The Dean Report and the Ontario College of Trades Scope of work enforcement transferred to Ministry of Labour Canadian Design and Construction Report staff writer In a surprise move, the Ontario government has trans- ferred key enforcement functions for the Ontario College of Trades (OCOT) to the Ministry of Labour (MOL) from the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities (MTCU). MTCU deputy minister Sheldon Levy and MOL acting deputy minister Sophie Dennis signed a memo in early May explaining the changes. “As the province moves forward with Mr. Dean’s recom- mendations, MOL has formally assumed responsibility for the College’s regulatory and administrative oversight,” the memo says. “This will allow MOL to directly apply its ex- pertise to complex labour matters, including the role the Ontario Labour Relations Board will play with regards to en- forcement activities.” “Responsibility for apprenticeship remains with MTCU as part of its mandate to support the development of a di- verse and skilled workforce that meets the needs of On- tario’s economy.” The change has taken effect immediately. It was not sug- gested directly in the comprehensive OCOT review by Tony Dean, who filed his report late last year. However, it appears to be a response to the jurisdictional and site related chal- lenges which occurred when enforcement officers started ticketing labourers for doing the work of certified trades, even though the Labourers’ Union contended these had been standard work practices on jobsites for decades. The Dean Review suggested that there could be core competencies and extended responsibilities for certified trades. These trades, represented by the Progressive Cer- tified Trades Coalition (PCTC), have expressed concerns about the Dean Report, its direction, and the government’s immediate response to it. Labour Minister Kevin Flynn, in a published report, said that the issues relating to enforcement of scopes of prac- tice were not a good fit within the MTCU. “I don’t think we got it wrong as much as we followed the best advice at the time,” Flynn was quoted as saying in the published interview. “I really believe that people have just come to the realization that, as a result of taking a look at it through the Dean recommendations, there is a better way of doing it. Tony (Dean) didn’t address the issue, but as we were addressing his issues, it became evident that there was a better reporting structure to put in place here.” “And it is simply that, I don’t want people to overstate the importance of this move. We still have full confidence in the College, we still have excellent people to take a lead- ership role in that regard, and we want them to stay.” “There was satisfaction from some,” Flynn was quoted 16 – May-June 2016 — The Canadian Design and Construction Report