The Ontario Minister of Labour has given the Ontario College of Trades another year to consult with stakeholders on apprenticeship ratios – long a sore point in the industry. Some Ontario trades, including plumbing and HVAC, require up to four journeymen for every apprentice versus the one to one ratio used in most jurisdictions.
The additional time is designed to allow the College to consult with stakeholders on potential improvements to the journeyperson to apprenticeship ratio review process and ratio criteria. The actual ratio reviews are now set to begin in April 2019, reported the Heating, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Institute of Canada (HRAI). The next year will be spent refining the process.
Significant work has already been done including analyzing stakeholder feedback from the last round of ratio reviews, examining the recommendations made by consultant Tony Dean in his Supporting a Strong and Sustainable Ontario College of Trades report, and including feedback from an earlier round of consultations with members and the public.
“We’re looking forward to the next round of stakeholder consultations on the framework and process so that when April 2019 arrives we can make both timely and informed decisions,” said George Gritziotis, College of Trades CEO and registrar.
Ratios were last updated four years ago, coming into effect on April 14, 2014. Many were adjusted to allow companies to take on more apprentices. For most trades, this was the first time ratios have been reviewed in decades.
For more information, please visit www.collegeoftrades.ca.