OSPE - The Voice - May 2019 - 11

NEWS

HOUSING

Budget 2019 acknowledges that housing is one of
the largest costs facing Ontario families, which has
risen across most areas of the province in the last
several years. According to the Canada Housing
and Mortgage Corporation, average rents in Ontario
increased 3.8 per cent in 2017 and 4.8 per cent in 2018,
well above the pace of growth in people's earnings.
Ontario's Housing Supply Action Plan, along with
its new Community Housing Renewal Strategy, seek
to make it easier and faster to build housing, to boost
housing supply and make housing more affordable.
Emidio DiPalo, President of the Durham Region
Home Builders' Association applauds The Housing
Supply Action Plan "as it is an opportunity to
streamline and get rid of red tape."
The Community Housing Renewal Strategy will
focus on supporting individuals and families who
have difficulty finding stable affordable housing:
* Protecting and expanding affordable housing
by creating incentives for community housing
providers
* Simplifying rent geared to income calculations
to reduce the administrative burden and improve
processes for tenants
* Streamlining and updating waitlist and eligibility
rules to better match applicants for social housing
with solutions that meet their needs
* Addressing community safety concerns especially
for the most vulnerable, including seniors and
children.
Ontario is also committed to supporting affordable
housing through the National Housing Strategy,
which is a bilateral agreement between the federal
and Ontario governments.

DEVELOPING THE RING OF FIRE
AND CREATING A MINING
WORKING GROUP
Earlier this year, the government announced the
creation of a special Mining Group focused on
reducing red tape and attracting new investments.
OSPE is thrilled to note that several professional
engineers and engineering graduates are part of
Ontario's Mining Working Group. OSPE believes
it is important that the government gather industry
experts and develop concrete OSPE has consistently
advocated that this group must include members of
the engineering community.

EDUCATION
TUITION AND FUNDING

Budget 2019 highlights the need to strengthen Ontario's education
system, with particular emphasis on math, science and financial
literacy, as well as skilled trades, so as to support future scientists,
engineers, doctors and tradespeople.
The budget confirmed the changes to tuition, ancillary fees and
OSAP announced earlier this year. This budget also includes changes
to the college and university funding formulas. These changes will see
the amount of outcomes-based funding for institutions increase from
1.4% in 2018-19 to 60% in 2024-25.
REFORMING APPRENTICESHIPS AND SUPPORTING THE
SKILLED TRADES

The government's plan to improve Ontario's skilled trades and apprenticeship systems will be implemented through the following initiatives:
1. Establishing a new governance framework through proposed new
legislation to replace the Ontario Colleges of Trades and Apprenticeship Act, 2009.
2. Encouraging employer participation in the apprenticeship system
through a new financial incentive program to support employers to
come together and train apprentices
3. Modernizing service delivery in apprenticeship
4. Promoting apprenticeship and the skilled trades as a pathway choice
for all students from kindergarten to Grade 12
Rakesh Naidu, president and CEO of the Windsor-Essex Regional
Chamber of Commerce, qualified these initiatives as "all good steps in
the right direction that will really help us transforming our workforce
and deal with the skills mismatch we have currently."
OSPE also commends the focus on an integrated, multi-phased
approach that tries to equip more people with the skills needed to get
quality jobs through apprenticeships.
HELPING EMPLOYERS ATTRACT SKILLED WORKERS

The province is making enhancements to the Ontario Immigrant
Nominee Program (OINP) in order to maximize the benefits of skilled
immigration to the economy. The government will:
* Begin a pilot initiative with selected communities to explore innovative approaches to bring highly skilled immigrants to smaller
communities
* Create a dedicated stream to help Ontario's technology sector attract
highly skilled employees
EXPANDING THE NORTHERN ONTARIO INTERNSHIP PROGRAM

The new program will remove the requirement that internship applicants be recent university or college students. Program candidates will
now include new entrants into the workforce, those transitioning to a
new career, and those underemployed and unemployed.
OSPE commends the changes made to this program since it will
remove barriers to both northern and indigenous communities, and
all those who wish to advance their career.

Summer 2019

THE VOICE

11
OSPE - The Voice - May 2019

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