College of Trades searches for registrar

Ontario’s newest and largest self-regulatory College has launched a search for a permanent registrar.

The Ontario College of Trades was established by Ontario law in 2009 and is set to become fully operational in 2012, serving upwards of 500,000 members working in the province’s more than 150 skilled trades. The Board of Governors is currently looking for a dynamic, experienced registrar to lead the College as it regulates and promotes the skilled trades in Ontario to employers, tradespeople, apprentices and consumers.

“The Ontario College of Trades will ensure that Ontario’s tradespeople and apprentices benefit from the highest standards in the areas of regulation, safety, education and certification,” said Rod Cameron, Chair of the Interim Board of Governors and Appointments Council for the Ontario College of Trades. “It’s the first self-regulatory body for the trades in Canada. It will also have the largest membership of any provincial regulatory college in the country.”

The Registrar for the Ontario College of Trades will be responsible for leading the modernization of the province’s apprenticeship and skilled trades system, putting skilled tradespeople on a similar professional footing with teachers, doctors and nurses, who have their own professional regulatory colleges.

“The College offers the opportunity to communicate in new ways about the value of the skilled trades to Ontario,” Cameron says. “We’re looking for someone with the experience and vision to take this incredible opportunity and capitalize on it.”

The search will appeal to applicants from Ontario’s four trade sectors – construction, industrial, motive power and service – with experience in management in both union and non-union settings. The College’s Board of Governors will be considering candidates based on expertise in stakeholder relations; business strategies and operational planning; corporate organization and leadership; financial planning and management; and progress reporting and customer communication.

“The role of the registrar for the Ontario College of Trades is vital and comprehensive,” said Patrick Rowan, partner at the executive search firm Feldman Daxon Partners, Inc. “Reporting to the College’s Board of Governors, the selected individual will champion and guide the College to provide strategic leadership to a brand new entity.”

The registrar will lead and co-ordinate Ontario College of Trades strategies in partnership with government objectives; to initiate and motivate multi-sectors; and to instill and inspire staff commitment to exemplary performance and service delivery.

In addition, the College will be seeking other personnel in the areas of communications, corporate services and member service in advance of the organization’s public launch later in 2012.

Feldman Daxon Partners, a recruitment firm, is accepting applications for the new registrar on behalf of the College.

To apply, e-mail your resume and cover letter to cotregistar@feldmandaxon.com.

For information on the Ontario College of Trades, visit www.collegeoftrades.ca.