Why go through 9,000 hours of apprenticeship if a bum off the street can make the same money?

The mandatory fees you now have to pay to the Ontario College of Trades (OCOT), while teeing off most contractors who post on here, does have its defenders.

One of them, Edward, posted this about the OCOT yesterday:

“As a self employed plumber, I embrace these changes somewhat in my trade. We have plumbing companies who operate in the Toronto area who employ, as an example, painters or bartenders. Slap on a company logo and stick them in a truck to snake and repair drains, thaw pipes and repair them, all of which takes (business) away from licensed plumbers. Why are these companies allowed to conduct business? If the Ontario College of Trades wants to make a level playing field, all plumbing – which includes snaking of drains or repairs along with thawing of pipes, etc. – should also be enforced to be conducted by licensed or apprentice plumbers. These sales people – which is all they are – are stealing work from licensed individuals. What’s the point of going through 9000 hours and 5 years of an apprenticeship if a bum off the street can get into a company truck and snake and repair “plumbing systems” and make the same money a licensed plumber would make?”