Skills training praised but stakeholders ask what’s next?

The speech addressed skills training third among enumerated government priorities.

"People who want to upgrade their skills should expect help from their employer and from government," the speech, representing future intentions of Premier Kathleen Wynne's Liberals, indicated. "Your government will work with industry, unions and educators to develop new skills training projects, guided by the recommendations of the Highly Skilled Workforce Expert Panel."

A background report released with the budget listed the Ontario Youth Jobs Strategy, an annual billion-dollar allocation for Employment Ontario, and increased spending on apprenticeships among other government training initiatives that will be relied upon through the second half of Wynne's mandate to produce skilled workers.

Construction stakeholders had mixed views on skills training programs highlighted in the speech, with those interviewed indicating they were looking past the speech to further policy development and implementation. David Frame, director of government relations with the Ontario General Contractors Association, said the Liberals highlighted good news such as the hydro rebate and more spending on child care, and refrained from addressing coming reforms to the Ontario College of Trades (OCOT), among other controversial policy matters, that may affect the training of trades workers. As for the other training announcements, Frame said, "I think it's things that have all been restated twice before."

Joe Vaccaro, chair of the Ontario Skilled Trades Alliance (OSTA), said his members are looking for better-trained workers and hopes there will be better delivery mechanisms emerging in the future.

"Our members have been struggling to close the skills gap and we welcome the government's new focus on connecting skills training funding for the jobs of today and tomorrow," Vaccaro said. "Now it's time for government to engage employers to close the skills gap and improve Ontario's productivity and competitiveness."

Vaccaro said the OSTA appreciates some of the recent measures the province has taken, including announcing a rebranded Ministry of Advanced Education and Skills Development, but that additional step — of finding a way to link the skills needs of businesses, especially in the construction sector, with trained workers — remains unaddressed.

"We're encouraged that they've created a new ministry, and Deb Matthews is responsible for that, and we're encouraged that trade training and linking that skills funding towards training and jobs of the future has found its way into the throne speech, so I look at all these things as being positive, but we also look to the government to engage employers into bringing these things forward," said Vaccaro. "I would say that is one thing that is missing."

OCOT should play a bigger role in that process, Vaccaro said.

"If I have a small business, I should be able to make a call to the College of Trades and say, 'I'm a drywaller, I'm looking to bring on an apprentice, help me work my way through the process,'" he said. "And the liaison office at the College of Trades should be able to walk that person not only through the paperwork but also through the tax credits and the funding and the incentives that will support the training of that person."

Vaccaro said he was looking ahead to a report from former cabinet minister Chris Bentley to current Minister of Labour Kevin Flynn with analysis on the implementation of the Dean report on OCOT reform, expected to be delivered this fall, to indicate if the service function might be recommended.

"We are looking to see what comes out of that set of recommendations as a launching pad for where this government wants to take this conversation, how can they fill the skills gap, how we can work with them to fill the skills gap, keeping in mind that it can't be closed just by government," said Vaccaro. "Employers ultimately create the jobs and the training opportunities, and we need to be part of that conversation."

Sarah Watts-Rynard, executive director of the Canadian Apprenticeship Forum, said she liked the direction that the government is taking the skills training portfolio.

"My preliminary reaction to the throne speech is positive," she said in written comments. "As a vision for the work to be undertaken in the next session, speeches from the throne rarely provide a lot of detail. That said, this one includes references to improved skills training, infrastructure investments (hospitals, schools, bridges, transit), and a commitment to experiential learning.

"Moving forward with the Ring of Fire and capacity in the manufacturing sector support employment in the skilled trades."

Watts-Rynard said she is keen to see how the recommendations of the Highly Skilled Workforce Expert Panel will be implemented.

"I will be keeping my eyes open for the specifics arising from these policy directions," said Watts-Rynard. "Some of the recommendations from the Highly Skilled Workforce Expert Panel on apprenticeship are vague, so it's difficult to know what direction these might take. As a starting point, however, my sense is that apprenticeship and workplace skills training have a big part in this government's vision for Ontario."