“Certainly, there’s room for improvement. We need to come up with a new (apprenticeship) system.”
- Cambrian College President Sylvia Barnard (The Sudbury Star, January 25, 2012).

OWEN SOUND – Georgian College has an important role in tackling Ontario’s jobs crisis that has developed on Dalton McGuinty’s watch, Ontario PC Leader Tim Hudak said today while at Georgian College.

“Ontario has a paradox of high unemployment and widespread skilled-labour shortages,” Hudak said. “I have a plan that helps solve both. It starts with creating more than 200,000 new skilled-trades jobs over four years by fixing Ontario’s outdated apprenticeship system.”

“We will reduce the number of journeymen to apprentices, making it 1 to 1.This puts more skilled workers on the job and makes it easier for ambitious student apprentices to get hired by willing employers,” Hudak added.

“To do this, we need to get community colleges like Georgian College further involved. Committed educators are crucial to facilitating new apprenticeship opportunities.”

The following are examples of new responsibilities colleges would administer under the Ontario PC apprenticeship reform plan include:

• helping to match aspiring apprentices with employers;
• reaching out to local businesses willing and capable to take on apprentices; and
• having community colleges coordinate apprenticeship agreements.

Hudak was joined by Bruce-Grey-Owen Sound MPP Bill Walker who said: “The Ontario PC plan works to ensure local businesses have an abundance of human capital to draw from right here in rural Ontario. There’s nothing more I want than for local students to achieve their professional dreams at home in Owen Sound.”

Hudak concluded, “The PC plan means more electricians, ironworkers, carpenters, construction millwrights and sheet metal workers. The list goes on. So do the opportunities.”