The Ontario College of Trades receives Review Panel decision on Sprinkler and Fire Protection Installer trade classification

TORONTO, April 23, 2014 /CNW/ - The Ontario College of Trades (the College) has received the decision of an independent Review Panel looking at whether the Sprinkler and Fire Protection Installer trade should be reclassified as a compulsory trade or remain a voluntary trade.

Following a public call for Written Submissions and oral consultations, an independent Review Panel — in a split decision — has decided that the Sprinkler and Fire Protection Installer trade should be reclassified as a compulsory trade. In making its decision, the Review Panel considered all submissions received against a set of criteria that included public safety, economic impact of the reclassification, and the health and safety of apprentices and journeypersons working in the trade.

The College will now begin working with the provincial government to bring this change into effect through regulation. It is expected that there will be a two-year implementation process to ensure that anyone working in the trade who is not currently a member of the College in the Apprentices, Journeypersons Candidates or Journeypersons class can become a member and continue to work legally in the trade once the trade is reclassified in regulation.

In the coming months, the College will release further details on the implementation process and whether or not there will be any 'grandparenting' of registration requirements for those currently working in the trade who are not currently members of the College.

Quick Facts

• Approximately 2,000 journeypersons hold a Certificate of Qualification in the Sprinkler and Fire Protection Installer trade — but currently are not members of the College.
• On March 19, 2013, skilled trades professionals working in the trade requested a review of their trade's voluntary classification through their Trade Board.
• Sprinkler and Fire Protection Installer is the first trade to go through this new independent process for trade classification reviews.
• Currently of the 156 trades in Ontario, only 22 are classified compulsory.

To learn more about the College or access the public register, visit www.collegeoftrades.ca. Follow us on Twitter @collegeoftrades.

SOURCE: Ontario College of Trades

For media inquiries, please contact: Matthew Moir, 647-847-3072, [email protected]