As part of its overhaul of the provincial apprenticeship system, the Government of Ontario has appointed two training and skills advisors.

Adam Melnick and Andrew Pariser have been appointed for a period of two years. They will lead consultations with industry and stakeholders and provide recommendations to Ross Romano, the Minister of Training, Colleges and Universities, to modernize the skilled trades and apprenticeship system. Romano made the announcement on September 23.

"In order to get people the right jobs, we need to make it easy for them to get the right training - training that matches what employers are looking for," said Romano. "That's why I am so pleased that we are taking this next step in our modernization of the skilled trades and apprenticeship system. Adam and Andrew will hear directly from people involved in the sector - employers, apprentices, skilled tradespeople, and training providers. With their help, we can make meaningful changes to our current system and make it easier and faster to get people trained, certified, and begin working in the trades."

"Both Adam and Andrew are industry leaders and proven facilitators who know that jobs in the skilled trades are respected, in-demand and lead to rewarding, life-long careers," said Romano. "I have every confidence in their abilities to learn from Ontario's apprentices, employers, training providers, and skilled tradespeople, and to bring forward recommendations that will help us make it more desirable than ever to join the workforce as a skilled tradesperson."

Melnick is the current director of government and community relations for the Heat and Frost Insulators and Allied Workers, Local 95. He holds an Ontario Certificate of Qualification as a Heat and Frost Insulator and a diploma in Recreation and Leisure Services from Sir Sandford Fleming College.

As a journeyperson and advocate for the skilled trades, Melnick also spends time promoting and engaging educators, students and community partners around the opportunities that are available in the skilled trades. He also hosts and produces the Accidental Apprentices Podcast - Odd Jobs Explored.

Pariser is the vice-president of Residential Construction Council of Ontario (RESCON), specializing in training and apprenticeship, health and safety, and labour relations. He is the chair of both the RESCON Health and Safety committee and Training and Apprenticeship committee, and sits on three program advisory committees at Durham, Humber and George Brown colleges.

He served for eight years with the Ontario Ministry of Labour in the mediator services division, where he interacted with all sectors of Ontario economy including industrial, services, automotive, and construction. He also served on the International Foundation of Employee Benefits Plan (IFEBP) Apprentice, Training and Education Board (2017–2018) and IFEBP Canadian Board (2018–2021).

The men will begin their consultations this fall with a view to releasing a discussion paper on skilled trades and apprenticeship modernization. Part of their mandate is to provide advice to the minister on three things: a framework for portable skill sets and recommendations for an initial tranche of portable skill sets based on that framework, a risk-of-harm framework – advice on how to identify risk-based activities that should be restricted, and recommendations on which activities should be restricted, and an implementation plan for portable skill sets and restricted activities.

The announcement of the advisors comes as part of the province’s planned overhaul of the skilled trades and apprenticeship system. That process began in May with the passing of the Conservative government’s first budget. The legislation that supported that document also abolished the Ontario College of Trades, and promised to build a new skilled trades and apprenticeship system.

Some of the key changes described in the legislation included modernizing compliance and the enforcement of trades and skill sets by establishing a risk-based approach. Under this direction, trades will no longer be classified as voluntary or compulsory under the new legislation; however, there will be a requirement for certification to perform restricted activities. The changes also allow the Minister to designate a Registrar of Skilled Trades and Apprenticeship to be responsible for apprenticeship programs, issuing credentials and certificates, overseeing the compliance framework (for example, appointing inspectors) and maintaining a public register of certified tradespersons.

In November 2018, the province also adopted a one to one ratio of journeypersons to apprentices. This change, says the government, as boosted apprenticeship registrations in the construction sector by 24 percent over the same period a year ago.