There are some existing federal programs. One is the federal tax credit for apprenticeships. There's a tax credit of up to $2,000 for employers who hire apprentices. One of the things we often talk about is there are grants to encourage apprentices to complete, and you've probably heard of those. It's $1,000 after the first level, second level, and then $2,000 when they finish, for a total of $4,000. We don't necessarily have a similar program for employers.
What employers tell us is that although there is a tax credit, depending on the size of the company—and Sarah, I think, mentioned small and medium-size employers are more likely to complete apprentices—it's not as easy. What we're hearing is that the larger employers will take advantage of that tax credit. They have an accountant, HR staff, a payroll division to look after that sort of thing, but a smaller employer may not be as likely to fill out the form. As well, it's a credit, not a grant, so there may be challenges around that.
One idea to encourage employers to complete apprentices may be to provide some sort of grant directly to employers who are helping to complete apprentices.