OEL members take advantage of reduced ratios, hire more apprentices
Since the Ontario Government reduced journeyperson to apprentice ratios last year, members of the Ontario Electrical League say they’ve hired more apprentices.
This news comes on the heels of a release yesterday by the OEL in which the organization marks the first anniversary of the provincial government’s Bill 47, Making Ontario Open for Business Act. One among several changes the act introduced was to loosen journeyperson to apprenticeship ratios from 3:1 to 1:1. The OEL called the previous structure “confusing and restricting.”
One year later, the OEL surveyed its members to find out how many had hired additional apprentices as a result. The findings show that 75 percent of respondents hired at least one apprentice, and more than 100 overall have been hired—for an average of 2.95 apprentices per respondent.
“Now more than ever, one of the most emphasized topics of conversation among the trades is preparing today’s generation for the future,” said OEL president Stephen Sell. “One-to-one ratios not only allow people to land coveted apprenticeships, but it may just influence those that could be considering a career in the skilled trades – who are now much more inclined to pursue one knowing that a major roadblock has been lifted.”
In a May 2018 survey, the OEL sought to establish how it could best display and address the struggle that contractors were facing from restricted ratios. It asked over 100 OEL members how many additional apprentices they would hire if journeyperson to apprentice ratios were changed, in which the average response was two. A total of 73 percent indicated they would hire more apprentices if they were allowed the option. Both the OEL’s May 2018 survey and October 2019 survey showed similar results, the latter echoing the proposed hiring numbers indicated by members earlier.
“Bill 47 received Royal Assent on November 21, 2018, paving the way for emerging apprentices to receive the necessary training needed to become licensed in their respective fields and allowing employers across Ontario to properly hire and train the next generation of tradespeople without unnecessary ratio setbacks,” said the OEL in a statement.