Plumbing Apprentice

Please note: We are NOT accepting applications for apprentices at this time due to Ontario apprenticeship restrictions.

You can help to change this:

To become a licensed plumber requires a multi-year apprenticeship with on-the-job experience (usually 4 to 6 years). The Ontario government’s requirement for three licensed plumbers per apprentice is unfair to thousands of young people and the small businesses that want to hire them. Ontario can move immediately to a 1:1 ratio like almost all other provinces and territories, literally with the stroke of a pen.

Here are the facts:

Bad government policy keeps thousands of young people from working:

• Ontario has the highest apprenticeship ratios in Canada 
• • The Ontario government requires contractors to have three licensed plumbers for every apprentice (3:1). 
    
  • Across Canada and the US, 1:1 ratios are the norm. 
  • Faced with a severe shortage in the plumbing trades, BC now has a one journeyperson to four apprentice ratio (1:4).

  • The Ontario government urges young people to go into the skilled trades, then stops them from working. 

    • Widely aired government advertising campaigns promote work in the skilled trades amid a growing shortage of skilled journeypersons. Thousands of young people heed the call, enroll in training programs and apply for jobs. Then, many of them learn from employers that they can’t be hired because of unfair apprenticeship rules.
  • The government spends millions of dollars on skilled trades training programs, then closes the door on jobs.
    • In fact, the Province is so concerned about the growing skilled workforce shortage that it added an extra $1.5 billion to expand training programs in the 2008 budget. This includes $75 million to expand apprenticeship training. But much of this spending will produce graduates with no prospect of getting jobs as apprentices - until unfair apprenticeship rules are changed.

• The rationale for a 1:1 apprenticeship ratio is strong:

• Right now, thousands of would-be plumbing apprentices are looking for jobs. They want to work, but because of unfair apprenticeship ratios, can’t.
• Ontario’s independent plumbing contractors have thousands of potential apprenticeship job openings now if they could only get the ratio changed. WE are ready to hire.
• There is a large skilled trades workforce shortage, and it is growing fast 
  • Most plumbing companies reported difficulties hiring plumbers and with the current shortage many reported problems retaining them, according to independent research.
  • As baby boomers head toward retirement, over 17% of the sector’s workforce will be eligible to retire by 2010 and 37% by 2014.
  • The shortage of plumbers is so severe that the federal government fast-tracks immigrants who are qualified plumbers. 
  • The Ontario government is investing heavily in training and promotional programs specifically because the government itself has identified the ongoing shortage of skilled tradespeople in Ontario, including plumbers, as a pressing public policy issue.
• Plumbing apprentices in the many jurisdictions with a 1:1 ratio have a good safety record, produce high quality work, and progress well to full certification.
• For those fortunate enough to find apprentice jobs, plumbing work is a great career choice. 
  • Qualified plumbers are among the best paid of all skilled trades.
  • Apprentices earn more over time as they gain experience, and within five years they have highly-marketable skills.
  • For this reason, it’s no wonder that many more young Ontarians want to become plumbers than can find apprenticeship positions. This gap is growing with the economic downturn, particularly in the manufacturing sector.

Changing the apprenticeship ratio from the current 3:1 to 1:1 involves a simple administrative step by Ontario’s Minister of Training, Colleges and Universities. There is nothing stopping the Minister from exercising his authority to change the ratios at any time.

Add your voice: Be sure to send your formal letter of complaint to:

Milloy, Hon. John
Phone: 416-326-1600  
Email: jmilloy.mpp.co@liberal.ola.org 
Hon. John Milloy
Minister of Training, Colleges & Universities - THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL OF ONTARIO
Mowat Block
3rd Flr
900 Bay St
Toronto ON M7A1L2

Sample letter:

"Dear Hon. John Milloy,

I am a Canadian Citizen in Ontario and have graduated high school and am ready to persue a career as a plumber. I am ready to join the workforce in Ontario and do my share to support our economy through my tax dollars but your unfair apprenticeship ratios leave me unemployable.

You have the power to give many hard working people like myself a chance to fill employment roles that are suffering from serious shortages of licensed tradespeople in Ontario.

You can fix this problem by changing the ratio from 3:1 to 1:1 as other provinces have already done without compromising safety or quality of workmanship (as proven by these other provinces).

Help those of us who want to work find jobs by opening up these apprenticeship programs. You can personally make a huge difference in our economy & my life with this one small change.

I want to work!

Signature"

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