Ontario proposes lowering minimum age for lifeguards to 15 to ease staff shortages | 24CA News
TORONTO — Ontario is proposing to decrease the minimal age for lifeguards to fifteen, partly to deal with employees shortages many municipalities skilled final summer season.
Regulations within the province’s Health Protection and Promotion Act at the moment say all lifeguards, assistant lifeguards, aquatic instructors and coaches should be a minimum of 16 years previous. But a couple of years in the past, the Lifesaving Society lowered its age requirement for the nationwide lifeguard certification to fifteen, and the federal government is seeking to higher align its guidelines with the coaching course.
The transfer can be meant to deal with staffing shortages and permit for extra youth employment, the federal government says in a posting on its regulatory registry for public session.
“The proposed change also supports greater access to lifeguard-supervised public pools and swimming lessons across the province,” the posting says.
Stephanie Bakalar, company communications supervisor for the Lifesaving Society Ontario, stated if a 15 yr previous meets all the necessities of the society’s nationwide lifeguard certification, they’re able to work.
“We know that our programs account for maturity and judgment, which is necessary to be a lifeguard,” she stated in an interview.
“So our lifeguards and instructors have to show physical, cognitive and emotional maturity and we’ve designed our program to account for that.”
Not each individual, no matter age, will essentially begin working straight away as a lifeguard, however Bakalar stated numbers of certifications are up, and permitting 15 yr olds to work as lifeguards will likely be a “good step” towards addressing employees shortages.
Last summer season, as with so many different sectors, lifeguarding noticed pandemic-induced staffing crunches. COVID-19-related closures meant the Lifesaving Society couldn’t run its certification programs, so the stream of latest lifeguards dried up and a few lifeguards moved onto different alternatives through the pandemic.
In Toronto firstly of the out of doors swimming season final summer season, the town had solely secured two-thirds of the lifeguards it wanted. It additionally needed to cancel 169 swim programs as a result of it couldn’t discover sufficient instructors. Other municipalities and provinces additionally reported shortages.
The metropolis says that whereas particular numbers for this yr aren’t but out there, it has seen a “positive response to its diligent and sustained recruitment efforts over the past several months.”
Bakalar stated municipalities and different swim applications have been getting “creative” of their recruitment efforts, reminiscent of focusing on retired swimmers and stay-at-home dad and mom who can fill trickier daytime slots.
The variety of lifeguard certifications are nonetheless down about 20 per cent from 2019 ranges, however they’ve been rebounding rapidly because the lowest ranges in 2020, Bakalar stated.
Being capable of hold swimming pools open and run swimming classes is important for water security, Bakalar stated.
“Learning to swim is an essential skill to prevent drowning and the Lifesaving Society’s mission is to prevent drownings in Canada,” she stated.
“So we want all people to take traditional swimming lessons, at a minimum take survival swimming lessons called Swim to Survive. These are things that are going to keep your family and yourself safe.”
Ontario’s minimal age proposal is open for public remark till April 28.
© 2023 The Canadian Press
