Another goal for construction profes- sionals is to have ongoing dialogue with the industry and the trades institu- tionalized in the new model. Though the private sector may have somewhat “dropped the ball” with OCOT, the need to establish a system that includes ongoing discussions with stakeholders is seen as fundamental to the success of any new program. By doing this, continuous improvement will become a permanent part of the system and result in a more successful approach in the long term. ONTARIO COLLEGE OF TRADES How will everything unfold? It’s too soon to say. With the remodel- ling of the skilled trades sector still in its early stages, industries remain in a “wait and see” mode and will be for a while yet. “The jury is still out,” reflects Mollen- hauer, “but TCA is optimistic that the government is moving in the right direc- tion with the recent start of stakeholder consultations.” Stay tuned. |BD young people into the trades.” Mollen- hauer goes on to explain that building permits in the province have increased by 50 per cent since 2016 – from $12 billion to more than $18 billion – and southern Ontario is now one of the most active construction regions in the world. The province’s skilled workforce, on the other hand, sits at around 540,000 people – well below the number needed to properly respond to the current level of construction activity. CONSULTATIONS The Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities (TCU) is currently under- taking consultations to determine how the new model should be formed – a process focused on identifying problems from the OCOT experience and finding ways to solve them. Construction, labour and contractor associations are being consulted to learn what they feel needs to be addressed. The general consensus is that a more common-sense approach is needed to ensure the skilled trades sector functions in a way that encour- ages businesses to invest in Ontario and provides workers with proper training and increased job opportunities. The industry’s hope is that the govern- ment will ultimately be attentive to construction companies and their concerns. “The key to developing a new model is the government’s ability to be a good listener,” states Mollenhauer. “The decision to wind down OCOT was made with no input from industry, so it’s vitally important that government engages all parties in serious discussions on how the skilled trades area should be retooled and listens to what they have to say.” One such concern is enforcement. Currently, there is a long list of enforce- ment agencies that can come onto a job site at random and potentially shut it down. This is an enormous worry for site managers, who feel that priority should be placed on safety and other specific problems that need to be fixed on the site. Celebrating our 30th anniversary Sprint Mechanical Inc. 50 Woodbine Downs Blvd, Toronto, ON M9W 5R2 Ph: 416-747-6059 Toll Free: 1-888-600-7995 www.sprintmechanical.com Builders' Digest Quarter 4 2018 | 23