Human Resources Committee on Dec. 7th, 2017

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

However, we are told that only 10% of graduate students have done a co-op program.

What are the obstacles there?

[Alain Tremblay]

The rules of the co-op system require students to accumulate at least 30% of their experience in the workplace. Graduate programs, for masters and doctoral degrees, are much shorter. So it is difficult to switch between work and study. That is why we are currently considering new programs that would allow people wanting to do graduate work to do a course that, thanks to Mitacs, includes a co-op component directly in a job. They would start with a work period, which would be something very new.

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

As you were saying, federal-provincial relations are not always easy, especially in the field of education, which is an area of jurisdiction that Quebec guards jealously.

There are services under federal jurisdiction, where it is our call, such as newcomers and indigenous education.

You said you had a specific program for international students. What are the principal obstacles you have to deal with when you try to place those particular students?

[Alain Tremblay]

Actually, it can be the students' poor grasp of the labour market in Canada and in Quebec. Or it can be that some companies lack awareness of the students' realities.

Ironically, we have international students accepting placements in Saguenay, Abitibi or the Côte Nord, because the people there are ready to accept them. Areas like that have such a labour shortage that they are ready to accept international students.

So we do a lot of promotion for the international students outside the major centres, where there may be a sort of pejorative image of some international students.

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

So the difference is not in certain types of jobs or certain types of employers, but in the geography.

[Alain Tremblay]

The geography, yes, but it is also more general. We may want to accept a student in our nursing science program. But often, recognition from the professional associations becomes more and more difficult. The obstacles to employment are not necessarily with the companies, but also with specific professional associations.

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

Do First Nations students use your internship and placement service?

[Alain Tremblay]

There are very few at the Université de Sherbrooke.

The University of Victoria is where most First Nations students are. We were actually there a month ago. The University of Victoria has great programs. About 5% to 7% of their students are from First Nations. The university has developed specific programs for First Nations students and the programs run very well.

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

We will keep that in mind and go and have a look.

Do I have any time left, Mr. Chair?

[The Chair, Liberal, Bryan May]

You have 25 seconds.

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

You are participating in some national level research called “From Learning to Work—Student Survey”.

If you do not have the time to answer our questions, it would be helpful if you could send our clerk a description of the research project, the Université de Sherbrooke's participation, any results that are available at the moment, and any trends that can be seen.

[Alain Tremblay]

I will gladly send that to the committee.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bryan May]

Thank you very much.

Now over to MP Fortier, please.

[Mona Fortier, Liberal, Ottawa—Vanier, ON]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

I thank the witnesses for their presentations. It is very important to see what is going on in the country.

I have a couple of questions for Ms. Mooney, as I know the Boys and Girls Club is an organization that has a lot of expertise and has been working with at-risk youth.

I was wondering if you could explain why we see that some youth slip. We lose them. They fall through the cracks. We try to find ways to get them back on track.

I am wondering if there any programs or ideas we should be working on to get back not only students, but also youth at risk who fall through the cracks.

[Colleen Mooney]

Yes, that definitely is a problem. We see some of those kids at the Boys and Girls Club. We work very closely with those youth to get them through high school.

For some of them, it's just so challenging because of language, for example, a lot of the Syrian refugees. The younger kids who are in grades 1 and 2 are going to be fine, but when those kids who are coming are in grades 9 and 10, that's a lot more difficult. Trying to help that group finish school is quite challenging.

One of the things we hoped for at the Boys and Girls Club was that eventually there would be some kind of federal program, in addition to Canada summer jobs, that would help support those kids who maybe aren't in education and aren't employed, and give them some kind of employment experience that hopefully would light a spark or help them find something they're good at.

I love what everybody on the panel said, because I think it's true. Experiential learning and finding out what lights a fire under these kids is really going to help them to be successful. If you believe what the former governor of the Bank of Canada, Mark Carney, said, we have a productivity problem in Canada. I often say to donors, don't do it for our kids; do it for your kids. There are a lot of kids out there who are struggling to even finish high school and then go on to post-secondary. If we let that whole generation slide into unemployment, it will hurt the country as a whole.

[Mona Fortier, Liberal, Ottawa—Vanier, ON]

I know that in Ottawa—Vanier, the club is very active with aboriginal youth.

How can we work closely with the aboriginal youth across Canada? Do you have any suggestions? I know that in the Ottawa—Vanier riding, there have been experiences and successes that we should look at. Could you share that with us?

[Colleen Mooney]

We've tried to work across the country, but in particular in Vanier, with the other organizations that are serving aboriginal youth, like the Wabano Centre and the Ottawa Inuit Children's Centre.

I think it's working in partnership with those who serve particularly the aboriginal youth, and being culturally sensitive. The issues for them are somewhat the same. At the Vanier location, we used to house the alternative high school for aboriginal youth. That was a very important learning experience for us in understanding what was important to them and how to help them be successful. I think it's a partnership model.

Certainly, Boys and Girls Clubs of Canada are embarking across Canada with aboriginal organizations.

[Mona Fortier, Liberal, Ottawa—Vanier, ON]

I'm also trying to understand your relationship with employers, because we need for them to be on board.

What's the formula to engage employers to work with youth at risk and understand that they have talents and passions also? Can you share that with us?

[Colleen Mooney]

I think that's what's been so great about the skills link program, and what's been very powerful in terms of engaging private sector employers to work with us and with the government on that. I think that's a key program to continue. I would encourage the continuance of that, just helping kids get that experience that they need to move on.

I wish I had the answer for that. Youth employment is a passion of mine, and I've been working a lot on it. I wish I had the answer to how we could engage more employers. It's something I'm concerned about. I hear employers say to educational institutions all the time, “You haven't prepared these youth well enough for the workforce.”

On the other hand, I think this focus on increasing shareholder value has caused many employers to cut training programs. They expect these kids who come out of post-secondary education to hit the ground running, and in many cases that's just not the case.

So I don't know. I really wish I had the answer to that one.

[Mona Fortier, Liberal, Ottawa—Vanier, ON]

We're all looking for that answer also, so if you have any more suggestions, the door is open.

Mr. Tremblay, I really appreciated your presentation. Last week, I was with Navdeep Bains, the Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development, when he announced 10,000 new paid internships, with an investment of $221 million. That is good news. With a transparent and participatory bid process, the Mitacs group will be able to do good work with organizations like yours. I gather that it has 25 offices in Canada. Being in touch with that group from now on could be a good way to ensure a role in the situation.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bryan May]

Thank you.

Mr. Sangha.

[Ramesh Sangha, Liberal, Brampton Centre, ON]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

My question is for Mr. Tremblay.

I understand your university is engaged in a study called “from learning to work student survey”. It's a national study. You told us in your presentation that you have two types of objectives for the co-op students: number one, give them practical experience; and, number two, give them part-time jobs so they can meet their financial requirements as well as learn on the job.

How hard do you you think it is for these co-op students to find placement after you prepare them in your university?

[Alain Tremblay]

In fact, it's quite easy for co-op students to find a job after that. More than 50% of the co-op students find a job in the same company where they did their work term, so that really facilitates the transfer from school to work.

In fact, right now, within three months, 98% of our students find a job in their field of study. That's quite impressive.

[Ramesh Sangha, Liberal, Brampton Centre, ON]

Do you think the federal government can do something to facilitate corporate co-op placements?

[Alain Tremblay]

The federal government is one of our largest employers. In fact, at the University of Ottawa, they have a couple of thousand work terms a year, and I think 50% of those work terms are within the federal government, so that's really something. The federal government is a really good partner for co-op programs.