February 13, 2012

Armstrong extended at Ontario College of Trades

TORONTO

Tim Armstrong’s term as chair of the Ontario College of Trades Appointments Council has been extended for six months.

Armstrong is a labour lawyer, mediator and arbitrator who has held a range of senior positions in government, including Chair of the Ontario Labour Relations Board, Deputy Minister of Labour,  Agent General for Ontario, Asia/Pacific Region, Tokyo; Deputy Minister of Industry Trade and Technology, and Consultant and Advisor on Economic Development to the Premier of Ontario. He authored the 2008 Compulsory Certification Project Review that gave rise to the College.

Armstrong took over the position after Rod Cameron, former dean of technology at Fanshawe College, stepped down.

The Ontario College of Trades’ mandate is to build the profile of the skilled trades sector, oversee the governance of the apprenticeship training system in the province and review compulsory certification and ratios.

Armstrong’s appointment in July drew industry skepticism at the time as he was viewed as being an established proponent of compulsory certification.

In October, the College’s appointments council announced the 21 members of the its board of governors and its divisional boards for the construction, motive, service and industrial sectors. Ron Johnson, Deputy Director of Interior Systems Contractors Association of Ontario and the Interior Finishing Systems Training Centre, was appointed as Chair of the Board of Governors. Bob Guthrie, the former Chief Executive Officer of the Saskatchewan Apprenticeship and Trade Certification Commission, was chosen as the College’s Registrar and Chief Executive Officer.

In recent months, a coalition of construction employers has called for the complete overhaul or abolition of the College, citing its governance structure and an apparent lack of openness and transparency concerning issues like compulsory certification and determination of apprentice to journeyman ratios.

Johnson and members of the coalition recently met for the first time to discuss their concerns.

DCN NEWS SERVICES

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