September 4, 2007

Skills Development

Apprenticeship changes bode well for industry

New ratios increase apprentice to journeyperson count and hope to attract more into trades

VINCE VERSACE

staff writer

Industry leaders are predicting a strong future for trades now that apprenticeship ratio changes in the Trades Qualification and Apprenticeship Act have been made.

“The new ratios allow a little more flexibility as opposed to the old ratio, which was a little more restrictive,” says Sandra Skivsky, Canada Masonry Centre business development and marketing director. “This change will provide more stability.”

A brick and stone mason employer is now required to add one apprentice for every three additional journeypersons as opposed to every five.

Construction boilermakers, ironworkers, reinforcing rod workers and architectural glass and metal technicians were among the trades with changes to their journeyperson-to-apprentice ratio.

For every two additional journeypersons in the architectural glass and metal trade, there now must be one apprentice. The old ratio required one apprentice for every four additional journeypersons.

"We're on track to meet our goal of 26,000 new entrants."

Chris Bentley, Ontario Minister of Training, Colleges and Universities

“It certainly will help,” says Barrie Eon, Architectural Glass and Metal Contractors Association (AGMCA) executive director. “The changes are a good modernization of the Act.”

He said it will introduce more apprentices to trade and will build a more sustainable flow of future workers. For the AGMCA, there was not only a ratio change but a trade name change. Architectural Glazier and Metal Mechanics will now be known as Architectural Glass and Metal Technicians.

“The change of the trade name was supported to assist the industry to promote the trade within the school system and to others considering a career in the trades,” explains Eon.

Overall, ratio changes are good for the construction industry to help it generate growth of its future work force, notes Karen Renkema, Council of Ontario Construction Association policy and government relations vice-president.

The changes are another recent initiative in the provincial government’s attempts to increase apprentice numbers. Employment Ontario’s Skills Training Infrastructure Program has invested $16.9 million to date to help 53 union, employer and union-employer training centres replace or upgrade equipment. Funding allows the centres to keep pace with changing technological requirements and to increase their ability to train additional apprentices, trainees and workers.

“We’re on track to meet our goal of 26,000 new annual entrants into apprenticeship, up from 19,000 when our government started,” said Chris Bentley, Ontario Minister of Training, Colleges and Universities. “Unions and employers know which skills their workers need to get the job done and with up-to-date training equipment, more workers can hit the ground running.”

London’s LIUNA Local 1059 Regional Training Centre recently received $468,990 and the United Brotherhood of Carpenters Local 1946 Training Centre received $171,264 in Ontario funding to assist with the addition of equipment to their facilities.

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