October 24, 2018 (Toronto, ON) - The Ontario Electrical League (OEL) welcomes the Government of Ontario's groundbreaking new legislation,
Making Ontario Open for Business Act, as a transformative bill that will bring thousands of Ontarians into the skilled trades.
The bill removes restrictions on entering the trades by lowering the journeyperson to apprentice ratios in Ontario’s skilled trades to 1:1.
“This new bill will see hundreds, if not thousands of young Ontarians starting a career in the skilled trades in the near future,” said OEL President Stephen Sell. “There is a huge demand for new electricians and in the mechanical trades, and this bill will allow our members to hire Ontarians and train them for these rewarding and well-paid careers.”
Sell said the OEL members had been extremely frustrated by the previous Liberal Government’s complicated and confusing ratio restrictions, as well as the red tape and paperwork involved with hiring apprentices. These restrictions had prevented many OEL members from hiring apprentices and growing their businesses.
A recent summer of 2018 survey of 127 OEL electrical contractor members earlier this year showed that 73 per cent would hire more apprentices if the ratio restrictions were changed. This would add up to a total of 307 additional electrical apprentices for these employers.
“The OEL and its members have worked long and hard with government, regulators, industry, educators and other stakeholders to bring the problems with the current apprenticeship system to light,” said Sell. “The change to the 1:1 ratio is a long overdue step in the right direction for both employers and apprentices.”
“We are encouraging all OEL members to reach out to their local Member of Provincial Parliament and urge them to grant speedy passage to this important new law. The OEL looks forward to working with the government to modernize the apprenticeship system."
The new legislation and related regulatory changes were announced yesterday (October 23) and still need to be passed by the Ontario Legislature.
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About the Ontario Electrical League
The Ontario Electrical League is a non-profit provincial organization, dedicated to over 20 chapters and more than 12,000 individual members from the electrical industry. League members include electrical contractors, electricians, apprentices, utilities, generators, inspectors, distributors, manufacturers, manufacturers’ representatives, consulting engineers, educators and service companies.
Media Contact
Bao Xiong – Communications Specialist and Chapter Support, Ontario Electrical League
bao.xiong@oel.org
905-238-1382
October 24, 2018 (Toronto, ON) - The Ontario Electrical League (OEL) welcomes the Government of Ontario's groundbreaking new legislation, Making Ontario Open for Business Act, as a transformative bill that will bring thousands of Ontarians into the skilled trades.