortage of up to one million skilled trades workers over the next ten years. Employers have jobs that need to be filled but the current government has made it difficult to for those who want to enter skilled trades. Our apprenticeship system is not meeting the needs of the 21st century economy and needs to be modernized. In 2012, as the PC Critic for Skilled Trades & Apprenticeship Reform, I conducted over 100 skilled trades meetings in communities across Ontario with employers, journeypersons, apprentices, students, and business organizations. The message I received was loud and clear our current apprenticeship training system is not working: We have contractors across a host of industries that want to hire apprentices but they can t because of an outdated and antiquated apprenticeship ratio system. When these young Ontarians can t get an apprenticeship opportunity, they head for Alberta and Saskatchewan to complete their training and we often lose them forever. We have contractors in many parts of the province across different sectors that cannot find skilled journeypersons. There is a lack of focus at the provincial government level on skilled trades and the Liberals Ontario College of Trades is not the solution. We need to re-invigorate apprenticeship training at our community colleges and provide students with new choices to pursue their apprenticeship training. The private sector needs to be better engaged in apprenticeship training. Completion rates in many trades are unacceptable and need to be addressed. Skilled trades are not seen as rewarding and fulfilling career. I speak from first-hand knowledge of these challenges. I am proud to say that in 1976, I earned my Certificate of Qualification as a Plumber (I still hold my certification today) and I worked in my family plumbing contracting business until 1999 when I was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario. By modernizing our skilled trades, we have the opportunity to create hundreds of thousands of rewarding and fulfilling career opportunities for Ontarians and to meet our labour force requirements in Ontario. I d like to thank Tim Hudak for giving me the opportunity to champion this important project. I, along with my PC colleagues, will continue to promote skilled trades in Ontario. Please let me know what you think by contacting my office through at Garfield. dunlop@pc.ola.org or by phone at Garfield Dunlop, MPP Critic for Skilled Trades and Apprenticeship Reform

6 FRED HOOK LTD. Established 1954 Heating, Air Conditioning Sheet Metal and Welding WALKER S ELECTRIC 2000 Established 1935 Walker Panels

7 SKILLED TRADES IN ONTARIO Introduction Anyone who has spoken to a contractor, a journeyperson, or an apprentice will tell you that Ontario s skilled trades sector is simply not working to its full potential. We need to change that and we need to start now. We have laid out a path that envisions skilled trades playing a critical role in building Ontario s future prosperity and most importantly, providing rewarding, fulfilling and high paying jobs for Ontarians. Guiding Principles SKILLED TRADES IN ONTARIO: An Overview with Garfield Dunlop is built on four guiding principles: 1. Quality apprenticeship training opportunities for Ontarians. Simple and responsive apprenticeship training system. 2. Private sector engagement. 3. Accountability. 4. Skilled trades as a viable option for a rewarding career. The Avenues Avenue 1 Get rid of bureaucracy by abolishing the Ontario College of Trades and return responsibility for the regulation of skilled trades in Ontario to the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities. This should include the appointment of a Minister of Skilled Trades who will have overall responsibility and accountability for issues affecting skilled trades in Ontario. Avenue 2 Revise the journeyperson to apprentice ratios to 1:1 across all trades. Avenue 3 Collaborate with all stakeholders to create quality, affordable apprenticeship training opportunities including engaging the private sector. Avenue 4 Promote skilled trades in Ontario through a variety of ways to Ontarians across the province and make it a viable and attractive option for a rewarding career. Garfield Dunlop, MPP Critic for Skilled Trades and Apprenticeship Reform

8 GEORGIAN COLLEGE MIDLAND CAMPUS Skilled Trades Centre BOSTON PIZZA MIDLAND

9 Avenue 1 Responsibility and Accountability Since the beginning of apprenticeship training in this province, the government of Ontario has regulated the sector through ministries of various names, most recently the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities. In 2009, the government established the Ontario College of Trades with a mandate to regulate this sector. The College, which operates at arms-length from the government, has created a whole new expensive organization and bureaucracy and is charging annual membership fees for journeypersons, apprentices and employers. This is the wrong approach. As part of the modernization of skilled trades in Ontario, we will: 1) Abolish the Ontario College of Trades and return the responsibility for the regulation of skilled trades back to the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities where it belongs. As part of abolishing the College, the current membership fees payable to the College will be eliminated. This ensures that the government can be held accountable for all decisions affecting skilled trades. 2) Strengthen the capacity of the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities to modernize skilled trades through: Fair and meaningful consultation with all stakeholders. Establishing balanced, fair and equitable advisory committees whose only goal is what is best for the trade. Removal of unnecessary regulations and simplify remaining regulations. Responding to the evolving skills requirements and training needs of employers. Providing prompt and efficient approval of new curriculum to meet emerging or customized requirements by employers. Conducting objective research and identification of best practices in apprenticeship training around the world. Developing an objective, evidence-based process for making decisions on certification of trades. 3) Look for all opportunities within the Ministry to streamline processes for employers and apprentices and reduce fees wherever possible. 4) Appoint a Minister of Skilled Trades who will have overall responsibility and accountability for the apprenticeship training division of the Ministry of Training, Colleges, and Universities. The Minister of Skilled Trades will not only be responsible for the regulation of skilled trades, but will also be the chief promoter and champion of skilled trades amongst Ontarians and will work closely with industry toward a goal to make skilled trades an attractive, rewarding career option in the eyes of Ontarians. Garfield Dunlop, MPP Critic for Skilled Trades and Apprenticeship Reform

10 GLEN DUNLOP PLUMBING HEATING AND SUPPLIES LTD. Established 1956

11 SKILLED TRADES IN ONTARIO Avenue 2 Journeyperson to Apprentice Ratios If an Ontarian wants a career in skilled trades, he/she must first apprentice with a qualified employer in order to receive important on-the-job training. Employers must demonstrate their ability to train a worker based on the company s experience as well as the number of licensed journeypersons it has on staff. This requirement, which enforced by the government of Ontario, is known as the journeyperson to apprentice ratio and it varies from trade to trade. Ontario is out of sync with almost all other provinces and territories in Canada when it comes to journeyperson to apprentice ratios. We not only compete internationally for talent, we compete with other provinces for skilled individuals. Unfortunately the journeyperson to apprentice ratio limits the number of young people that can enter a trade. For young workers wanting to become professional electricians, plumbers and carpenters, the province artificially caps how many apprentices an employer can hire. The Plumber trade is a great example to illustrate the challenges created by the ratios. Plumbing is one of the most popular construction trades in Ontario with over 15,000 licensed men and women practising in the trade. The current requirement for employers to train plumber apprentices is 1 journeyperson on staff for the first apprentice hired and an additional 3 journeypersons on staff for every additional apprentice hired. This means a company has to have 4 journeypersons on staff in order to hire 2 apprentices and 7 journeypersons on staff in order to hire 3 apprentices. Unfortunately, this requirement means small companies across Ontario are simply shut out of participating in the apprenticeship system in a meaningful way. The ratio hits rural and northern Ontario the hardest as the vast majority of construction contractors in these areas are small businesses with few employees. Government regulations such as apprenticeship ratios should never be used to restrict entry to a trade, to artificially inflate wages and to ultimately dictate the composition of an employer s workforce. Ontario already has a rigorous and effective safety regime that is enforced by the Ministry of Labour, Technical Standards Safety Authority and the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board and by sector-specific bodies such as the Electrical Safety Authority in the electrical industry. Ultimately the market will determine the need for workers in a particular industry, will establish wages and companies will structure their work force to meet their unique requirements. This is not government s role. Ontario should be fostering economic growth and creating the conditions where small business can grow and thrive in our province. The current journeyperson to apprentice ratio model limits the ability for entrepreneurs to grow their business and, most importantly, restricts the opportunity for young people in colleges across the province to pursue meaningful, rewarding careers in skilled trades. Garfield Dunlop, MPP Critic for Skilled Trades and Apprenticeship Reform

12 GEORGIAN COLLEGE MIDLAND CAMPUS Skilled Trades Centre

13 As part of the modernization of skilled trades in Ontario, we will: 1) Revise journeyperson to apprentice ratio to 1:1 across all trades. 2) Provide flexibility to adjust ratios to meet unique, temporary requirements in high growth areas, high demand trades or other regional requirements. 3) Monitor closely changes in supply and demand of journeypersons and apprentices in Ontario and revisions to journeyperson to apprentice ratios in other provinces and revise Ontario s ratios where appropriate. GEORGIAN COLLEGE MIDLAND CAMPUS Skilled Trades Centre Garfield Dunlop, MPP Critic for Skilled Trades and Apprenticeship Reform

14 Avenue 3 A Quality, Affordable Apprenticeship Training System Ontario s current apprenticeship training system is not meeting the needs of apprentices, employers and our economy: Employers have challenges finding skilled journeypersons to fill positions. Apprentices cannot get apprenticeship opportunities. Employers report that they often have to re-train new journeypersons on the latest equipment, software and techniques. Curriculum is not always up-to-date, particularly in fast-paced trades where change in equipment, techniques and software is a regular occurrence. Not all journeypersons are suited to be mentors, coaches and trainers for apprentices. Completion rates across a host of trades are unacceptably low. Due to the length of time it can take to get an apprenticeship and complete it, affordability becomes an issue for some students. Apprentices deserve a quality, affordable apprenticeship training program that ensures that when they receive their Certificate of Qualification they are well-trained and ready to enter the workforce. Employers should not have to be investing significant additional resources in training journeypersons on the latest equipment and techniques. PRO HUNG DOOR PRODUCTS INC. PRO HUNG DOOR PRODUCTS LTD. Garfield Dunlop, MPP Critic for Skilled Trades and Apprenticeship Reform

15 As part of the modernization of skilled trades in Ontario, we will: 1) Work with our colleges and other training delivery agents, employers, unions and industry associations to review the current curriculum to ensure that it is relevant, timely and keeping pace with the latest equipment, trends and practices in skilled trades. 2) Establish a schedule for regular reviews of curriculum across all trades to be conducted in consultation with all stakeholders. 3) Incent strategic partnerships between public and private sectors that allow for training to be geared towards the needs of employers. Part of this strategy would be amending the tax system to encourage private investment in hands-on learning to provide Ontario students with the latest tools and machinery. 4) Look to the private sector to see how we potentially make our apprenticeship training system more efficient, train more journeypersons in a shorter period of time and at less cost while still maintaining, and enhancing, the quality. Ontario s colleges have a long and distinguished history of training apprentices and journeypersons. Colleges are the backbone of our apprenticeship training system and many excel at that mandate. Private career colleges, pre-apprenticeship institutes and other private training delivery agents are playing an increasing larger role in training the workers of tomorrow. Ontario needs to examine how it harnesses these private sector providers to build more capacity in our apprenticeship training system and enhance the quality of the training experience while at all times following Ministry-approved curriculum and meeting of the Ministry standards and requirements. 5) Develop, in consultation with all stakeholders, effective train the trainer programs specifically for journeypersons who are coaching, mentoring and training apprentices. Not all journeypersons are good teachers so when we are asking them to step in and coach, mentor and train apprentices, we need to ensure that they have the skills to do so and do it well. All apprentices deserve a quality apprenticeship training experience and we must ensure that journeypersons have the skills to do so. 6) Address the root causes of low completion rates within skilled trades and identify opportunities to support apprentices, employers and training delivery agents to deliver better results. Garfield Dunlop, MPP Critic for Skilled Trades and Apprenticeship Reform

16 Avenue 4 Promotion of Skilled Trades Any skilled trade in Ontario can lead to a rewarding, fulfilling career for those students who successfully complete their training program and receive their certificate of qualification. Unfortunately, many of our high school students and parents have the wrong impression of skilled trades and do not always see the rewarding career opportunities available. We need to change this perception by actively promoting skilled trades as an attractive and rewarding career option. As part of the modernization of skilled trades in Ontario, under the leadership of the Minister of Skilled Trades, we will: 1) Work with local school boards to ensure that information on opportunities in skilled trades is a key part of counselling students on potential career choices. 2) Encourage the development of partnerships between local schools and private sector companies across the province to provide speakers who can share their experiences in skilled trades with students, can organize career days and visits to employers facilities and job sites so that students can learn first-hand about the exciting opportunities in skilled trades. 3) Attract and promote more women to pursue a career in skilled trades. 4) Look for every opportunity to encourage Aboriginal students to consider careers in skilled trades. The Aboriginal population is the fastest growing population in Canada and we need to harness this growth and incredible potential. 5) Promote and raise the awareness amongst Ontarians of the value and the importance of skilled trades sector to our province s future prosperity. Garfield Dunlop, MPP Critic for Skilled Trades and Apprenticeship Reform

17 GEORGIAN COLLEGE MIDLAND CAMPUS Skilled Trades Centre

18 Conclusion Skilled trades are a driver for our economy and the key to a prosperous Ontario. The time is now to modernize our apprenticeship training system, make it responsive, improve quality, improve completion rates and ultimately show that it can be a rewarding career in the eyes of all Ontarians. Working together industry, journeypersons, apprentices, colleges, training delivery agents, unions and government we will succeed in modernizing Ontario s skilled trades to: Address the forecasted labour shortages through made-in-ontario solutions and Ontario workers. Offer quality, affordable and responsive apprenticeship training opportunities for Ontarians. Provide rewarding, fulfilling and high paying jobs for young Ontarians. Put fairness, equity and objectivity back into the decision-making processes for the regulation of skilled trades. Ensure full government responsibility and accountability for decisions affecting skilled trades in Ontario. PRO HUNG DOOR PRODUCTS INC. Garfield Dunlop, MPP Critic for Skilled Trades and Apprenticeship Reform

19 TOM SMITH CHEVROLET LTD. Established 1987

20 MORRIS SHELSWELL AND SONS EXCAVATING AND GRADING Established 1946 The comments of this document are based on my personal views and are meant as a discussion paper. I would certainly appreciate any comments from my colleagues, stake holders and of course the hard working trades people of Ontario. Thank you Garfield Dunlop, MPP Critic for Skilled Trades and Apprenticeship Reform Room 425, Legislative Building Queen s Park, Toronto Ontario M7A 1A8 Telephone: (416) Facsimile: (416) garfield.dunlop@pc.ola.org This document can also be read at: