Ministry of Training, Colleges
and Universities
McGuinty Government Invests In Union-Employer Training
Centres
Meeting The Skills Training And Apprenticeship Needs Of The Economy
WOODBRIDGE, ON, April 12 /CNW/ -
The McGuinty government is making a major
investment that will help union-employer training centres modernize equipment and train more workers, apprentices and journeypersons to industry
standards, Chris Bentley, Minister of Training, Colleges &
Universities, and
Greg Sorbara, MPP Vaughan-King-Aurora announced today.
"Today's investment will help more
apprentices gain skills that will last a
lifetime," said Sorbara. "Ontario's new economic strength is being built on
access to quality postsecondary education and enhanced skills
training." "Our unions and
employers know exactly what skills their workers need to get the job done," Bentley said. "That's why we're recognizing their
training expertise by investing in up-to-date
learning equipment so they can hit the ground
running when they arrive in the workplace."
Through the Skills Training Infrastructure
Program, Ontario is making $25 million
available in 2007-08 to enable union-employer training centres to replace or upgrade equipment to meet industry standards. The funding will
allow the centres to keep pace with changing technological
requirements, encourage collaboration and
leverage additional training resources from industry
partners.
"This announcement recognizes the
important contributions that unionized labour
and employers make in developing a highly skilled construction workforce that can meet the demands of Ontario's economy," said Patrick
Dillon, business manager of the Provincial Building and
Construction Trades Council of Ontario.
"The Skills Training Infrastructure Program will help produce more highly skilled tradespeople, training apprentices and upgrading
journeypersons on the most technically advanced equipment
available."
Union-employer training centres are key
partners in Ontario's apprenticeship system,
training thousands of apprentices each year. Bentley
and Sorbara made today's announcement at the opening of the Ontario Youth Apprenticeship Program Conference being held by the Toronto
District School Board at Carpenters Union Local 27 Training
Centre. The McGuinty government is investing
$8.25 million in the Ontario Youth Apprenticeship
Program in 2006-07, providing opportunity for 24,000 students.
News
Release
Ministry of Labour Ministère du Travail
For Immediate Release
April 18, 2007
WORKPLACE SAFETY STRATEGY PREVENTING INJURIES AND SAVING MONEY
McGuinty Government On Target In
Improving Worker Safety
TORONTO--The McGuinty government’s workplace health and safety strategy continues
to produce dramatic results by preventing the human cost of workplace injuries and
avoiding costs for businesses, Labour Minister Steve Peters announced today.
"Our plan is working--we are well on track to reduce the lost-time injury rate by
20 per cent by 2008. In 2006, there were more than 15,600 injuries prevented,” said
Peters. "And we continue to take strong, aggressive action to ensure that when
Ontarians go off to work they come home safe and sound.”
As a result of the strategy, there have been 30,340 fewer lost-time injuries to Ontario
workers over the past three years than there otherwise would have been. This has resulted
in Ontario businesses avoiding more than $2 billion in costs associated with workplace
injuries. A lost-time injury occurs when a worker loses wages as a result of a temporary
or permanent work injury.
Peters made the announcement today at the opening of this year’s annual conference
of the International Association of Labour Inspection. It was Ontario’s success in
workplace health and safety that attracted the association to hold its conference
here--the first time ever in North America.
The strategy involves initiatives by the government and its health and safety partners,
the Workplace
Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB), Health and Safety Associations,
and Ontario employers and workers.
The government and its partners have taken bold steps to meet their goal to reduce
workplace injuries by 20 per cent by 2008, including:
"The workplace health and safety strategy is saving thousands of workers the pain
and suffering of serious workplace injuries,” said Peters. "And with fewer
workplace injuries, employers are benefiting by avoiding costs associated with lost
production, retraining costs and equipment damage. The many partnerships we have formed in
our workplaces, with labour, companies, business associations, health and safety
organizations and others are key to our success.”
Scaffold Training Requirement
As of May, 2007, the Carpenter’s Union requires all members
working in scaffold construction to have completed the CDC/CSAO Tube & Clamp and
Systems Scaffolding Safety Training Program. This is a jointly certified training course
with the Construction Safety Association of Ontario (CSAO) and the United Brotherhood of
Carpenters and Joiners of America (UBCJA). The
theory portion includes Tube & Clamp and Systems scaffolding, description of
components, loading calculations, and safety considerations. In the practical portion,
participants build several projects in each type of scaffolding.
Implementation
of this policy will ensure that the Carpenter’s Union continues to supply the
best-trained, professional trades people in Ontario to our contractors.
News Release
Ministry of Labour Ministère du Travail
06-102 For Immediate Release
October 13, 2006
INDEPENDENT AUDIT CONFIRMS WSIB ON THE RIGHT TRACK
Progress Made In Fixing Financial And Administrative Issues
QUEEN’S PARK — A follow-up audit of the Workplace Safety and
Insurance Board (WSIB) shows significant progress in improving administrative and
financial management, Minister of Labour Steve Peters announced today.
"The Workplace Safety and Insurance Board is the bedrock of our
workplace health and safety system," said Peters. "It is vital that it operates
as efficiently and effectively as possible in order to provide the support and dignity
that Ontario workers deserve. That is why our government called for an independent
audit."
An initial audit ordered by the McGuinty government, completed in 2004,
made recommendations to strengthen the WSIB’s administrative, governance, financial
and investment structures and processes. This follow-up audit was to measure progress made
at the WSIB in implementing those recommendations.
Among the findings of the audit were:
•
The WSIB has made significant
improvements to its budget process and financial operating results oversight
•
The WSIB has improved
oversight of its investment practices
•
Modern controllership
practices have been implemented, including re-organization of senior management and the
separation of the positions of Chair and President.
These results indicate significant progress has been made in ensuring
stability and efficiency at the WSIB, a priority of the McGuinty Government. Under
newly-appointed Chair Steve Mahoney, work will continue on renewing this organization,
ensuring safer workplaces and a stronger workplace insurance system for today, and for
future generations of Ontario workers.
"Workers and their families across Ontario depend on the WSIB,"
said Peters. "Safe workplaces and a strong workplace insurance system benefit
everyone, and contribute to a strong, productive economy."
News Release
Ministry of Labour Ministère du Travail
06-86 For Immediate Release
August 29, 2006
WORKERS IN CONFINED SPACES NOW BETTER PROTECTED
New Regulations A Major Advancement in Workplace Safety
KITCHENER
— The McGuinty
government is improving workplace health and safety by enhancing protections for workers
likely to work around confined spaces, Minister of Labour Steve Peters said today.
"The health and safety of Ontario workers is our number one
priority," said Peters at the Kitchener-Wilmot Hydro offices in Kitchener.
"That’s why we are advancing workplace safety, especially for workers who enter
or work around confined spaces, such as vats, pits and holding tanks."
A "confined space" is an enclosed space that is not designed for
continuous human occupancy and can have a build up of gases or dust, or lack of oxygen
that can put workers at risk of injury, or even death.
Confined space requirements in four existing regulations –
construction, industrial, health care and mining – are now enhanced to provide
stronger protection and consistency. In addition, most workers covered by the Occupational
Health and Safety Act, who were previously not covered by specific sector regulations,
will now be included under a new regulation for confined spaces. Transportation and
municipal workers, for example, are now covered. All new requirements will come into
effect on September 30, 2006.
"The McGuinty Government is on the side of workers and their
families," said John Milloy, MPP for Kitchener Centre. "Work in confined spaces
is inherently dangerous without proper training, planning and procedures. These
enhancements are just some of the ways the Ontario government is ensuring that the health
and safety of Ontario workers is not compromised."
This is just one of a number of initiatives the government has taken to
support Ontario workers.
Other initiatives include:
•
The High-Risk initiative,
targeting enforcement efforts at Ontario workplaces with the highest injury rates and
highest costs in Workplace Safety and Insurance Board claims
•
The Pains and Strains
initiative, targeting musculo-skeletal injuries, which make up a significant portion of
all workplace injuries
•
Hiring 200 new health and
safety inspectors. Of these, 131 are already working across Ontario. All 200 will be
carrying out inspections of high-risk workplaces early next year.
"Workplace injuries and fatalities have an enormous effect on
workers, their families, their employers and their communities," said Peters,
"That is why our government is taking strong measures to improve workplace health and
safety."
For more information on the new regulation, see the Ministry of Labour
website at
www.labour.gov.on.ca
or call your
nearest Ministry of Labour office, listed in the Blue Pages.
