Ontario Sewer and Watermain Construction Industry Congratulates Mr. Tony Dean as Chair of OCOT Review

TORONTO, Oct. 24, 2014 /CNW/ - The Ontario Sewer and Watermain Construction Association (OSWCA) would like to congratulate Tony Dean on his appointment as Chair of the review of the Ontario College of Trades. Having worked with Mr. Dean during his Expert Advisory Panel on Occupational Health and Safety, we believe he is very well positioned to lead this review. He has an accomplished background on leading these types of complex evaluations with a diverse group of stakeholders.

"We look forward to participating in this review process and offering our input into Mr. Dean's analysis of the scope of practice and the process for determining trade certification at the College," said Giovanni Cautillo, Executive Director of the OSWCA.

Based on the stated terms of reference for this review, we are concerned that the focus is much too narrow. A review exercise that considers the additional elements of governance, membership, and bias issues related to the expansion of compulsory certification are all items that to be need addressed and resolved in order to ensure buy-in from all affected stakeholders to the College long-term.

"We believe the College could be a very useful institution, but a major overhaul of its governance, enforcement, and certification process is necessary first," said OSWCA President Cindy McCarthy. "We need a government body that focusses on trade promotion and skills development in order to help improve the labour supply prospects for our industry, rather than jurisdictional disputes and trade certification."

The OSWCA is the voice of the sewer and watermain industry in the province, representing over 800 companies across Ontario including contractors, manufacturers, and distributors who build, supply, and service the sewer and watermain construction sector. To learn more about the OSWCA go to www.oswca.org. 

SOURCE: Ontario Sewer and Watermain Construction Association

Patrick McManus, Stakeholder Relations Manager, OSWCA, [email protected], or 905-629-8819