Perth-Wellington MPP Randy Pettapiece believes the provincial government must do more to encourage jobs in the skilled trades. That’s why he invited his colleague, MPP Garfield Dunlop, to a meeting to discuss the issue with area tradespeople.
Dunlop, the MPP for Simcoe North, serves as the Ontario PC Critic for Skilled Trades and Apprenticeship Reform.
“Ontario faces a jobs crisis,” said Pettapiece. “Yet, at the same time, the province has a shortage of skilled tradespeople.”
Hosted by the Stratford and Area Builders’ Association, the discussion took place in Stratford on Nov. 6 at the Festival Inn. Discussion focused on a range of issues including apprenticeship reform, compulsory certification, and the College of Trades and its controversial mandatory membership fees.
“The number-one concern expressed by Ontario’s tradespeople is this unjust membership fee that is being imposed upon them by the College of Trades. Ontario’s tradespeople deserve to be treated with respect,” said Dunlop.
The College will also undertake regulatory functions such as issuing licences and certificates of membership, as well as setting standards for training and certification. These new requirements are in addition to the ones already in place with most skilled trades professions and organizations. The Ontario PC caucus has called on the Ontario College of Trades to be abolished.
“In our white paper, called An Agenda for Growth, we have proposed changes that will increase the number skilled trades workers,” said Pettapiece. “Those workers need jobs, and Ontario needs those workers.”
John Meinen, president of Stratford and Area Builders’ Association and 2nd vice-president of the Ontario Homebuilders’ Association, agreed he College of Trades’ mandatory fees have to go.
“Trades workers will have to pay hundreds of dollars in annual fees to the newly created College,” Meinen stated. “This will drive up the costs of operating a business in Ontario and do nothing to address our skilled trades shortage.”
