Human Resources committee  That's from the 2007 apprenticeship study, yes.

Human Resources committee  I think it is because young people in high school and even at a younger age, junior high, are not fully aware of the occupations and the career pathways connected to skilled trades.

Human Resources committee  From a high school level, a number of students are entering directly into the workforce. They decide that they do not want to be engaged in any level of post-secondary education and they enter the workforce, and after some period of time they determine that maybe a trade is an option for them.

Human Resources committee  I don't think it's a second-choice career. I think the options for those careers have not been made available to young people at the high school level in an appropriate way. There has definitely been an emphasis—and we're battling this societal view—that university is where we want to push our young people.

Human Resources committee  There is not an emphasis of skilled trades in those grades. That is one of the areas we could focus on because young people in grades 7, 8, and 9 are starting to think about careers. I think we need to present some activities for them, very hands on, that get them thinking about working with their hands and developing some knowledge of what's involved in those skilled trade areas.

Human Resources committee  Thank you, Mr. Chair, for the opportunity to be here. Thank you to the committee for the invitation to speak about this important issue. I will begin by giving you a bit of background on our organization. Skills/Compétences Canada is a national organization that started operations in 1998.

Human Resources committee  I know I sound like a broken record on this, but I'm going to say that youth need to know at a younger age what's out there for them. That would help solve this problem. They need to know when they're in high school, and even before that in junior high, that these careers are available for them, that these careers are valuable and contribute to the Canadian economy, and that they can make a wonderful life in Canada working in these areas.

Human Resources committee  We work with provincial governments across the country, through our provincial skills offices, through departments of education, and departments of advanced education to do just that, to go into schools and provide some complementary activities that focus on trades careers. If there's not that opportunity in the education system currently, because there are fewer shops in schools, that's the reality.

Human Resources committee  I would agree with those same comments. It's not the silver bullet; it's not going to solve all the problems. It's good and will help. But I think it even starts before that. Again, it's about connecting with those people at a younger age in those communities and providing opportunities in the community where they can start some of that base training.

Human Resources committee  Yes, one thing we are looking at is a program targeted around the essential skills, something that would be outside the traditional education system. So for those people outside the system who currently have a low skill level, we can provide some information and some opportunities for them to connect with employers.

Human Resources committee  Our program, especially the competition process, is focused primarily on people who are within the education system. But there are other activities available for people to participate in that are not connected to the education system. Some of the other activities I talked about—conferences hosted specifically for young women, and some of the try-a-trade activities—are open to the public.

Human Resources committee  It is not a primary focus for us. We are looking at programs like that within our provincial-territorial offices to try to address those people who are outside the system. We are looking at trying to partner with some other organizations that have programs targeted at people who are not within the education system.

Human Resources committee  I want to begin by thanking you, Mr. Chair, and the committee, for the opportunity for our organization to present. It's the first time we've had this opportunity, so it's very much appreciated. You've heard a lot about the statistics, the problems, the shortages, the growing demands, the projects that are upcoming, and the need for workers.