New Opportunity to Address the Skilled Trades Gap

There is a new opportunity for the construction to address our skills gap. Minister of Labour, training and Skills Development Monte McNaughton has introduced the Building Opportunities in the Skilled Trades Act. When it passes, it will replace the failed Ontario College of Trades with a new approach that focuses on reducing barriers and streamlining the process to access training and enter the trades.

A new agency, Skilled Trades Ontario, will be created with the responsibility to promote the trades, conduct research, operate a registration portal and issue certificates. The Ministry will regulate the trades, compliance and enforcement.

This proposal reflects the recommendations that OGCA and our coalition, the Ontario Skilled Trades Alliance, have been advocating. We will actively work to support the passage and implementation of this proposal. It provides the opportunity we need to address the skills gap.

Buildforce has projected that the Ontario construction sector must add well over 100,000 tradespersons by 2030 to meet the growth of the industry. The current growth is coming up short of the need creating a crisis now in some of the trades. We are working closely with the government to identify opportunities and recruit into the construction trades.

The need to address the skills gap was identified as the number one priority in the OGCA strategic plan and after many years we are encouraged that this is important progress.