Human Resources Committee on Dec. 7th, 2017

[Brigitte Sansoucy, NDP, Saint-Hyacinthe—Bagot, QC]

My first question is for you, Ms. Mooney. You told us that recent immigrant youth and indigenous youth are participating in your programs. Are those programs for them specifically or do they participate in regular programs?

[Colleen Mooney]

They participate with the regular program, with all of them. It's interesting. I've had a number of parents say to me that they sent their kids to the Boys and Girls Club to learn what it is to become Canadian, and I love that.

We try to integrate learning, though, from other cultures. For example, we have a great program that's running at the Vanier clubhouse right now. It's called “art now”, and it's basically introducing indigenous art forms to multicultural children. It's such a great program. We've had so many aboriginal elders come in and teach visual arts, dance, and music, so I think that's an example of our being very inclusive.

[Brigitte Sansoucy, NDP, Saint-Hyacinthe—Bagot, QC]

Thank you.

My next question is for the representative from the United Association Canada.

Mr. Slaney, you briefly told us about an apprenticeship and friendship program in place.

Could you describe more specifically how it works? You quickly said that it was a tripartite program, but what role does each party play in implementing your program?

[Lawrence Slaney]

I'm not quite clear on the question.

[Brigitte Sansoucy, NDP, Saint-Hyacinthe—Bagot, QC]

Your apprenticeship or friendship program, how does it work?

[Lawrence Slaney]

We have apprenticeship programs that are under the Red Seal program, yes. All of our apprentices go through the Red Seal program, so it's nationally mandated, provincially implemented, and that kind of thing. Is that what you're asking?

[Brigitte Sansoucy, NDP, Saint-Hyacinthe—Bagot, QC]

Yes. You mentioned that it operates in a tripartite manner. What is the employer's role when the apprentice is paired with an employee? What is the role of the employee supporting the apprentice? What is your organization's role in supporting this learning?

[Lawrence Slaney]

We are doing a program right now with the Irving Oil refinery in Saint John, New Brunswick. It's a perfect example of what you're asking. The program is called REWARD. We are working with the clients and owners at Irving, and we've brought in some new apprentices for high-level welding specialities. We are providing training at our facilities in Saint John, New Brunswick. They are providing the work for them, and they've guaranteed them three years of work. We are going to make sure that we meet the requirements the refinery needs for its speciality piping. There is a very small percentage of welders who can actually do that.

That's a kind of three-piece approach. We also have government as part of the inspections branch and part of the apprenticeship branch. We have four or five levels of government involved as well. It's truly tripartite, in my opinion, where we have government, labour, and the apprentice—the most important person—involved. Everybody has a stake in the game, and everybody knows what the stake is. We have it all listed out and identified. Everybody knows what their expectation is. If they don't perform, they don't continue to work there.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bryan May]

Thank you very much.

That brings us to the end of the second round of questions. Traditionally, we try to wrap up with one additional question from each side. If we can stick to five minutes for those questions, folks, that will give us about 15 minutes to do some committee business.

We're going to start with Mr. Blaney.

[Steven Blaney, Conservative, Bellechasse—Les Etchemins—Lévis, QC]

Mr. Slaney, you mentioned that you're looking for job opportunities. Are there some shortages of trade in your area? Are there enough kids going in the programs where there are job demands?

[Lawrence Slaney]

It's not an issue for us to get people. The issue is getting the work for them and getting them to continue this employment so they can complete their apprenticeship. That's always the issue.

[Steven Blaney, Conservative, Bellechasse—Les Etchemins—Lévis, QC]

You have enough workforce. For you, it's to find them a job.

[Lawrence Slaney]

Our work is cyclical, as you know—construction, service, maintenance, all those things. It comes and goes, boom and bust. We just got a forecast from BuildForce, which says that in the next 10 years it's going to be flat everywhere except Ontario. There's going to be a small percentage of increase in Ontario in construction, housing starts, and all those things, economics basically, and everywhere else it's either going to go down or stay level.

We have a challenge in the next five to 10 years to get people to come into the trades and be gainfully employed, and keep them there to replace the workforce that's going to be exiting. That's our biggest challenge.

[Steven Blaney, Conservative, Bellechasse—Les Etchemins—Lévis, QC]

You would say that you have enough people to meet the need at this time.

[Lawrence Slaney]

We do, yes, for our specific area of work, but other trades don't. There are certain shortages in other trades.

In welding, we have specialty welders. We have a huge need for that. For instance, in Alberta, which has a massive intake of foreign workers, something like 78% of the workers they bring in from other countries are welders. They source them from 60 or 70 different countries.

Alberta's gone flat right now, so there isn't much happening there, but that need is still there in other areas of the country.

[Steven Blaney, Conservative, Bellechasse—Les Etchemins—Lévis, QC]

Thank you.

Before I share my time with my colleague, I just want to thank every one of you for sharing your thoughts. This will be very helpful. It's our second meeting, and we are certainly getting into it.

Mr. Chair, I will share my time.

[Alice Wong, Conservative, Richmond Centre, BC]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you very much, again.

My question is directed to the two Lees. You probably know one of the Lower Mainland agents. I've been working and volunteering for them a lot. It is a success. They are also working in the tri-city area. They might be one of your potential partners.

Some of the successful programs they have had are for youth entrepreneurship. Like you, they have pre-screening, to see whether they can be good business people. Another thing is entrepreneurship for first nations kids. They've done very well. Unfortunately, some of the funding has been cut, and they're still waiting.

Would you like to do the same kind of programming, youth self-employment, in your area as well?

[Orville Lee]

When we started those were some of the things we wanted to bring to the table, but because of funding obviously and things of that nature, we couldn't really get there. You are correct that many of the youth we see have that desire but whether because of barriers or funding, it hasn't been possible.

The thrift store is a platform we want to try to launch. That, I think, will encourage more entrepreneurship.

[Alice Wong, Conservative, Richmond Centre, BC]

You also have experienced some challenges regarding some vulnerable kids. Some of them may have come from refugee families, and some of them are probably new immigrants.

What do you see really meeting the needs of these young people before they can have enough confidence to go into the workplace or to training?

[Ruth Lee]

I think the confidence level is low when they can't speak English. We try to partner with DIVERSEcity, with S.U.C.C.E.S.S., and people like that. It goes back to the wait-list. If they're not quite ready or they feel they're lacking that skill, then we funnel them back there. We work closely with them, and then we bring them back.

[Alice Wong, Conservative, Richmond Centre, BC]

Regarding the length of training, I can see that six months is probably a very good half-year program. I used to be able to run that too. Unfortunately, yours is now 13 weeks only.

Do you see a great need for the government to put more money into it and make it even more successful?

[Ruth Lee]

Yes.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bryan May]

Thank you.

Now, we'll move to MP Morrissey again.

[Bobby Morrissey, Liberal, Egmont, PE]

Thank you, Chair.

On that point, funding always seems to be the issue and the government is constantly being challenged, a lot from the opposition, to balance the budget. The face of balancing the budget is some of the people you represent.

We look at it differently. These are investments in the future because if we miss the people, especially Orville Lee, Ruth Lee, and Colleen Mooney, then there's a substantive cost.

Our government has doubled the Canada summer jobs program. We have put significant new money into the whole skills suite of programs that the federal government does. But we recognize there are still more challenges. We did not cut those programs; they were cut by the former administration.

You represent a group that I very much lobby for. An issue I think you should be aware of is, on some replacement jobs Service Canada will reach out to the MP's office and discuss with the MP the length of the student placement, so if they have a need for longer they should be interacting with the MP's office to pass that on.

Mr. Lee, you referenced a customized program, taking somebody through who's now a success. What was the cost of that success for the student you identified?

[Orville Lee]

That's interesting. I can't give you that dollar value.