They're funded by the federal government of course and the minister, secretariat-wise.
As Bob says, that group getting together should be able to improve the system in significant ways. For example, Bob had mentioned earlier the idea of common core curriculum across the jurisdictions. Common core curriculum seems like a very simple idea. This is what the apprentices are studying in the various jurisdictions across the country, and it's roughly the same: the common core of that curriculum. That means if an apprentice in the midst of his or her training moves from Nova Scotia to British Columbia halfway through an apprenticeship, he or she can pick up the apprenticeship there; it's the same training and it's on the same schedule. These are simple things, to repeat what Bob is saying. They can be done.
Another key recommendation that we would have is that it's the kind of thing that can be tied directly to funding that comes out of the federal government through the labour market development agreements for training, which are formally part of part 2 of the EI program, the support measures. When we're looking at that kind of funding coming out of the federal government, we think that ties on that money to the provinces and territories are appropriate, for example, the development of common core curriculum.
Just quickly, Mr. Chair, another one is that we're very keen on developing the Red Seal trades and, as Bob said, increasing their number. We're also very keen on making sure that those trades aren't fragmented. For example, in the province of British Columbia, a program was developed for framers, part of a carpenter's trade of framing houses. It wasn't very successful in terms of the entrants coming into the program or the response of industry to it. In fact, I've talked to several general contractors in British Columbia, employers who say they don't want people who only have part of a trade, they want people with a full trade. The general contractor wants a full Red Seal carpenter because he doesn't know exactly what he's going to be bidding on next week or next month. We're very concerned that programs will develop what's called boutique trades or fragmented general trades, and that's another thing we think can be tied directly to funding through the federal government.