Annex A of the Canada-Ontario Labour Market Partnership Agreement sets out the areas in which the federal and provincial governments intend to cooperate to “expand and enhance apprenticeship.” As such, we have grouped our issues for discussion under the themes listed in Annex A.

1. Enhancing and expanding access to apprenticeship

• Recognize the difference between apprenticeship training and other so-called trades-type programs that do not allow an apprentice (individual) to be certified in the whole trade.  The Ontario Federation of Labour recommends that the Ontario government support apprenticeship in whole trades.
• Recognize that the shortage of skilled trades persons is not a problem of information sharing, communications or lack of interest in acquiring a trade by individuals.
• The Ontario government must return to one piece of legislation covering apprenticeship: the Trades Qualification and Apprenticeship Act.
• Increase the number of Compulsory Certifications and introduce a legislative process for establishing the certifications.  It does not make apprenticeship appealing when you spend a major part of your education in training and then the trade gets diluted or is not a whole trade.
• Increase funding to public community colleges and non-profit union training centres.
• Initiate consultations on the establishment of a Provincial Training Levy to deal with the shortage of jobs for apprentices.  We need employers, specifically in the industrial sector, to step up to the plate and provide these jobs.  In other words, we do not have an apprentice or person shortage, we have job shortage and so apprentices are simply not being trained.  Some argue the ratio formula of apprentices to journeypersons is a barrier to having more apprentices.  In fact, by insisting on this ratio, we are ensuring that apprentices are taught the trade in a safe way. Moreover, by exempting from the Training Levy those employers who are already adhering to this practice, we are creating further incentives for compliance, and further opportunities for bone fide apprenticeship training.