That's quite a good question, because I think there have been critiques of the granting program from the start in terms of not just availability but also timeliness. There have been times where I think organizations.... I myself can recall applying for grants and getting calls on the Easter long weekend to finalize applications for positions. When you look at small businesses and non-profits especially, they're waiting for this grant to decide if they will hire. Many university students are looking for those jobs back in January, yet we can't post or be certain that the jobs are available until pretty much too late, towards the actual start of the summer employment program period.
One of the pieces in flexibility that I think would be beneficial is if this became year-round. It seems to me you would ideally have civil servants dedicated to this program who could begin processes earlier and keep those processes running. If there were two or three granting cycles, those processes would be more cyclical. I think you might have a program that's able to listen to and really benefit what employers are looking for and what students are looking for, instead of one that happens on a seasonal basis, as it currently does.
I think part of that is the idea of being able to really understand the needs of employers. Clearly, right now the needs of employers have changed significantly due to the pandemic. Being able to really understand what employers are looking for and what students are looking for out of the program, I think in a more dedicated way, would be pretty fantastic.