Private Career Colleges
Superintendent’s Policy Directive: approval of Commercial Truck Driver (Class A) training programs
Pursuant to subsection 23(1) of the Private Career Colleges Act, 2005(the “Act”), private career colleges (PCCs) that offer vocational program(s) leading to AZ driver licensing must have the program(s) approved by the Superintendent of Private Career Colleges (Superintendent).
Policy directive effective September 30, 2016
This document is a legal document and is binding on all private career colleges. Every private career college shall comply with and be operated in accordance with this policy directive.
On this page:
Directive
Programs offered by PCCs that are intended to prepare graduates for the AZ driver licensing examinations are required to adhere to the Commercial Truck Driver Training Standard (Class A), published by the Ministry of Transportation in 2016 (MTO Standard) and available on the Ministry of Transportation’s Mandatory Entry-Level Training webpage.
As of the dates set out in the Compliance section of this policy directive, PCCs may only offer a vocational program(s) leading to AZ driver licensing that meets the MTO Standard.
As of the dates set out in the Compliance section of this policy directive, PCCs may no longer offer vocational program(s) leading to AZ driver licensing that meet the Tractor-Trailer (AZ) Driver Training Standard, published by the Ministry Colleges and Universities in 2010 (MTCU standard).
Authority
Subsection 53(1)(a) of the Act enables the Superintendent to issue policy directives setting out standards for vocational programs or classes of vocational programs.
Pursuant to subsection 53(2) of the Act, policy directives issued by the Superintendent are legal requirements that are binding on all PCCs and every PCC must comply with and operate in accordance with the Superintendent’s policy directives.
Enforcement
Pursuant to subsection 53(1.1) of the Act, a policy directive issued by the Superintendent may revoke an approval for a vocational program or a class of vocational programs and an approval for the related credentials that a PCC may grant. The Superintendent is required to provide PCCs with a minimum period of six months following the date the policy directive is issued to comply with the directive prior to revoking a program approval.
Under subsection 24(1) of the Act, the Superintendent may revoke a PCC’s approval to provide a specified vocational program if the Superintendent believes that the program (1) fails to meet the conditions of the approval or the applicable standards or performance objectives set out in the Superintendent’s policy directives; or (2) no longer offers the skills and knowledge that would enable graduates to obtain employment in the vocation that is the subject of the program.
Compliance
New programs
PCCs intending to offer a new vocational program(s) leading to AZ driver licensing must meet the following requirements:
- adopt the new MTO Standard
- obtain third party assessment attesting to compliance with the new MTO Standard (see Fact Sheet #3 – Third Party Program Assessment)
and
- submit a complete program approval application to the Superintendent
A PCC that had approval prior to September 30, 2016 to offer a vocational program which is aligned with the MTCU Standard for AZ driver licensing programs may choose to follow the above steps to apply for approval of a new vocational program leading to AZ driver licensing without affecting the status of its currently approved program. Even if the new program is approved, the PCC may continue to offer its previously approved program in accordance with the conditions laid out in the Currently Approved Programs section of this document, until approval for that program is revoked.
Currently approved programs
A PCC that had approval prior to September 30, 2016 to offer a vocational program which is aligned with the MTCU Standard for AZ driver licensing programs may continue to offer that program until April 1, 2017. A PCC that wishes to offer a currently approved vocational program leading to AZ driver licensing beyond March 1, 2017 must:
- modify the program so that it aligns with the MTO Standard
- obtain third party assessment attesting to compliance with the MTO Standard, (see Fact Sheet #3 – Third Party Program Assessment)
and
- submit a complete Request for Program Changes application to the Superintendent
If the PCC completes these steps prior to January 1, 2017, the Superintendent will ensure that she reviews the application before April 1, 2017.
If the Superintendent approves the revised program, the program approval will be valid for the period specified by the Superintendent and may be subject to future policy directives.
If a PCC offering a Superintendent-approved vocational program leading to AZ driver licensing has not obtained the Superintendent’s approval to change that program so that it is aligned with the MTO standard by April 1, 2017, the PCC’s approval for that program will be immediately revoked. If a PCC’s program approval is revoked, the PCC will be responsible for providing refunds on tuition paid to students who are enrolled in the program, or arranging for training completions at other institutions.
Optional early submission
If a PCC currently offering a Superintendent-approved vocational program leading to AZ driver licensing fulfills the three requirements outlined in the New Programs or Currently Approved Programs sections of this directive by January 1, 2017, it will not have to pay the usual fees for its new program application or Request for Program Changes application.
Credentials
Pursuant to section 25(5) of the Act, despite the revocation of a program approval as a result of a policy directive issued under clause 53(1)(b), a student who is enrolled in a program at the time of the revocation is permitted to graduate and receive the credential associated with the program.
Program in related field
A PCC offering a program in a related field (e.g. training programs preparing for other licence classes, heavy equipment training, etc.) that does not intend to adhere to this policy directive must ensure that all promotional materials and enrolment contracts do not suggest that the program prepares students for the AZ driver licensing examination.
Contact
If you have questions about the Private Career Colleges Act, 2005 contact the ministry at:
Private Career Colleges Branch
Ministry of Colleges and Universities
77 Wellesley Street, Box 977
Toronto, ON M7A 1N3
Telephone: 416-314-0500 or 1-866-330-3395
Fax: 416-314-0499