I'm almost done, Madame.
The Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada has gathered input from its 50,000 members and from its work with the departments and agencies on the issues of recruitment and retention. Institute members are vital. The institute offers the following advice regarding the need to attract qualified candidates, not only directly after graduation but at mid-career as well.
To attract the best and the brightest, the federal government needs to address salaries, infrastructure, and resources.
Entry-level salaries for professionals are too low. Several classifications have posted entry-level salaries in the range of $24,000. Recent graduates, especially those with high debt loads after university, may be unwilling to take a job because it doesn't pay the bills.
Crumbling federal infrastructure is not attractive to someone who has a choice of where to work. Therefore, there is a need for better infrastructure for scientists, researchers, and regulators. That says volumes to the resources that are put into these places.
Finally, because of the pace of technological innovation, there's a need to allow time and financial resources for professionals to attend conferences and symposia. Working collaboratively with other professionals is of utmost importance to our members to keep abreast of developments across the world and is a proven mechanism for encouraging innovation.
To retain qualified and experienced professionals, the federal government needs to address pension issues and knowledge transfer opportunities. With respect to the federal pension plan, many professionals cannot fully benefit from it because of mid-career entry and late starting age into the public service.
Finally, there is an urgent need for more incentives to retain older workers. This entails improving the flexibility of hours of work conditions in a way that will not hinder the pensions. Mentoring and knowledge transfer must not only be valued but encouraged and facilitated.
Madam Chair, members of the committee, I thank you for the opportunity to present this today and I look forward to your questions.