Ontario College of Trades continues to encourage the next generation

Editor’s Note: When the Ontario College of Trades was formed in 2013, various of its officials hit the road to talk about why this new organization was so necessary. There were two chief talking points: (1) It was time for “the trades” to police themselves (whatever that means – all of the trades who were forced into OCOT already had their own qualification-granting bodies who already decided who was – and who was not – legit in their particular trade) and (2) The OCOT would “promote the trades to young people.”

Well, now that they are up and running for 3 years, so much for those lofty principles. Read this post from a reader, a few days ago, and weep. Shame on you, OCOT. Shame on you. 

“I just called the Ontario College of Trades today because I haven’t heard from them in awhile. So apparently my license expired in April and now I have to pay their penalty fee to renew my license. They said they sent out a letter in Jan and March. I asked them why they did not try to contact me by email or phone before taking away my license and they had no response. I’d like to know why there’s an administration fee so high for your license expiring (Editor’s Note: On the OCOT website, it states that the “reinstatement” fee if your OCOT licence expires is $120). Also why is there not an expiry on my Ontario licensing card to remind me to renew? I cannot make this payment and now I don’t know what to do. I asked if there is any way to waive the fee because it was an honest mistake and they said that’s just their rules. I am currently waiting to hear back from the manager. Why ask me for my contact information if you aren’t even going to give me a courtesy call to let me know if I don’t pay I will have to pay a renewal fee? I think they do this intentionally to charge people more money and I would also like to know where this money actually goes! I am very upset about this.”