CLAC/PCA Joint Advisory re: Apprentices and the Ontario College of Trades

CLAC/PCA Joint Advisory re: Apprentices and the Ontario College of Trades
 
Apprentices to Register with the Ontario College of Trades by April 8, 2014
 
Employers have recently began receiving letters from the Ontario College of Trades (OCOT)/Ministry of Training Colleges and Universities suggesting that if their apprentices do not register with the Ontario College of Trades by April 8, 2013 the apprentice’s training agreement will be cancelled, and furthermore the apprentice will no longer be able to fulfill any duties in a compulsory trade.  PCA and CLAC encourage all employers of apprentices, and apprentices to ensure that this registration takes place prior to April 8, 2014.  Registration with the OCOT for apprentices is $60 plus HST.  We understand that there may be a 60 day grace period following April 8, but training agreements will need to be re-initiated, and apprentices will have to pay double the amount if they register post April 8th. 
 
PCA/CLAC members may have seen a piece of legislation by MPP Garfield Dunlop that would extend this deadline indefinitely.  However because this legislation is in its infancy, and furthermore because it is a Private Members Bill, it is unlikely that it will pass in time to affect extension of the deadline.
 
PCA/CLAC members should also know that an apprentice that has finished his/her training, and has ‘signed off’ on their training agreement has only one year to complete and pass their CofQ exam according to new requirements from the OCOT.   Apprentices that have completed their training, but have not completed their CofQ exam, are now termed ‘journeyperson candidates’.  Journeyperson candidates are allowed to continue working for only one year post-apprenticeship completion.  Following the year deadline, the candidate can no longer perform any duties as an apprentice (or journeyperson for that matter) in a compulsory trade.
 
For any questions related to this information please contact Karen Renkema at PCA (krenkema@pcac.ca) or Colin deRaaf at CLAC (CdeRaaf@clac.ca).