The province says it will make changes to the Ontario College of Trades, following the completion of a review into its practices.
In his report, reviewer Tony Dean, who was appointed to conduct the review in 2014, has made a number of recommendations that the province says will strengthen the college, which is the governing body responsible for promoting and modernizing skilled trades in the province.
Over the course of the year-long review, Dean consulted with hundreds of tradespeople, employers, and industry and trade boards representing more than 70 trades.
Recommendation highlights that are expected to “improve the college’s processes and clarify its mandate” include:
-supporting the existing trade boards to update and bring consistency to all trades' scopes of practice;
-reviewing how trades are classified through establishment of an independent and evidence-based process that will use risk of harm as a key criterion;
-establishing clearer and more concise criteria on how journeyperson-to-apprentice ratios are determined; and
-developing an enforcement and compliance committee and appeal process to resolve potential conflicts earlier, as well as ensure enforcement activities are consistently carried out with safety and the public interest in mind.
The Ontario College of Trades opened for membership in 2013and provides members with benefits such as recognition as a skilled-trades professional, enforcement of trade regulations, and a mechanism to ensure public safety through a discipline and complaints process.
There are 237,000 active members in the Ontario College of Trades in more than 150 apprenticeable trades, including the construction, industrial, motive power and service sectors.
