Evidence of meeting #28 for Human Resources, Skills and Social Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities in the 39th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was part.
3:20 p.m.
Senior Vice-President, Government Affairs, Canadian Restaurant and Foodservices Association
I'm sorry; I don't understand.
3:20 p.m.
Bloc
France Bonsant Bloc Compton—Stanstead, QC
Let us go back to the example of Olymel. The people were trained and had been working there for 30 to 35 years. You have the opportunity to revitalize an industry that will hire skilled people, without having to train them.
Why do people all go to the same area — to the Far west, as my daughter says — whereas the East is full of skilled people? Nevertheless, industries close their doors to move West. Why not start businesses in the East? The labour is there; at least a certain labour is there.
3:25 p.m.
Senior Vice-President, Government Affairs, Canadian Restaurant and Foodservices Association
Our industry employs a whole variety of workers. We have shortages in unskilled and skilled—in a variety of positions and wage levels.
But I really don't have an answer for how to get businesses to relocate to your region. I'm sorry; I can't help you there.
3:25 p.m.
Bloc
France Bonsant Bloc Compton—Stanstead, QC
Mr. Wassmansdorf, you talk about a national building code in the construction sector. I don't agree with you because building codes differ between provinces.
For example, there are no earthquakes in Montreal like those which can occur in Vancouver. Why take a national perspective when the characteristics of the provinces are not the same? My house is built on a rocky headland and in a thunderstorm, I hear the thunder and I feel my house vibrate. A mile away from my place, the soil is sandy. So we cannot build there in the same way. Why want a national building code that may make things more complicated?
3:25 p.m.
Immediate Past President, Canadian Home Builders' Association
Let's think of the building code as your foundation. When you go to other regions and when it becomes adopted in each of the provinces there are nuances that are addressed, but the national building code, as an example, provides a basis and an understanding for all of us, all Canadians, to work from.
When the building code gets adopted in Quebec, in Nova Scotia, in B.C., and Ontario there are additions made to address certain situations.
The analogy that I gave of the national building code as it relates to a human resource action plan for the whole country is the same notion of creating a foundation and a starting point for all of us to be working from. From there the provinces, the provincial ministries working with their community colleges, their CÉGEPS, their technical schools, can be working as delivery agents, and can be working with entrepreneurs and business people, operators who are trying to ensure that they have a labour force working forward. So it's a starting point we can all work from. That's the notion.
3:25 p.m.
Bloc
France Bonsant Bloc Compton—Stanstead, QC
I know that Quebec has an agreement with New Brunswick concerning labour mobility. It is in place and it operates on both sides of the border. I'm not in the provincial government, so I don't know what happens at the Legislative Assembly.
But are there other agreements between Quebec and New Brunswick or with other provinces which, in your opinion, are working?
3:25 p.m.
Immediate Past President, Canadian Home Builders' Association
I can say that it was very protracted here in Ontario, between Ontario and Quebec, particularly as it related to people who were living and working in Hull or Gatineau and trying to work in Ottawa. I think you probably saw the headlines, as we did here in Toronto.
But it goes beyond transferability and transportability. It goes to the whole issue of trying to create an infrastructure for skills development. So it's something that can help all of the regions and all of the provinces and then allow for nuances to be addressed.
3:25 p.m.
Bloc
France Bonsant Bloc Compton—Stanstead, QC
Which means that the best way to address the labour shortage, I think, is to work at the high school level. Young people start to drop out at the age of 15 or 16 since in Quebec, among others, it is required by law that a young person goes to school until the age of 16.
This means that in order to stop the labour shortage in 3, 4 or 5 years, we should start telling young people in Secondary IV and V that they will have the choice between academic and technical studies, either in the area of construction or in other areas, without having to wait to go to the CÉGEP or to university to become specialists. For me, a generalist is a specialist.
3:30 p.m.
Immediate Past President, Canadian Home Builders' Association
Not unlike what was said in the first presentation from Cheryl on the notion of jobs, that there are careers within her industry, one of the things we need to do as an industry is to make our industry attractive to young people, so that they understand that it is a profession, that you can make not only a good living as a drywaller or as a bricklayer, but that they ought to be proud of what they're doing, that they are contributing to society, that they can create careers that will last for a long time.
3:30 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Dean Allison
Just a clarification, David. You are making a recommendation not on national standards for construction, but national training standards?
3:30 p.m.
Immediate Past President, Canadian Home Builders' Association
National training standards.
3:30 p.m.
Immediate Past President, Canadian Home Builders' Association
That's right.
3:30 p.m.
Conservative
Harold Albrecht Conservative Kitchener—Conestoga, ON
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you to each of you for coming today. I certainly found all of your presentations interesting.
David, you were very direct in your comments about treatment that you received from HRSD in terms of what I think you said was an elitist view.
3:30 p.m.
Conservative
Harold Albrecht Conservative Kitchener—Conestoga, ON
Are you referring there to the idea that university education may be a higher priority to us than college and skill trades? Just help me understand what you were--
3:30 p.m.
Immediate Past President, Canadian Home Builders' Association
No, it's not an elitist view in terms of education level, so much as what is considered to be a skilled trade.
Mary tried to illustrate that with respect to the fact that we have these 43 red seal--
3:30 p.m.
Immediate Past President, Canadian Home Builders' Association
--programs, in which the residential construction industry isn't represented.
3:30 p.m.
Conservative
Harold Albrecht Conservative Kitchener—Conestoga, ON
Okay. So just give me an example of a couple that are. For instance, are you talking about auto mechanics?
3:30 p.m.
Immediate Past President, Canadian Home Builders' Association
There are 43 skilled red seal trades within the construction industry, of which none really address residential construction at all.
3:30 p.m.
Conservative