Unlock 200,000 New Skilled Trades Jobs: Hudak

StarBuzz Weekly, Toronto-Tim Hudak Calls on Dalton McGuinty to Modernize Ontario’s Apprenticeship System

QUEEN’S PARK — Ontario PC Leader Tim Hudak was joined by 35 pre-apprentices today to renew his urgent call on Dalton McGuinty to modernize Ontario’s apprenticeship system and create 200,000 new skilled trade jobs – from ironworkers to electricians to plumbers.

Ontario is experiencing a jobs crisis. Our province is losing 100 private-sector jobs every hour – contributing to a jobless rate that has remained above the national average for almost five years. At the same time, Ontario is also experiencing a skilled trades shortage, which is expected to top one million vacancies within a decade.

Despite these urgent issues, Dalton McGuinty has not brought forward a single new idea to create jobs. Instead he continues to cling to failed ideas and an outdated apprenticeship system that puts the priorities of union bosses ahead of new jobs for young workers.

Tim Hudak and the Ontario PC Caucus have long championed a modern and simplified apprenticeship system. Specifically, their proposal would create 200,000 new apprenticeship jobs over four years by delegating more responsibility to Ontario colleges for matching apprentices up with employers and reducing the ratio of journeymen to apprentices 1-to-1 – allowing employers, particularly small businesses, to put more skilled workers on the job.

QUOTES:

“The desire to work in the skilled trades is all around us. What’s lacking it the political will to put job creation ahead of the special interests. In one simple, practical step we can give 200,000 men and women the opportunity to build a good career in the skilled trades right here in Ontario.”

--Tim Hudak, Ontario PC Leader

“The Government of Ontario should help young people get a job in the trades. There’s plenty of work out there that thousands of unemployed people could be doing. I just want a job, not a government that stops me from getting one.”

--Michael Harrison, 21, pre-apprentice

QUICK FACTS:

·       The Ministry of Finance predicts that there will be over one million, skilled job vacancies by 2021.

·       Under Dalton McGuinty’s watch, Ontario is producing 46 per cent fewer skilled tradespeople (per capita) than the rest of Canada.

·       Most provinces already have lower apprenticeship ratios than Ontario: including: Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Alberta.