Thank you very much, Mr. Chair, and thank you both Barbara in Toronto and our friends from the CFIB that are here in Ottawa.
I'll give you a scenario. It's like other scenarios we get as members of Parliament. Let me know how you would provide advice to this individual. I get somebody who comes into my office. He's 52-years-old. The company that he's worked for since he was 25 or whatever is no longer in business for whatever reason. In this particular case, it was downsizing in an insurance company. He's 52. His resumés are flying all over the place and he's being told things like he's overqualified. He is of the view that there's age discrimination, that the next company is saying that they're only going to get 10 years out of this guy before he retires, so they're not even going to look at him.
How do we get around some of that stereotyping? How do we get the business community, the employers, more engaged in recognizing the value of an older worker? He'll even say that he doesn't mind taking a $10,000 or $15,000 a year pay cut to go to a different company that may be somewhat related to what he did before. He says he's willing to learn and train, but he's struggling to get that employment opportunity.
Do either of you have any advice for that constituent of mine? I feel for him. I understand that. He's a talented guy and very articulate, but he's having real difficulty, I think, predominantly because he's at the age of 52 or 53 and wants to keep working. Who wants to start?
Do you want to start, Barbara? Please go ahead.