CSA Z434 robotics standard update: What Ontario employers need to know
A helpful teammate that never gets tired, robotics are increasingly being integrated into assembly lines, warehouses and factory floors, transforming how work companies get work done. WSPS photo The Canadian Standards Association (CSA) is working towards updating its Z434 Standard for Industrial Robots and Robot Systems. “Essentially, CSA is in the process of nationally adopting the recently published international robot safety standard, ISO 10218:2025 Part 1 and Part 2, as Canada’s new industrial robot safety standard,” says Robert Vomiero, specialized consultant in machine and robotics safety with Workplace Safety & Prevention Services (WSPS). “We anticipate that the updated CSA
Career-Ready with CTMA gets top marks for boosting “made in Canada” manufacturing
Career-Ready with CTMA has placed 3,500+ Ontario students in machining co-ops or apprenticeships at more than 275 companies across the province since the program’s inception in 2020. submitted photo With a reported 70% of Ontario manufacturers struggling to find skilled workers, the Canadian Tooling & Machining Association (CTMA) has found an unconventional solution to address the challenge: high school teachers. Through a unique program, called Career-Ready with CTMA: Expanding Opportunities, the organization is providing hands-on training in precision metalworking to hundreds of educators at 157 high schools across Ontario and furnishing their classrooms with high tech, shop-standard CNC milling
First in Canada — labour mobility improvements coming to Ontario
Effective Jan. 1, 2026, certain regulated professionals licensed elsewhere in Canada will be able to work in Ontario within 10 days of applying to the applicable Ontario regulatory authority. This will make it considerably easier for Ontario employers to hire skilled workers from anywhere in the country in a variety of regulated occupations and enhance flexibility to staff short-term projects. According to the Government of Ontario, the goal is to build a unified Canadian workforce that can stand up to U.S. tariffs and economic uncertainty. The Regulation,Ontario Labour Mobility Act, 2009, will apply to professions covered by more than 50
Big News for CTMA & Ontario’s Skilled Trades
CTMA's Robert Cattle with Premier Ford during the announcement on Sept. 2, 2025. CTMA photo As part of a major $12.9 million investment from the Ontario government through the Skills Development Fund (SDF), the CTMA is proud to receive $2.25 million to deliver experiential work placements in the precision metalworking industry, as part of the plan to deliver training programs in sectors affected by U.S. tariffs and policies. On Sept. 2, Premier Doug Ford announced that the Ontario government is investing over $12.9 million through the Skills Development Fund (SDF) Training Stream to help over 50,000 people in Waterloo Region
Thank you to everyone who joined us for the exclusive behind-the-scenes tour of Stanpac Inc.
From exploring the newly expanded T&R facility to seeing Stanpac’s innovative printing technologies and advanced forming equipment in action, attendees got a firsthand look at what makes this premier packaging manufacturer a true industry leader. CTMA photo On Sept. 25, the CTMA hosted a behind-the-scenes tour of Stanpac Inc., a premier North American packaging manufacturer with over 75 years of expertise serving the dairy, ice cream, food service, and wine & spirits industries. From exploring the newly expanded T&R facility to seeing Stanpac’s innovative printing technologies and advanced forming equipment in action, attendees got a firsthand look