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Strengthening the economy and empowering consumers, why Ontario needs the College of Trades
April 18, 2013 · 0 Comments
By Ron Johnson, Chair of The College of Trades
It isn’t an exaggeration to say that the skilled trades have built our economy: laying the foundations, constructing, powering, and maintaining the infrastructure our society runs on. In the fast-paced, out-sourced, high-tech twenty-first century, we take it for granted that goods will arrive at their just-in-time destination thanks to efficient roads and railways, that the lights will always turn on at the flip of a switch, and that the buildings in which goods are produced are safe and durable.
All the change taking place in our economy recently means it’s more important than ever to build, service, and adapt our infrastructure. The strength of our economy depends, in a very real way, on the strength of the trade industries. (You just can’t outsource the installation of a bridge or a home renovation.)
A shortage is looming in a number of trade sectors. The Conference Board of Canada estimates we’ll need more than 360,000 skilled trade workers by 2025, a number that could grow to 560,000 by 2030. To stay competitive, we need to attract new workers to the trades and give them the best training possible.
In Ontario, the trade sector is fragmented, and no one has been looking at the bigger picture. That is, until now. The Ontario College of Trades is an industry-driven organization bringing together leaders from the trades, as well as employers and the public, to examine and find solutions to the problems facing the trade sector. Part of its mandate will be ensuring that we’ve got skilled trade workers when and where we need them in the future economy.
It will accomplish this through a number of strategies. Through consultation with employers, trade workers, the public, and other interested stakeholders, the College has created a process where independent panels can decide to keep or adjust journeyperson to apprenticeship ratios. The College will further act as a champion for the trades, promoting opportunities and attracting new talent to give our province a competitive edge.
But this isn’t just about the economy. It’s also good news for consumers. As a consumer, you want to ensure that any individual you hire has the skills to do quality work, and will do it safely. Up until now, there hasn’t been an effective way to protect consumers from unqualified, unscrupulous practitioners. While the vast majority of tradespeople are ethical and qualified, when you’re inviting someone into your home or business, you want the peace of mind that comes with knowing that person is certified to industry standards.
The Ontario College of Trades will empower consumers to protect themselves, by providing tools to look up the qualifications of a tradesperson—and provide a place to report misconduct. Through this public register and discipline process, the College will increase consumer confidence and raise standards in the industry. All this will be done with a click of a mouse or a phone call.
Other professions, like teachers and paralegals, have systems to uphold standards and protect the public. The College will bring this kind of disciplinary system to the trade sector as well. A few bad actors can do a lot of damage to the industry’s reputation, and it’s in the best interest of employers and tradespeople to help prevent this. The College won’t restrict legitimate and honest tradespeople in their work – but it will limit unscrupulous operators who break the rules, do unsafe work, and contribute to the underground economy.
The College is an investment by the industry in standards and professionalism. It will help our economy, protect consumers, and blaze the trail forward for the trade sector for decades to come. It will give nearly 600,000 workers in over 150 trades in Ontario the pride and confidence to strive toward even higher standards. In the end, a stronger trade sector means a stronger Ontario and a better future for all of us.
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