Northern Ontario Apprentices Face Testing Barriers, Urgent Call for Solutions

Graduates of skilled trades in northern Ontario are encountering significant obstacles in completing their apprenticeships due to limited access to testing facilities. Currently, only two locations in the region offer the Red Seal exams for apprentices: one in Thunder Bay and another in Sudbury. This lack of local options has forced some apprentices to travel as far as Mississauga for the necessary examinations, with wait times for testing locally stretching to several months.

Jamie West, the Member of Provincial Parliament (MPP) for Sudbury, emphasized the urgent need for additional testing locations in northern Ontario. “We can’t just keep assuming that people are going to come to southern Ontario and people who live in the Far North,” West stated, highlighting the geographical challenges faced by apprentices in the region.

The difficulty in accessing testing has been described as a major barrier to success in the trades. Dean Luttrell, a regional service manager for Rush Truck Centres, noted that many apprentices are feeling disheartened. “I have some apprentices in the shop in Timmins right now that are very discouraged,” Luttrell remarked. “They may just leave the trade period if they cannot get past this, the last portion of their apprenticeship.”

The Red Seal exam is critical for apprentices seeking to graduate and obtain certification as skilled trades workers. Passing this exam enables them to earn full wages rather than an apprentice salary. Gurbag Singh, a Level 3 mechanic apprentice, expressed frustration over the travel requirements. “It’s been really inconvenient because I have to go down south for it,” Singh explained.

Apprentice Luke Chartrand echoed similar sentiments, stating, “It’s just more difficult than it needs to be. I have to go out of town to write my test again and spend even more money than I already have to, and take time off work for writing my test. It’s just difficult.”

Despite attempts to gather insights on the delays from Skilled Trades Ontario and the Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development, no response was received prior to the publication deadline.

In response to these challenges, West is advocating for more accessible trade pathways in northern Ontario. He stated, “We are northern Ontario in Sudbury, but we’re nothing compared to Thunder Bay. Kirkland Lake needs one, South Porcupine needs one, Sault Ste. Marie needs one. We need to be able to have testing centres close to where people live.”

West further proposed the innovative idea of a mobile testing centre to reach smaller communities in need of skilled trades professionals. “We need to think about a mobile testing centre that goes to where those people are,” he said.

The situation has raised concerns about the sustainability of the skilled trades workforce in northern Ontario if access issues are not addressed promptly. With hundreds of job opportunities available, the region’s economic growth may be hindered without a concerted effort to improve access to essential testing facilities for aspiring tradespeople.