S U M M E R
E d i t i o n
Trades
Today
Volume 1 Edition 2
Going out
on a limb
Creating career
opportunities
Aboriginals in skilled trades
Protecting the public
A retiree’s story
Photo courtesy of Mike Greer
2 0 1 4
Retiree who hires uncertified worker ends
up with $11,000 bill to fix mistakes
Ontario College of Trades provides free search tool to confirm qualifications of members
A
London woman is on the hook for thousands of dollars due to a
home renovation project that she said went terribly wrong.
Joanne Markham is advising anyone who hires a skilled
tradesperson to check his or her qualifications through the College’s
public register, to avoid “sloppy and potentially dangerous work” on their
home.
Last fall, Markham, a retired healthcare worker, decided to renovate the
basement of her new London home and rent it out to students.
That’s when she said her “nightmare” began.
“It’s been such a horrible experience, and it’s costing me thousands of
dollars that I just can’t afford.”
Even though Markham said that the request “caught her off-guard,” she
drove to the bank and withdrew the money.
The following week, Markham had a building inspector come to her home
and her fears were confirmed.
“[The individual and his crew] did a very poor job. I had to rip everything
out…the floor, the wires. The junction box was hidden. The cement was
falling apart, and if I didn’t rip everything out and start from scratch,
there would have been raw sewage under the house.”
The total bill for all of the work on her basement bathroom was close to
$11,000, more than double what Markham had intended on spending.
Markham came across an advertisement in her local newspaper for a
plumber who claimed to have decades of experience in the trades.
Markham called the Ontario College of Trades (the College), the
provincial body that protects the public interest by regulating and
promoting the skilled trades, to report her experience.
“He said he was licensed and insured, and that he’s been in the trade for
more than fifty years.”
“They came to my house and sat down with me, and took all of my
information. They were very professional, very thorough,” she said.
“It’s been such a horrible experience, and it’s costing
me thousands of dollars that I just can’t afford.”
Markham said she called the individual, and he showed up the following
day to give her a quote on her basement bathroom.
For Markham, though, the damage has been done.
Markham alleges that the worker told her that he had done hundreds of
bathroom renovations during his career, and that he could begin right
away; all he needed was $740 for materials to get started.
She advised other homeowners to “be careful” and to “do their
due diligence” when hiring someone to complete important home
renovations.
“I withdrew the money and paid him,” she said.
Members of the public can check if an individual is certified in a
compulsory trade by going to the College’s website.
The individual arrived at Markham’s home the following day with a
collection of helpers in tow, and slowly got down to business digging up
the floor, jackhammering, plumbing and rewiring.
Markham began getting nervous, though, when he “kept [her] away”
from the renovations.
“It was like he didn’t want me to see what was going on. I didn’t know
what they were doing. He said ‘stay out of it, I’m in charge’” she said.
One Saturday morning, Markham received a call from the worker. Though
the job was unfinished, he demanded $4,000 to purchase further
materials and to pay his workers.
2
Markham wishes that she would have consulted the register before she
hired the person she did.
“It would have saved me a lot of headaches.”
To report an incident or to file a complaint against a
member or non-member of the Ontario College of Trades,
call our Client Services Call Centre at: 1-855-299-0028
(toll-free) or 647-847-3000 (in Toronto) or email
[email protected].
Creating career opportunities for
Aboriginals in skilled trades
underrepresented groups, including Aboriginal people. The
College recently hired a Chief Diversity Officer, Sandeep Tatla,
to help achieve that goal.
“It’s important that the trades reflect Ontario’s richly diverse
population. We know that lack of awareness of trades as a
career and finding apprenticeship opportunities are some of
the barriers for certain groups in our population, including
Aboriginals. We’re working together with these groups, our
broader stakeholders, and our members to address these
barriers,” Said Tatla.
According to the College’s statistics, there are roughly 100
self-identifying First Nation College members, 70 Metis
members and a single member that identifies as Inuit.
Russell Twance says that there are significant obstacles that
stand between Aboriginal people and greater employment
opportunities.
W
hile in high school, Johnny Maracle was unsure of
what to do with his life.
Like many teenage boys, the now 20-year-old
Aboriginal of the Tyendinaga Mohawk Territory enjoyed
a variety of different sports, but he also took a shining to
science- an interest that eventually led him to the University
of Ontario Institute of Technology. But though he was
always academically inclined, Maracle soon realized that the
university route wasn’t for him.
During Christmas break, Maracle returned home and
contacted Kagita Mikam, an organization that matches
Aboriginal people looking for employment and skills training
with companies in need of workers. Kagita Mikam set him up
with a local plumbing company.
“I wanted to be a physiotherapist but when I got to university,
I realized that it wasn’t the right fit. I came back home and
started to work as a labourer with a plumber. I ended up really
enjoying not only working with my hands but the problem
solving aspect too,” said Maracle. After a few weeks on the
job, Maracle’s boss asked him if he wanted to apprentice.
Maracle jumped at the opportunity.
Twance is an employment counsellor with Thunder Bay’s
Anishinabek Employment & Training Services, an organization
that offers clients financial assistance to help pay for tuition
to skilled trades training programs, as well as books and
transportation.
Given many First Nation communities are located in very
remote areas, he believes there may be a lack of awareness
or access to information on the opportunities within the
skilled trades. He also says that living costs in some cities and
communities might be prohibitive for some First Nations to
continue their education.
Lynne Sinclair is a project coordinator at the Aboriginal
Apprentice Centre at Sault College in Sault Ste. Marie, and her
job is to support Aboriginal students training for a career in
the skilled trades.
One of the chief reasons behind the Centre’s success,
according to Sinclair, is the program’s adherence to “culturally
appropriate” learning.
“In non-native classrooms, sometimes people wonder ‘why
are [Aboriginal] students so quiet?’ In our classrooms we
have an elder on staff that speaks to the students about
togetherness and working as a team. Students feel free to
express themselves. This is part of our holistic approach that
helps with retention rates.”
He is now thriving as a plumbing apprentice, and says he
would like to own his own business one day, or “maybe teach
in a college trades program somewhere.”
“Apprenticeships are a natural fit for us,” Sinclair continues.
“It’s how we’ve always learned; hands-on, through storytelling.
It’s passed on from generation to generation.
The Ontario College of Trades (the College) wants to
foster that enthusiasm in more Aboriginal youth. One
of the College’s goals is to promote the skilled trades to
Maracle certainly agrees, and feels that more Aboriginal
people should “keep an open mind” about what the trades
have to offer.
3
They’ve got skills
A
gaggle of high schoolers, girls and boys, stood astride a 14-foot telephone pole,
necks bent up, mouths agape.
Chris Schlosser and Jacob Hamelin had just nimbly ascended to the
pole’s summit, and were posing for pictures. The two 18-year-old students in the
Powerline Technician program at St. Clair College were at the 25th annual Ontario
Technological Skills Competition to exhibit their trade to the throngs of people milling
through RIM Park in Waterloo.
As Schlosser and Hamelin checked equipment at the top of the pole, a representative
from St. Clair explained to the high school students what a Powerline Technician
does, and what it takes to become one. The students listened carefully to the rep, but
at the same time kept an eye on the top of the pole, where the action was.
After the demonstration, as Schlosser and Hamelin unharnessed themselves, one
of the students that had been listening particularly intently to the college’s pitch
remarked to his teacher that Powerline Technician “looks like a cool job.”
“Could you see yourself doing that in a few years?” his teacher asked.
“Yeah,” the boy nodded, “I think so.”
Schlosser and Hamelin might have landed the Skills Competition a future participant.
A Tradition of Excellence
The Ontario Technological Skills Competition, organized by Skills Canada–Ontario,
is an annual event that brings students from across the province together to
compete in a range of trades-related categories. This year, more than 1,900 students
competed in 63 different events.
The competition’s goal is to offer a platform for high school and college students to
demonstrate their technology and skilled trades abilities, and to promote a career in
the trades to Ontario’s young people.
This year, the competition welcomed the largest number of participants and
attendees in its history; overall, more than 20,000 high school and elementary
students, trades representatives and community members took part in the 3-day
event, according to Skills Canada–Ontario.
“I think that there has been a big push into the trades
for young people, which hasn’t happened for the past
twenty years. I think that a lot of kids are actually
realizing how many careers are available in the trades
and realizing that they want to work with their hands
as well as their heads,” said Gail Smyth of Skills Canada–
Ontario.
Against the backdrop of a Conference Board of Canada
prediction that there will be a shortage of more than
360,000 skilled tradespeople by 2025 and more than
half a million by 2030, the competition’s growth in
popularity is surely a promising sign.
It also speaks to the impact that the Ontario College
of Trades (the College) is having in promoting the
skilled trades.
The College, which was also a sponsor of the
competition, has made it a priority to reach out to
4
The Ontario Technological Skills Competition showcased the
best and brightest of Ontario’s students
“There are a lot of Ontario Youth Apprenticeship Program
(OYAP) students. They’re interested in getting started in
apprenticeships, so they’re looking for the knowledge. And the
elementary kids are a lot of fun because they’re full of energy
and they just want to get right in there. So we had a lot of fun
showing them how to strip the wires and teaching them about
the different light bulbs.”
Preston also said that interacting with the young people at
the Skills Competition was a meaningful opportunity for her.
school boards, teachers and administrators throughout the
province in order to talk about the value of a career in the
skilled trades. College Registrar and CEO David Tsubouchi
attended the Skills Competition and was impressed with what
he saw.
“When I was high school, I remember a female electrician
coming to speak to our Grade 10 class. What she was talking
about always stuck with me; this powerful woman being there
and saying ‘this is a great opportunity.’ Moving forward, I
always wanted to emulate that. I want someone to look back
on me and think ‘That lady was here that one time and talked
about her job and it inspired me to do something like that with
my life.’ So this booth has been pretty cool.”
Back at the Powerline Technician booth, apprentices Chris
Schlosser and Jacob Hamelin discussed the buzz caused by
their demonstration.
“Our guidance team has done a really great job to push all the
avenues, all the pathways. There’s been a huge emphasis on
apprenticeship and trades.”
“The level of skill and expertise that was on display at
RIM Park in Waterloo was phenomenal, and it’s clear that
some of Ontario’s best and brightest young minds have
wholeheartedly embraced skilled technology-based trades,”
he said.
“When someone sees you fourteen feet in the air climbing
a pole, they’re going to come over and check it out,” smiled
Schlosser.
Teachers at the Skills Competition said that the College’s
message– that an apprenticeship is a form of higher
education, on par with college or university– is beginning to
resonate.
“I’ll feel good when I’m a journeyman one day and am able to
turn the lights on for someone. I like that I’ll be able to help
people.”
When asked why he decided to enter the trades, Hamelin,
paused and frowned, thoughtfully.
“Our guidance team has done a really great job to push all
the avenues, all the pathways. There’s been a huge emphasis
on apprenticeship and trades. We have SHSM [Specialist
High Skills Major program] at our school, and we have a
home building program where students build a house from
the ground up. We have a huge emphasis on the trades, and
I think we’ve done a great job of showing students that the
trades are an excellent option,” said Amberlea Daigneau, a
teacher at Bishop Macdonell Catholic Secondary School in
Guelph.
Christina Preston, a construction maintenance electrician
from Peterborough at the I.B.E.W booth, said that there was
significant interest in electrical work from both elementary
and high school students.
Photo courtesy of Jack Kazmierski
5
Going out
on a limb
I
t was nasty, brutish and — unfortunately — the very opposite of short.
Ontarians won’t soon forget the bite of this past winter; punctuated
by the blackout caused by the massive ice storm that ripped through
southern Ontario, Quebec and Atlantic Canada.
In the aftermath of that storm, when thousands of people across North
America were caught in Mother Nature’s icy clutches, a small team of
tradespeople led the charge to clear the fallen trees from power lines
and bring electricity back to our frozen homes.
Thank you, utility arborists.
Mike Greer, a manager at Hydro One and chair of the Utility Arborist
Industry Committee, said that arborists from across Ontario were eager
to assist anyone in need of help.
power quickly for these types of events and working around different
utility construction can take some time.
“It’s dangerous work and there are several hazards that the worker has
to deal with,” says Greer. “Although the wires may be on the ground
there is still a possibility that it’s energized or could become energized.
Customers, with generators not connected to their electrical system
correctly, can inadvertently re-energize an electric circuit and, if a worker
is contacting a tree or the wire, it could result in injury or death. There
are also tree branches laden with ice, which are heavy and could break
unexpectedly. The ice also puts a lot of tension on the tree through
bending limbs and stems, so the worker has to be careful when releasing
the tension because the tree or branch could end up striking the worker.”
“Although we didn’t see a shortage of arborists or utility arborists during
the storm, many of our workers were on holidays and were asked to
come back in to assist. The crews did not hesitate to help,” says Greer, a
utility arborist with decades of experience under his belt.
“Arborists often get great satisfaction from doing their work under
difficult circumstances”, Greer notes, because it’s a challenge they do
not see every day. It provides an opportunity to demonstrate their skills
in safely rigging trees and they see the impact their hard work has on
customers’ lives when power is restored”.
The utility arborists on duty worked ten hour shifts, and sometimes even
longer. Fighting fatigue and difficult weather conditions, workers began
the clean-up in rural areas before being dispatched to Toronto. The long
hours and cold temperatures required an increased level of teamwork to
ensure workplace safety.
For any environmentalists and thrill seekers interested in becoming
arborists or utility arborists, the most important qualities to have are
being comfortable handling chainsaws and ropes at great heights, and
working in all kinds of elements like heat waves, snow storms, high winds
and thunder storms.
So why did it take so long to get the power back on? Greer says that
there are agreements between utilities to share resources to restore
For more information, visit the International Society of Arboriculture
(isaontario.com), and the Training Standards section of the Ontario
College of Trades website: www.collegeoftrades.ca/membership/
resources/training-standards
6
Faces of the College
“I enjoy the fact that my job
allows me to interact with
people on a daily basis. I like
speaking with stakeholders
and our members where
I can help correct some
misperceptions about the
College, and show some of
the value members get.”
Daniyal Sikander, Ontario College of Trades Membership
Processing Consultant
Q
A
Q
A
Q
A
How long have you worked at the Ontario College
of Trades?
I started with the College in April 2013, around the
time it opened its doors.
Q
A
What interested you in working with the College?
I started working with the College because I believe
in what it stands for. The meaningful connection
with our members and stakeholders, being able
to assist them, and helping people get their trade
certifications in order are things that I‘ve really
come to enjoy. My experience here has allowed me
to take-on more challenging tasks and I’ve become
more willing to step out of my comfort zone to
tackle some of the challenges that come my way
through my workday.
What do you do in your job? How do you help
OCOT’s members?
I am part of the Processing Team in the Member
Records and Data department of Member Services.
I am in charge of processing member application
forms that come in to the office through mail,
fax and email. Organizing the thousands of
applications we get every week is a huge task. I
handle individual applications as well as group
accounts for group registrations of apprentices or
journeypersons.
Q
A
What is the hardest part about your job?
Sometimes it is really tough just dealing with
the volume of applications that comes into our
department. It is easy to forget that last March, we
had no members, and a year later we have almost
300,000 active members. We try to maintain a
high standard of service for our membership, but
the sheer numbers do present challenges. We are
a not-for-profit organization, and we are doing our
best to serve our membership with the resources
we have.
What do you like about working at OCOT?
I enjoy the fact that my job allows me to interact
with people on a daily basis. I like speaking with
stakeholders and our members where I can help
correct some misperceptions about the College,
and show some of the value members get. It’s
rewarding to see the work we do in our department
is having an impact on the way people think about
the College and what we do, and the value they get
in return for their membership.
For member / client inquiries please contact:
Telephone: (647) 847-3000
Toll free number: 1 (855) 299-0028
Office Hours: Monday to Friday, 8:30am – 5:00pm
* The Call Centre Hours are Monday to Friday, 7am – 7pm
7
Hammer Heads
program...
...building
tomorrow’s
tradespeople
A
fter years of doing odd jobs for mediocre pay and
little stability, Alex Scott was ready for a change.
“I’d been working for a while doing general labour
[but] they use you until they don’t need you and then
you’re done. I was ready for a career.”
The 12-14 week program, which is offered three times a
year, features fifteen young people between the ages
of 18 and 26 getting hands-on experience in a variety of
trades within the construction industry. At the end of the
program, participants are placed with different companies
to begin an apprenticeship.
“It’s worth it. It’s three months out of your life and you get to
learn about these trades that half of us didn’t know existed.
This program is a great thing.”
Enter the Hammer Heads.
The Hammer Heads program, developed by the Central
Ontario Building Trades, is a skill and employment-based
training program within the construction industry that
offers apprenticeship and career opportunities to young
people from under-resourced and Aboriginal communities
in Toronto.
8
Scott, who said his primary interest was plumbing, said
that he has “told everybody from my neighborhood who
isn’t working” to go to “the Rexdale youth centre and
apply.”
“It’s worth it. It’s three months out of your
life and you get to learn about these trades
that half of us didn’t know existed. This
program is a great thing.”
To be eligible for Hammer Heads, applicants
must have Grade 10 English, science and
math credits, and be recommended by a
social worker.
James St. John, director of Hammer Heads
and business manager of the Central Ontario
Building Trades, said that the program is
very selective; each year, hundreds of at-risk
youth from across Toronto apply.
St. John said that the program has been
a success from the start, noting that over
90 per cent of Hammer Heads graduate
from the program and move into an
apprenticeship.
“It’s a hand up, not a hand out. With the right
opportunities, we know that inner city kids
can compete with anyone in Canada.”
And feedback from employers has been
overwhelmingly positive, said St. John.
“Every employer I talk to says the same
thing: ‘Your kids won’t stand still. Give me
kids like this all the time!’ They’re very
impressed with their work ethic.”
St. John attributes graduates’ achievements
to their attitude, skills and willingness to
learn– though he does concede that the
Hammer Heads program’s emphasis on
discipline might contribute to their success.
“We don’t let anyone stand around,” he said,
simply.
22-year-old Frederick Sam was more blunt.
“It’s like a boot camp around here! I’ve never
been in anything like this. I didn’t realize it would be so strict. They never let down. They’re always on you. So [our
group] doesn’t mess around.”
Sam, who lives in the downtown Toronto Regent Park neighbourhood, said that he and his fellow cohort members have
grown close over their short time spent together.
“We’re all working together towards the same goal…we need each other to get through this.”
Alain Bourdages is the assistant training director at the Plumbers & Steamfitters Local 46 in Scarborough, one of the
Hammer Heads’ training centres. He said that the individuals that go through the Hammer Head program are “usually
the best apprentices.”
“Over the years we’ve taken 20 or 24 apprentices, and they’ve all been exceptional. They are our poster-apprentices, if
you will.”
Josh Cameron, 24, said that Hammer Heads is “an excellent program” and that he would “recommend it to anybody.”
“In construction, you get to see your finished project at the end of the day, and it’s going to be around for years. It gives
you a real sense of satisfaction,” said the Scarborough resident.
Asked what he envisions for himself in the future, Cameron responded quickly.
“Hopefully I’m a full-fledged journeyperson and enjoying my work. And hopefully I’m making over a hundred grand too.”
9
Have you begun
saving for your
retirement?
TRADES BY NUMBERS
Avg calls per
CSC/day:
69
55,267
Between March 8 - April 8, 2014, leading
up to the renewal of all of the
apprentices in the province, the College
received 55,267 calls (Compared to the
monthly average of 20, 985 in the period
from April 8, 2013 - February 28, 2014)
263
%
Max calls for 1 CSC in 1 day: 132
M
embers of the Ontario College of Trades (the College)
will now have the ability to access a new voluntary Group
Registered Retirement Savings Plan (RRSP) that is being
offered by Manulife Financial.
Manulife states that College members will have access to benefits
that are generally not accessible to those with individual RRSP
plans. Here are some of the features Manulife is offering:
Documents Issued since
May 1, 2013 (Certificates and
Statements of membership):
231,358
89,994
5,587
50
166,898
127
College members will now have access to a group plan
Apprentices Class
Journeyperson Candidates Class
Tradespersons Class
Journeypersons Class
Employer/Sponsors
23,421
•
Lower investment management fees – Take advantage of the
competitive investment management fees (IMFs) offered to
members that are not available to individuals.
•
Leading fund managers – Through the Group RRSP, you have
access to some of the world’s leading fund managers. Many of
these funds aren’t available to individual investors.
•
Lower IMFs leave more of your savings in your retirement
account, growing for you. Over time, this makes a BIG
difference to members’ returns.
•
A convenient way to save – Making regular contributions
directly from your bank account makes it easier to commit to
saving consistently. Even if the amount you contribute each
time is small – and is an amount you’re not likely to miss – it
can grow very nicely over the long term.
•
Tax-deferred growth – investment income earned in an RRSP is
tax-sheltered until you withdraw funds from the plan.
•
Valuable retirement planning tools and resources – Check out
the tools and resources to help make your retirement planning
easier. You can set a retirement income goal, create a plan to
achieve it and track your progress.
Total New Membership Applications
Processed Jan - May 2014
Skills and Standards
Since April 8, 2013, the
College has posted 153
English Training and
Curriculum Standards and
119 French Training and
Curriculum Standards on
its website
38/35
153/119
In addition, the College has also posted
38 English Schedules of Training and 35
French Schedules of Training to its
website (Schedules of Training have the
Training and Curriculum Standards
combined).
Terry
Starts contributing at age
25
Annual contribution made at the
beginning of each year
$1,000
?
Did you know…
that when a Provincial Offence Notice (ticket) is given to an
individual for violating the Ontario College of Trades and
Apprenticeship Act, 2009 that the ticket is paid to the
municipality not the College?
For more information, visit
http://www.collegeoftrades.ca/about/trades-in-ontario
10
35
$1,000
30
Number of years contributing
Total contributions
The College reviews and updates Training and
Curriculum Standards as per industry needs.
10
Chris
Total accumulated value at age 65
including tax sheltered investment
income assuming an 8% annualized
return
$10,000
$157,435
$30,000
$122,346
Learn more today: 1-888-727-7766
Monday – Friday, 8 am – 8 pm ET
Go to www.manulife.ca/OCOT to learn more about the RRSP Group
plan that is available to College members.
Map it out! – Cities/Municipalities
visited by Enforcement Officers
Enforcement Quick Facts from
May 2013 – April 30, 2014
7,084
Field inspections and compliance promotion visits conducted by
College Enforcement Officers across the province.
170
Provincial Offences Notices (tickets) issued and 11 Prosecutions are underway
to violators of the OCTAA, 2009.
632
Calls regarding complaints/Incidents received by the College’s
Enforcement Call Centre
2,538
4,034
508
Field visits - Construction Sector.
Field visits - Motive Power Sector.
Field visits - Service Sector.
Public protection:
The College now posts Public Advisories on its website
following the resolution to a Provincial Offence Notice or
charge.
“It is an important safety measure that the public and
businesses confirm the qualifications of tradespeople
they are hiring to do the work of a compulsory trade,”
says Bob Onyschuk, Director of Compliance and
Enforcement for the Ontario College of Trades.
For more information,
visit collegeoftrades.ca/whats-new/public-advisory
Ajax
Arnprior
Barrie
Blind River
Brampton
Brantford
Burlington
Carleton Place
Collingwood
Cornwall
Essex
Greater Sudbury
Grimsby
Guelph
Hamilton
Innisfil
Kingsville
Kitchener
Leamington
Lincoln
London
Midland
Milton
Mississauga
Mt Forest
Niagara Falls
Niagara-on-the-Lake
North Bay
Oakville
Orangeville
Orillia
Ottawa
Owen Sound
Pembroke
Peterborough
Pickering
Richmond Hill
Sarnia
Sault Ste. Marie
Scarborough
St Catharines
St Thomas
Stayner
Tecumseh
Thunder Bay
Timmins
Toronto
Vaughan
Wasaga Beach
Waterloo
Windsor
Woodstock
Legend
10+ times visited
100+ times visited
11
You asked, we listened!
The College welcomes and values your feedback.
These are some of the questions we’ve been getting from our Members.
What is the College doing to promote the skilled trades
to youth?
The College has spent a significant amount of energy
sharing with young people all that a career in the trades
has to offer.
In May, the College was featured in the Toronto Sun’s ‘Your
Future Your Choice’ special supplementary piece, as well
as Metro newspaper’s ‘Trades and Apprenticeships’ pullout career section.
The College also sponsored and attended the annual
Ontario Technological Skills competition in Waterloo. The
event was the largest and best-attended in its 25-year
history, and College representatives had the opportunity
to speak with hundreds of students, parents, teachers,
guidance counselors and industry stakeholders.
Additionally, College Registrar and CEO David Tsubouchi
has been visiting high schools, colleges and training
centres across the province to reach out to youth, and
encourage young people to think carefully about pursuing
a rewarding career in the skilled trades.
For those young people that are interested in the trades,
the new ‘Road to Apprenticeship’ webpage on the College
website outlines step-by-step how a potential apprentice
can begin their career in the skilled trades. For more
information, please visit http://www.collegeoftrades.ca/
public/road-to-apprenticeship
Is there a way to simply explain journeyperson-toapprentice ratios?
the College’s website, will allow employers to quickly and
accurately establish how many apprentices they are able
to hire. The tool is designed to take the ‘guess work’ out
of the ratio process, and create a more efficient, easy-tounderstand system for employers.
Currently, only 20% of employers take on the maximum
amount of permitted apprentices. The College hopes that
the new ratio calculator will contribute to both a rise in
the number of employers willing to take on apprentices,
and an increase in the total amount of apprenticeships in
Ontario. or more information, please visit
http://www.collegeoftrades.ca/public/journeyperson-toapprentice-ratios
What is the College doing to increase transparency?
In keeping with the commitment from Register and
CEO David Tsubouchi to increase transparency and
information sharing, the College recently began publishing
to its website the minutes of Trade and Divisional Board
meetings. The College feels that posting this information is
an important step in fulfilling our responsibility to protect
the public interest. For more information , please visit
http://www.collegeoftrades.ca/about/governance
Is there a way to show the public that I am a member of
the Ontario College of Trades?
The College is in the process of developing a sticker/
window decal that Members and employers can use to
demonstrate their good standing within the College. More
information will be available in the coming months.
In fact, the College is developing an easy to use ratio
calculator. The calculator, which will be accessible via
Do you have any comments or inquiries about Trades Today? Please send them to: [email protected].
Ontario College of Trades
655 Bay St., Suite 600
Toronto, ON M5G 2K4
Telephone: (647) 847-3000
Toll free number: 1 (855) 299-0028
Fax: 1 (866) 398-0368
E-mail: [email protected]
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Disclaimer: While Ontario College of Trades makes every effort to ensure that the information in this publication is current and accurate, Ontario College of Trades does
not warrant or guarantee that it will be free of errors. The information contained in this publication is not intended to cover all situations. It is general information only
and users/readers are encouraged to seek their own independent advice for particular fact situations.