Automotive service professionals in Ontario are sounding the alarm as delays in skilled trades certification testing continue to disrupt workforce development.

The Skilled Trades Ontario (STO) organization was brought in to replace the College of Trades and promised a better approach. And when it assumed front-line responsibility for exam administration in April 2025, tradespeople, it promised, would see a streamlined, more effective approach.

But since then—particularly in Northern Ontario—individuals in the automotive trades pipeline have faced long wait times, limited access to testing centres, and poor communication from the agency and its contractor, Prometric Canada Testing Services, reports CBC News.

These delays are creating a bottleneck for apprentices who have completed their training but are unable to write their Certificate of Qualification exams, leaving them ineligible to work in their trade and unable to earn a full wage.

According to a report by CBC News, tradespeople in Northern Ontario are experiencing “months-long delays” in accessing certification exams, with only two testing centres available in the region—Sudbury and Thunder Bay. The report highlights the story of a Sudbury-based apprentice who completed his training in April but was still waiting to write his exam five months later.

Sudbury MPP Jamie West, who also serves as the Ontario NDP’s labour critic, told CBC that the delays are causing “significant financial strain and hardships” for tradespeople. He emphasized that many are forced to travel long distances or face indefinite waitlists, particularly in Northern communities where testing infrastructure is sparse.

Impact on Automotive Employers

The delays are having a direct impact on automotive service employers. Dean Luttrell, regional service manager for Rush Truck Centres of Canada, shared with CBC that several apprentices in his network have been unable to secure exam slots. As a result, shops are left understaffed, and investments in training are stalled.

He also expressed concerns that if delays and lack of local testing make the path too difficult, apprentices would simply look for other career opportunities.

There are more than a dozen testing centers currently in operation, with additional centres said to be planned for Timmins, North Bay, Sault Ste. Marie, and Kenora by December.

There is a push on to expand testing access through Ontario’s community college network. CBC’s coverage notes that colleges such as Canadore College (North Bay), College Boréal (Sturgeon Falls), and Northern College (Kirkland Lake and Haileybury) have been proposed as potential new exam sites.

For ongoing updates on testing and certification, visit Skilled Trades Ontario.

This is a developing story that IndieGarage.ca will providing updates on. Readers are invited to add their views through the comment section below or via E-MAIL.