Thank you very much.
I completely agree with your point. I haven't looked lately, but I think the average age of an apprentice in New Brunswick is 26, and the average age of an apprentice across Canada is 27 or 28. There's certainly a gap between the ages of about 18 up to 26 or 28. There are eight to ten years of a person's potential career that have been lost to something else, so there's definitely a challenge there.
I don't know for sure, but I suspect sometimes those older workers are actually more successful. They have a bit of life experience and are able to navigate the training system, the EI system, the employer system, that sort of thing, but there are a number of challenges.
I would go back to one of the points I made earlier. At the end of the day I think we do need to influence teachers, parents and guidance counsellors because they're the ones who interact with the potential apprentices from kindergarten right on up to grade 12.
Regarding the European example, I would say that of all the provinces, it is probably strongest in Quebec. Quebec does a much better job, I think, of engaging young people in grade 9 or grade 10, and directing them toward a path in the trades. Fortunately or unfortunately, the other provinces and territories do have more of a North American model where, as Jeff says, it's geared more toward adults.
I think there are some lessons to be learned from the Quebec model that exists already in Canada.