Okay. I'm sorry about that.
Third, we've mentioned direct entry success stories.
Fourth, we recommend that the government embed the prerequisite that any participant in a microcredential training program that impacts an existing Red Seal trade should first be a registered apprentice or licensed journeyperson. If this is embedded as a prerequisite to funding opportunities, such as UTIP or the sustainable jobs plan or related funding initiatives, then it will maintain integrity and measurable outcomes.
When microcredentials are inappropriately utilized, they can displace qualified trades professionals and their graduates. They may lack direct apprenticeship pathways, and they often enter into the underground economy without licensing or insurance and can pose risks to workers and the public. The only true measure of pre-entry program success is that its graduates become registered apprentices.
To strengthen trade recognition, the government could fund a public-facing database verifying qualifications of Red Seal professionals, similar to Skilled Trades Ontario, which would bring transparency, accountability and public confidence.
Fifth, reinstate apprenticeship grants. With the apprenticeship completion grants having ended March 31, 2025, there's now a gap in simple, effective incentives. Reinstating modernized grants that follow the apprentice would yield immediate results and support budget 2025's goal to grow the workforce and build high-paying careers.
Remove barriers and build inclusion. We must also address supports that help apprentices stay in the system and succeed, such as affordable child care, parental leave, wellness and mental health supports and culturally aware diversity training.
Women in trades programs work best when child care is successful and predictable. Canada's Building Trades Unions' construction trades hub is an excellent additional resource that is federally supported and helps potential apprentice candidates navigate various resources or potentially look for their career of choice in apprenticeship that they're seeking to align with online. This promotes an—