Evidence of meeting #66 for Human Resources, Skills and Social Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities in the 41st Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was apprenticeship.
A recording is available from Parliament.
12:45 p.m.
Conservative
Kellie Leitch Conservative Simcoe—Grey, ON
We always ask the women what they think will make women do this, but they are women who are in the profession. What do you guys think?
12:45 p.m.
Journeyman, Automotive Service Technician Program, Skills Canada
When mechanics are perceived as dirty and working in a trade that any Joe on the street can pick up a wrench and do, and when people don't necessarily see how much money they can make as a mechanic, why would any woman ever want to go and work on a car? Why?
12:45 p.m.
Conservative
Kellie Leitch Conservative Simcoe—Grey, ON
Are you saying we should be focused on the income that they would receive so they could support their families?
12:45 p.m.
Journeyman, Automotive Service Technician Program, Skills Canada
Income, the prestige.... As you said, essentially now you're part electrician, part computer technologist, if you will, and part mechanic. The actual changing of parts is the easy part. Getting there is everything else. It's all the hard work to get there.
The perception isn't there for a lot of the trades. If there's no prestige in doing it, why would a woman ever want to come to a job site and work like that—unless they love it, like you?
12:45 p.m.
Conservative
12:45 p.m.
Conservative
12:45 p.m.
Liberal
Rodger Cuzner Liberal Cape Breton—Canso, NS
Thanks very much, Mr. Chair.
In your concerns about the timeliness of receiving EI benefits, really what you've done is echo concerns that have been shared by probably eight, nine, ten, eleven other witnesses.
The question begs to be asked: why don't you just phone the number? Can't you get answers there when you phone in?
12:45 p.m.
Student, Automotive Service Technician (Apprenticeship), Algonquin College
I'll comment on that one. This is a perfect time for that question.
12:45 p.m.
Student, Automotive Service Technician (Apprenticeship), Algonquin College
I'll start by explaining the exact procedure that we have to follow.
One of the things that EI or Service Canada has done well is to allow us to apply up to two weeks ahead of schedule, before we actually start our classroom training. We get a letter in the mail that gives us a reference code that allows us to complete our online application for employment insurance. Our claims still do not get processed until a record of employment is handed in, of course, but at least there's a bit of a head start on our claim. As soon as they receive a record of employment, we should start receiving benefits.
That said, this is a perfect year for this example. In my case, we didn't receive our reference code ahead of time. We received it on day one of our classroom training. That was late. We were told that was a Service Canada issue and not an Algonquin College issue because those reference numbers get sent out with our schedules.
I completed my online application on day one, as soon as we met with the EI representatives, and I submitted my record of employment about a week later, because that was when I finally received it from my employer.
As I said, I got a message saying that they hadn't received my record of employment. It was about three weeks ago that I finally received this message. I called the 1-800 number. All you get is an automated message saying that if you want more information, go to the website. There was no option to actually speak to somebody right then. I had to call a separate number that was for reporting my online claims, and when I finally got to an option to talk to somebody and I finally reached that person and talked to them, the only answer I got was, “I'll look into it.”
Do you know what I mean? They say, “I agree. It's not showing up in our computer system; it should have, within 10 days of your submitting it, so I will put out a request to get it registered.” Now I'm waiting for another phone call to say, “Yes, we got your record of employment; everything is registered, and we've started your claim.”
12:50 p.m.
Liberal
12:50 p.m.
Student, Plumbing, La Cité Collégiale
It was the same as Steve, the exact same thing.
12:50 p.m.
Liberal
12:50 p.m.
Student, Plumbing, La Cité Collégiale
Yes. We're getting the runaround constantly.
12:50 p.m.
Student, Sheet Metal Worker (Apprenticeship), Algonquin College
Two weeks ago I was told that I needed to call, for whatever reason it was. It was a Monday. The call centre is open from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. I called three times an hour, every hour, until I finally got through at five o'clock at night. They were so busy they wouldn't leave you on hold. They would disconnect you, and you'd call back later—
12:50 p.m.
Student, Sheet Metal Worker (Apprenticeship), Algonquin College
It was a dropped call.
I got through at 5:10 at night. They close at 6:00. I didn't get through to somebody until ten to six. I was on hold for over 40 minutes, and when I did talk to somebody.... There has to be some kind of discrepancy between the online reporting and what's in the computer system, because they were asking me the same questions that I've answered, for this claim alone, four times.
Maybe it's just security, but—
12:50 p.m.
Liberal
Rodger Cuzner Liberal Cape Breton—Canso, NS
Do you think it would help the call centres if there were fewer people working in the call centres—if they let more people go?
12:50 p.m.
Voices
Oh, oh!
12:50 p.m.
Student, Sheet Metal Worker (Apprenticeship), Algonquin College
I'm going to say no.
12:50 p.m.
Liberal
Rodger Cuzner Liberal Cape Breton—Canso, NS
Guys, it's been something....
Go ahead, Nate, if you have something.
12:50 p.m.
Journeyman, Automotive Service Technician Program, Skills Canada
Every person I've talked to about EI or about apprenticeship—every person, every level—everyone's always had a problem, always. Yesterday I was at Algonquin College, and this is one of the things all the teachers said to me. They said to make sure I bring this up, because it pisses them off all the time.
If you have a whole bunch of students, they're there, they stop working, they're in school, they're excited for school—but then they're broke. You're dealing with 40 students who are broke and stressed. How are you going to teach them?
This to me has always been the base-level question in my head: why is it unemployment? You're employed. Why is it linked to EI? When you leave work and you go to your apprenticeship, I know there have to be lots and lots of reasons that it falls into the realm of employment insurance. You're still employed.
Who cares if it was an incentive? Give the money to the schools to disburse and send in a request to give out the paycheques. I don't care how the money gets there, but get the guys their money so they can go to school and get back to work and start making more money.
