April 17, 2008

Online Poll Response

Government admits skilled labour shortage exists, but refuses to make useful changes

RE: Should the journeyman/ apprentice ratios be changed to allow more apprentices to be trained?

The issue of how the current apprenticeship ratios in Ontario limits the development of new trades people has been brought to the attention of the government on many occasions over the last 10 to 15 years, especially as the long predicted and well documented skilled trade shortage has developed.

The irony is that to date, while the government publicly recognizes the reality of the skilled trade shortage, they have consistently rejected the notion of making changes to these ratios even while they continue to support new spending initiatives for such things as pre-apprenticeship training.

This has been very frustrating for us as trade contractors.

Instead of helping us to increase the number of new trades people entering the work force by allowing us to train more of our readily accessible and willing workers here in Ontario, the government has in fact prevented us from providing this training and thereby become a major part of the problem.

This is unfortunate because as a result of the current policies, many of our young people are shut out of the opportunity to access the well-paying jobs available in the skilled trades workforce. All the while, the mainstream media has for the most part failed to report on the reality of this situation.

This lack of reporting was very apparent when during question period in the House on the day following the tabling of the budget, the Opposition grilled the Premier and the Minister about this very issue and on the prudence of spending millions of dollars on pre-apprenticeship training (which was touted by the government as a significant budget benefit) when the government’s own regulations prevent most of these trainees from actually being able to get an apprenticeship.

This important exchange in the house can be read on the transcripts available on the Ontario government website but it was not mentioned in any one of the three significant newspapers that I read every day.

Hopefully your recent limited coverage of this issue is the start of a wider attempt by the media to make the Ontario public aware of this situation so that pressure can be put on the government to make changes.

Rick Krygsman

VP, Project Development

Pro Electric Inc.

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