I think the TD report would probably do more justice than anything I could say in a couple of minutes.
I wonder if you would permit me to address the issue of the competition with newcomers, both immigrant and temporary workers, and older workers all competing for the same entry-level jobs, both low- and high-skilled. In those conditions, what employer is going to pick the newbie, right?
But what happens is that a lot of these young people go back to school. They've finished their B.A.s. In terms of apprenticeship, I have immediate experience with the apprenticeship story. There are lots of kids, and enrolments in apprenticeships are up as well. But the people who are doing these programs are unable to complete their tickets, because most skilled trades require 9,000 hours of certified work and that usually takes five years. Every year that you move to another level, you have to get paid more. Those are the rules around apprenticeships.
But it's getting very competitive with temporary foreign workers who are brought over with their tickets. They're journeymen and they cost the same as or less than a second- or third-year apprentice. I'm seeing it everywhere in Toronto with our community colleges. These kids can't get third and fourth year. They're enrolled; they're ready to rumble, and they can't find the hours to finish their tickets. This is an incredibly frustrating situation for young people who are playing by all the rules and still can't get in.