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10 - The Oakville Beaver, Friday February 22, 2008 www.oakvillebeaver.com Ontario professionals in global talent race By David Lea OAKVILLE BEAVER STAFF Canada is in a global race for talent and Ontario's regulated professions are making sure that talent is the real deal. This was the sentiment expressed by Ontario's Attorney General Chris Bentley during a Tuesday speech to the Oakville Chamber of Commerce at the clubhouse of the Rattlesnake Point Golf Club. Before a group of about 200 members of Oakville's business community, Bentley spoke of the virtues of the regulatory checks present for doctors, architects, lawyers, accountants and engineers, among others, and his desire to see these regulated professions strengthened in the future. "Our regulated professions are a strength that contributes to the prosperity of not just Halton, but the province of Ontario. Our regulated professions enable us to not only have access to the expertise that we need, but also tells us when we are having access to that expertise," said Bentley "We often take things for granted and, in this day and age, we take it for granted that we are getting the best advice because people tell us that they can do certain work. Experience, however, has told us that we do need checks and balances in the system. We do need some assurance DAVID LEA /OAKVILLE BEAVER PROFESSIONALLY SPEAKING: Ontario Attorney General Chris Bentley, flanked by Oakville MPP Kevin Flynn, meets with members of the Oakville Chamber of Commerce before delivering a speech on regulated professions. that we are getting the best advice." Bentley went on to note that Ontario's regulated professions keep the unqualified out of their respective industries by determining who can enter, what education is necessary, what tests must be passed and what certifications are required. If some kind of misdeed is committed it can also fall on the regulated profession to administer appropriate discipline. Bentley said this kind of industry determination to make sure its people are the best is essential if Canada is to participate in the global competition that exists today for business and talent. "There have been a number of initiatives over the last four and a half years that have contributed," said Bentley. "One relates to profession of accountancy. For a long period of time there was a conversation over what accountants were allowed to do and who could do what type of accounting, particularly in the area of public accounting." In 2004 Bentley's predecessor brought forward legislation that would eventually create a Public Accountant's Council, whose job is to assess the different aspects of the accountant profession and provide information to the public on who can perform different accounting tasks. "That's what the public needs," said Bentley. "They need to know that the people they retain are properly trained and that's the role of the regulated profession." Bentley noted in other cases regulated professions got out ahead of government legislation and adopted better business practices on their own. This was true of Ontario's professional engineers whose actions reflected the work of the Fair Access to Regulated Professions Act, an act which incorporates foreign trained professionals into the workforce. "The professional engineers got out ahead of the passage of the act and they made sure that their process was streamlined. I think last year there were as many foreign-trained engineers registered in the province of Ontario as there were domestically-trained engineers," said Bentley. "What that tells me is we're getting better and better at recognizing talent that comes into the province. "At the end of the day, we need everyone working to the best of their ability because this province will never reach its potential until every Ontarian reaches theirs." For the future, Bentley said his ministry will work to strengthen regulated professions by coming to a full understanding of the challenges they face and by updating some regulations, which in some cases have not been altered in 20 years. ANNUAL FLOOR MODEL SALE! ONE WEEK ONLY! · LIMITED QUANTITIES! ONCE A YEAR SALE! DON'T PAY `TIL 2009 COME EARLY FOR BEST SELECTION * HUGE SAVINGS! UP TO TREADMILLS FROM $ 599 · ELLIPTICALS FROM $199 · HOME GYMS FROM $549 · EXERCISE BIKES FROM $249 ® 50 TORONTO 2760 Yonge St. (416) 440-0244 % OFF OUR REGULAR PRICE BIG SAVINGS ON USED EQUIPMENT CALL 905-660-4888 THORNHILL 109 Doncaster Rd. (905) 747-0802 MARKHAM 5261 Highway #7 East (905) 471-4116 VAUGHAN 3240 Langstaff Rd. 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