We talked about this same thing. We talked about the German model, as a matter of fact, and how good it was and how the employees were linked to the education program and they were sitting there waiting for graduates to come out of the schools and go into the trade schools and then come into their companies. It was a beautiful program, and we all agreed on it. But, Scott, nothing got done about it. This is 15, 20 years ago. That was one thing we talked about.
We also talked about the guidance counsellors in the schools. I'll tell you a personal story. In the 1980s, my youngest son was in school, about grade 10. He went to a guidance counsellor, that was his big day, and when he came home, I asked him where he was going. He said he didn't know. I asked what they told him. He said to do whatever I wanted to do. This was at a time when you didn't have to be a rocket scientist to see that there was going to be a huge void in the skilled trades sector. It was going to start in about 10 or 15 years, and it did start. But because it seemed back in those days that guidance counsellors were deathly afraid to tell a student that maybe they should consider going into a trade instead of going to university, that was never done.
I believe a lot of students made a wrong decision. They went to university and they had trouble there because they weren't prepared academically for that type of challenge. As a consequence I can tell you, since I've been an MP I've had a lot of students come to me and say they got a university degree and can't get a job. They asked what I was going to do about it. In 21 years I've never ever had a Red Seal certificate holder come into my office and say they're out of a job, never.
I think we have failed our young people in areas like that, in guidance, in connecting employers with the education sector, and it's something we have to do aggressively. I think the job grant program is a good start. It's going to provide incentive to business and schools. The Canada apprentice loan is going to help, but, boy oh boy, we sure have to—I'm going to ask for your comments, I don't want to talk.