The Ontario government is making good on a promise from last spring to strike down regulatory barriers to permit greater labour mobility.
Beginning Jan. 1, people in more than 50 professions, such as architects, engineers, geoscientists, surveyors and electricians, can start working in Ontario within 10 days once their credentials are confirmed by a regulator.
A provincial announcement on Labour Day said 10 agreements have been signed with other provinces and territories that will remove interprovincial barriers to allow for the free movement of people and goods between provinces. These are reciprocal arrangements allowing for Ontarians to move and work in other places in Canada.
The government said this is an improvement over a process that made recognized professionals wait up to half a year before being registered to start working in Ontario.
The government’s “As of Right” rule applies across professions regulated covered by more than 50 regulatory authorities and 300 certifications.
“This historic change to labour mobility will not only make it faster and easier for workers across Canada to come and begin working in our province, but it will also help us secure more of the valuable home-grown talent that our country needs to deliver on the nation-building projects that will make us the most competitive economy in the G7,” said provincial Finance Minister Peter Bethlenfalvy in a news release.
“As the body tasked with regulating the practice of engineering and governing the engineering profession, we are pleased to work with the government to enhance labour mobility outcomes for qualified engineers from across our country,” said Jennifer Quaglietta, CEO of the Professional Engineers of Ontario. “We know that these efforts will help to build Canada, including much needed projects and endeavours here in Ontario.”
