Fact vs Fiction: The Ontario College of Trades

Fact vs Fiction
Get the facts:

The College of Trades’ membership fee is not a tax
The College of Trades is not a school
The College of Trades will not make all trades compulsory
The College of Trades is not a bureaucracy
The College of Trades will not restrict young people from entering the trades
The College of Trades invites tradespeople to help set apprenticeship ratios
The College of Trades will help the economy and skilled trades professionals

FICTION: The College of Trades will impose an $84 million dollar tax on tradespeople and employers.

FACT: Like other regulatory colleges in Ontario, the Ontario College of Trades will be funded through membership fees. This is not a government fee.

The College’s budget in 2013 is about $20 million. To suggest that the budget is $84 million is simply wrong.

The membership fees will fund the operation of an industry-led organization that will protect the public interest by regulating and promoting the skilled trades. Previously, the cost of running the skilled trades system was paid for by the taxpayers of Ontario. The fees charged by the government did not come close to covering the cost of a self-governing regulatory college.

The College’s membership fees have not been decided yet, but they will be the lowest of any regulatory College in Ontario.


FICTION: The College is a union-run school that will provide training and education in the skilled trades. 

FACT: The Ontario College of Trades is not a training institution, like a community college or trade school. The College is a regulatory body, similar to the College of Teachers, the College of Nurses or the College of Physicians and Surgeons.

The College represents the trades in Ontario. It’s led by a Board of Governors made up of representatives from all trade sectors, employers and employees, union and non-union, compulsory and voluntary trades, as well as members of the public.

The College has a mandate to protect the public interest by regulating the skilled trades sector. The College will certify tradespeople to high industry standards and will help attract talented young people to careers in the skilled trades.

Tor ead more of the facts from the list click this link to go to the College of Trades Website