"It's disheartening to see the door closed on young people when there are so many job openings available to them," said Richard Cullis, president of Dial One Wolfedale Electric, and director of the Ontario Electrical League (OEL), a non-profit electrical industry association that is spearheading the Support Ontario Youth campaign.
In a requirement almost unique to Ontario, Cullis said, contractors must have three certified electricians for every apprentice. By comparison, almost every other province and territory requires just one certified journey person per apprentice.
The Support Ontario Youth campaign was launched today to draw public attention to the lost jobs and to advance a simple and cost-free remedy. According to Cullis, new provincial legislation could reduce the ratio of certified electricians required for each apprentice from 3:1 to 1:1.
The situation is most pressing in the electrical trades, where numerous jobs across the province go unfilled. Other skilled construction trades face similar challenges.
"Instead of pink slips, Premier (Dalton) McGuinty should offer apprenticeship candidates new rules that will let them work," he said.
lrosella@mississauga.net
