Maybe I could start quickly. One thing that we ran into, even 7 or 8 years ago, when trying to get into the junior highs, was an initial resistance to our industry’s coming in on career day to talk to kids. The attitude was: “What are you doing coming in here? All our kids are going to university.”
There was this perception that a trade was an occupation of last resort. I think that has turned around. Now, I think there are more local school boards willing to allow the industry and other groups to come in. In the old days, what used to happen in those schools was two hours of career counselling, or whatever it was, with somebody who went to university—a teacher—who would work with the kids who were going to university. As for rest of them, well, they could go and play with the computers. There wasn't the opportunity for industries like ourselves or mining or forestry to come in and make the case to kids.
You're absolutely right that this kind of information needs to be in front of the kids even in grade 6 or 7. But the guidance counsellors in particular, seven to eight years ago, were a part of the problem. We have come a long way, and it's through the efforts, quite frankly, of associations such as the Canadian Apprenticeship Forum and other industries, as well as working at the local level with the community school boards.