I'd like to echo the remarks of my esteemed colleagues, but also, like Susan, come at it in a bit of a different perspective.
I think one of the challenges that industry is facing is the change in our whole technology platform. The way we looked at work when the baby boomers came into the workforce is very different from the way it is now. The need for science- and technology-driven positions has been estimated by a study in the United States to have increased five times faster than the population change or the labour force change. We can't graduate enough people right now to meet the needs of the business.
If you're looking at an industry such as electricity—highly regulated, with important safety considerations—it's extremely important for us to deal with regulated professions and certifications. What it takes for a worker to achieve a position in our business quite often is a significant level of training. For a nuclear operator, from the point they start community college to the point they're actually considered able to sustain a shift solely on their own is ten years. We are very challenged in that context, because we are trying to protect public safety to maintain extremely technical complex equipment and we require very knowledgeable people.
Our industry, as it gets more computerized, is going to face this problem more and more. The time and support it takes to transition a worker who, as Jennifer says, is lacking essential skills is significant, and the dollar investment is significant. It would be very challenging for an individual employer to do but is certainly an important role for government.