The Ontario government has launched Skilled Trades Ontario,
The new Crown agency is expected to improve trades training and simplify services.
A media release says the new agency will promote and market the trades, develop the latest training and curriculum standards, and provide a streamlined user-friendly experience for tradespeople.
These changes will result in more workers for in-demand jobs and prepare Ontario for a strong economic comeback.
Monte McNaughton, Ontario’s Minister of Labour, Training and Skill Development, says it will replace the old Ontario College of Trades, which he says was a troublesome and confusing avenue for people to navigate in their journey to be an apprentice and become a skilled trades worker.
“Simply put, the Ontario College of Trades was focused more on paperwork than training. It’s no wonder the year after the Liberals established it, new apprentice registration fell by 40 percent, and between 2014 and 2018, only half of apprentices completed their training every year.”
McNaughton says Skilled Trades Ontario will fix this.
“They will address our critical labour shortage in the trades by developing marketing and advertising campaigns. They will build partnerships between industry and training providers. They will oversee recruiters, who will be reaching students in every school board, by providing co-ops in the trades.”
The new online services will help apprentices conveniently manage their careers in one place with an online “one-stop-shop” for scheduling classes and exams, submitting forms, paying fees and more. The province thinks the changes will reduce the skilled labour shortage the province currently faces by making it easier for more people to learn about and enter the trades, including reducing processing and registration times for applicants from 60 days to 12. The labour shortage is estimated at 350,000 by 2025.
“We’re redrawing the system to address Ontario’s labour shortage and make the trades a career of choice for more people,” McNaughton says. “The skilled trades provide well-paying and rewarding careers that are vital for our economy. By creating this new agency, we are working for workers and delivering the generational change that labour leaders and employers have been calling for.”
“The creation of Skilled Trades Ontario is an important milestone, and one I am thrilled to be a part of leading,” adds Michael Sherrard, Chair of Skilled Trades Ontario. “The implementation of a successful apprenticeship and skilled trades system is critical to the economic growth and success of our province, and today’s announcement is the next step in securing that future for us all.”
An independent Board of Directors will lead the agency in delivering on the government’s Skilled Trades Strategy to break the stigma surrounding the trades, simplify the system, and encourage employers to hire more apprentices.
“The skilled trades are the backbone of our province, offering 144 well-paying and in-demand careers for people to choose from,” says Chief Executive Officer and Registrar Melissa Young. “I commend this government for bringing generational change that will remove the stigma surrounding the trades, cut down on red tape, and ensure all young people know these jobs offer a clear path to a better life.”
Minister McNaughton adds that launching this new agency builds on the government’s ongoing efforts to attract, support, and protect workers, making Ontario the top place in the world to work, live and raise a family.
Patrick McManus, the Chair of the Ontario Skilled Trades Alliance, says he is confident Skilled Trades Ontario will yield better results with a clearer focus than the now defunct Ontario College of Trades.
“That focus and mandate is to make the trades and apprenticeship system more modern, streamlined and flexible, ensuring that it’s a system that encourages employer participation, and shows more high school graduates and job seekers why the trades are such a worthwhile career choice.”
