Thank you, Mr. Chair.
I would like to thank the witnesses for participating here today. It is very much appreciated.
We have been doing this study for quite some time, and, right across the country, we are always hearing the same topics. For example, we hear about our aging human resources. In 5 or 10 years' time, we will have to have found replacements.
Mr. Diotte, I appreciated the comments you made at the end of your presentation. You said that mobility would not resolve everything given that, in the case of a general economic boom in Canada, everyone would be fighting over the same individuals. So there is no miracle solution as far as that is concerned. We do need to ensure some flexibility but that may not be what resolves the urgent problems. When our committee visited the west, we saw communities with populations of barely 30,000 individuals that needed to staff 7,000 jobs. So the need is urgent.
Earlier we heard from representatives of the German Department of Education and they told us that people began trade training at the age of 16 or 17 and that the industry played a very important role. The people from industry participate actively. They provide guidance, for example, by explaining that the situation will become critical unless at least 800 electricians are trained over the next 7 years.
Do you have the impression that Saskatchewan and some other provinces are starting to implement a system that includes this level of involvement? I do not want wide-scale intervention, but I do believe that the problem is serious. At one point, we are going to have to make a decision and action will have to be taken.