OEL demands resignation of College of Trades chair

Ontario apprenticeship ratios face scrutiny as the Ontario College of Trades, Patrick Dillon, and the Ontario Electrical League clash over journeyperson-to-apprentice rules, 3:1 versus 1:1 standards, impartial consultations, and skilled trades regulation.

The Ontario Electrical League denounced “biased and partisan” comments made by the Acting Chair of the Ontario College of Trades, and has called for his immediate resignation.

The Acting Chair, Patrick Dillon, commented to the Daily Commercial News DCN about building trades apprenticeship rules, which he oversees as a public appointee to the College of Trades. Mr. Dillon, who is leading public consultations on apprenticeship ratios and a potential power-sector labour shortage response, was quoted in the November 1 online issue of DCN as saying:

“…Progressive Conservative Leader Tim Hudak is out campaigning for election funds and is using … the Ontario Electrical League as mechanisms to do so via the ratio issue.”

“Now, all of sudden, we have one employer association from all the PACs Provincial Advisory Committees who thinks the ratios are wrong and we have to do a consultation to deliver for that one association.”

The Ontario College of Trades is a regulatory college established by the Ontario government to oversee the province's apprenticeship and skilled trades system amid a looming worker shortage across the sector. In addition to his role at the College of Trades, Mr. Dillon is the Business Manager and Secretary Treasurer of the Provincial Building and Construction Trades Council of Ontario.

“It is completely unacceptable for a public appointee of the Ontario Government, especially one who is serving as the Acting Chair of a supposedly impartial consultation, to smear stakeholder organizations that appear before them,” said Mary Ingram, President of the Ontario Electrical League. “Mr. Dillon cannot continue in this position, and we therefore call for his immediate resignation.”

Ingram added, “The Ontario Electrical League approached these consultations in good faith, as a leading stakeholder in Ontario’s electrical industry, and through initiatives like TradeUp for Success working to attract apprentices, too. “How can we trust any decision made by the College of Trades if these partisan smears are allowed to stand?”

According to a Media Release from the OEL, “The Ontario Electrical League has long called for a reduction in the ratio of electrical journeypersons to apprentices, in line with ratios in almost every other province, such as Manitoba job training programs. Under provincial government rules, Ontario contractors must have three certified electricians for every apprentice compared with the 1:1 ratio in most other jurisdictions. This reduces job opportunities for young people and business opportunities for thousands of contractors.”

“Mr. Dillon’s comments give us strong reason for concern that the College of Trades cannot rule objectively on calls to reduce Ontario’s apprenticeship ratios. As long as he is part of this process, these consultations are a sham.”

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