Thank you, Mr. Chair.
I am Sarah Anson-Cartwright, director of skills policy at the Canadian Chamber of Commerce. Appearing with me today is Mr. Shabbir Hakim, executive director, Alberta Council of Turnaround Industry Maintenance Stakeholders, ACTIMS, and Construction Industry Stakeholders Association of Alberta.
In February, the Canadian Chamber of Commerce issued a paper called “The Top 10 Barriers to Competitiveness in Canada”. At the top of that list was the skills crisis and it will be at the top of our list again in 2013.
This past spring, the Canadian Chamber consulted with its members across the country on the skills crisis. I will give you a very brief overview of employers’ views on the skilled trades and apprenticeships.
To begin, Canada can be a frustrating place because of the skills gap. The attitude is often that you are educated first and then you get a job. This approach has to change. We need to improve our bridging between the education system and employment.
The lack of people in the skilled trades is a pressing issue for businesses across the country. There is a huge difficulty in attracting workers to the skilled trades. While there is no one action that the Canadian Chamber recommends, there are several common observations that businesses shared with us.
We heard about the need to remove the differences in accreditation across provinces, if possible, and to encourage the recognition of accreditation across provinces, as the Red Seal program does for many but not all trades.
For employers considering apprentices, cost may be the primary barrier since an apprentice in his or her first or second year may not be as productive. For some employers, collective agreements may make it difficult to get apprentices.
What might government do?
Certainly, there is a need to address the stigmatism over the trades and to shift parents’ views on careers in these fields. Also, we were told that either employers need an employment training tax credit or there should be more upfront training in institutions.
What could businesses do themselves to address this shortage?
The business community is not taking on enough apprentices, we were told during our consultations. Many employers opt not to use the financial support for apprenticeships because they lack the time. There are ways to change behaviour in the market, however.
For example, one of our members, Syncrude, requires its contractors’ workforces to be comprised of 25% to 30% apprentices, with equal distribution between first and final year of apprenticeship. All ACTIMS owners, that is, Syncrude, Suncor, and Shell, follow this practice. With firms of that size, the contract requirement can have a profound effect on the number of apprentices. It offers a model for other companies to adopt to stimulate skilled trades apprentices.
At the Canadian Chamber, we can raise awareness with employers of best practices for apprenticeships. We can also assist in positioning the skilled trades as in-demand careers. The onus is on us in business to help develop the labour force we need.
Now, let me turn it over to Shabbir Hakim of ACTIMS.