I have a few questions for you about mining. I come from the mining region of Abitibi-Témiscamingue, in Quebec. I have become quite familiar with the industry. It is becoming increasingly common for manual labourers to not be hired by mining companies, but rather by subcontractors, who are in turn hired by mining companies. The wages those subcontractors pay are not very different from those mining companies pay. However, training and skills development programs are provided by the mining companies themselves. That means that people employed by subcontractors cannot participate in those programs. Yet, they are the ones working in the mines.
How can we ensure that manual labourers can develop their skills and acquire new skills if they are not directly employed by the mining companies, but rather by subcontractors who do not offer those programs?