The Greater Sudbury Chamber of Commerce is calling on the Government of Ontario to undertake serious reform to improve the College of Trades, Ontario’s new regulatory body for the skilled trades.
The chamber, in co-operation with its provincial counterpart – the Ontario Chamber of Commerce - released a report with several recommendations to make the college more responsive to the needs of employers and the economy.
The report, Caution: Work Ahead, highlights the fact that the college's decisions around journeyperson-to-apprentice ratios are being made without sufficient data and input from small business.
“Data provided by the Government of Ontario does not give a complete picture of how changes to journeyperson-to-apprentice ratios will impact our economy,” said Debbi Nicholson, Sudbury chamber president and CEO, in a statement. “Government needs to do a better job of generating and sharing labour market information with employers so that they can make informed contributions to the ratio review process.”
Among its recommendations, the report calls for the college to renew its commitment to promoting the skilled trades as a career path for youth, a critical component of the college’s mandate that is currently unfulfilled.
“Our members are willing to give the college a shot, but only if it is properly structured and has the ability to fulfill all components of its mandate,” Nicholson said. “If implemented, the college can be salvaged – but the government and the college leadership need to act immediately.”
To read the full report, visit: http://sudburychamber.ca/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/COT_Sudbury.pdf.
