www.ecao.org 16 IBEW 2 Looks Back on 2018 2018 will most likely be remembered as a year of change, punctuated by an incoming Ontario government in spring and the announcement about the end of OCOT in November. The Ontario College of Trades (OCOT), Apprenticeship Ratios and Next Steps The passing of Bill 47 on November 21 meant many changes for labour law in Ontario, and will mean the closure of OCOT in 2019. A new system to regulate the trades will need to be developed, and the IBEW and ECAO stand ready to be part of that discussion. In particular, discussions about apprenticeship ratios have been reopened. There is concern from parts of the construction industry about the number of skilled trades available to do the work, especially as the baby boomer generation retires. But blindly taking on more and more apprentices won’t help. Because the electrical trade is so complex, it takes an apprentice about five years to become a journeyperson. It’s a journey many in the non-union sector don’t complete. As the IBEW has arguably the highest completion ratio for its apprentices (95 per cent or better, depending on the local), we can share the not-so-secret keys to our success, including: •  We don’t treat apprentices as cheap disposable labour. •  We take smart candidates with good grades in high school math, physics and English. •  We support them on their career path. We’re looking forward to sharing our insights with the rest of the industry, and to any who may not have all the facts yet. Taking Education Further No other organization provides better training than the IBEW, and this year our locals raised the bar yet again. As Bill Pearse, Business Manager of Kingston’s Local 105, put it, “Our apprentices are learning that they can do excellent quality work in the same time it takes non-union workers to do a second-rate or even unsafe job.” Sarnia’s Local 530 opened a new dedicated training hall in October, joining the majority of locals who already have such facilities. Whether a local has a separate facility or not, dedicated training staff and programs teach advanced skills not only to apprentices, but journeypersons who want to learn about new technologies like LiFi (wireless smart “light fidelity” systems). Other locals expanded on existing training programs. Thunder Bay’s Local 402 embraced virtual reality training, and Local 105 in Hamilton became the only certified Training Delivery Agent for the Basic and Advanced Network Cabling Specialist programs in Ontario. Embracing Advanced New Technologies Technology is changing at a fantastic pace, and there are some very exciting new advantages coming to our communities. The Internet of things (IoT), microgrids, renewable power generation and communications technology are promising both more convenience and more energy efficiency. IBEW locals are showing they are on the leading edge of these emerging technologies. An electric vehicle charging station at IBEW Local 586 in Ottawa now has EV charging stations both for training purposes and to Forward to 2019 & ECAO Labour Partner IBEW