Human Resources Committee on Oct. 2nd, 2025

[Caroline Desrochers, Liberal, Trois-Rivières, QC]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

I'm a bit confused, and I mean that sincerely. For some time now, we've been tasked with conducting a study on the youth unemployment rate, yet we keep talking about paperwork, taxes and tax programs.

I'm trying to understand one thing. Mr. Rizzo and Mr. Johnson, given the difficulties that you listed, what's preventing you from hiring young people or supporting them through programs? On the one hand, you're saying that it isn't the government's role—I think that we're clear on that—to create jobs. However, at the same time, I think that we're oversimplifying things when we talk about a living wage and affordability.

We can't compare Mexico to Canada. We have programs specifically designed to make life more affordable, such as day care, family allowances, dental insurance and pharmacare programs. We can't have our cake and eat it too.

I don't want to focus too much on that.

My colleague Mr. Reynolds raised the issue of skilled trades, and I think it's a really important issue.

My question is again for both witnesses, but I'll start with Mr. Rizzo.

It seems that young people don't want the jobs that you're offering. As an entrepreneur, how can you help solve this problem?

[Perry Rizzo]

I think it's our responsibility to create jobs that offer value to young people. In our case, manufacturing has a lot of challenges, but it has a lot of benefits. Our contracts go out five to 10 years, so our ability to strategically plan and to create long-term stability for people for their mortgages and long-term development for them is one of the benefits, I would say, of manufacturing.

I think the things we can do.... I personally invest 8% of my income and profitability back into innovation and into research and development. I'm funding multiple programs. I could hire 50 young engineers tomorrow. The problem is that I'm funding this all out of my personal bank account. Do you know how much funding I've received from the government over six years of research and development funding for new innovations and technology? I received $480,000 through IRAP and haven't received any other funding.

You invest upwards of $15 million or $20 million of your own personal money into projects to create jobs in Canada, and then you see the government investing in foreign companies that are not Canadian-owned, $40 billion for plants that are owned by Volkswagen and Stellantis. These are not Canadian-owned companies. It's very disheartening that we are not prioritizing Canadian companies and looking at them and investing in them so they could create these jobs. I could easily create 300 jobs in Canada tomorrow.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bobby Morrissey]

Thank you, Mr. Rizzo. We are running out of time.

Mrs. Gill, you have the floor for two and a half minutes.

[Marilène Gill, Bloc, Côte-Nord—Kawawachikamach—Nitassinan, QC]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

I was wondering whether Mr. Pageau had finished answering my last question. He's nodding. It's cyclical, then, in these fields.

Mr. Gagnon, I would like to discuss possible solutions with you, particularly Quebec's successful initiatives that could inspire the Canadian provinces. Please note that I'm not saying that we've done everything right.

If you have any other comments, I would be happy to hear them.

[Alexandre Gagnon]

Thank you.

One great initiative in Quebec, which could be further improved, involves quickly connecting students with workplaces so that they can gain work experience early on. Obviously, we aren't saying that they should leave school. We want them to develop a number of skills learned in the workplace, particularly through internships and apprenticeships over the course of their education.

As a result, when young people leave school, they're much better prepared to enter the job market. For example, we're seeing lower unemployment rates, but also much faster retention rates in the job market. Many universities and CEGEPs in Quebec have taken this approach.

This is the right path to take. Co‑operative programs and work‑study programs must be boosted. Quebec has some excellent programs, such as Palette Skills. In Quebec, Visées provides short training programs to quickly adapt the skills of workers and apprentices to the specific needs of employers, in line with their activities and operations. This type of initiative is better than large‑scale programs, which quickly become outdated and which don't meet the long‑term needs of businesses.

It's necessary to shorten training programs and to quickly establish partnerships with workplaces in order to meet the needs of businesses.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bobby Morrissey]

You have 10 seconds left, Mrs. Gill.

[Marilène Gill, Bloc, Côte-Nord—Kawawachikamach—Nitassinan, QC]

I'm finished, Mr. Chair.

You gave me time much earlier.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bobby Morrissey]

Thank you, Madame Gill.

That concludes this panel of witnesses on this study. The committee will meet again on Tuesday, October 7, to resume the study.

The meeting is adjourned.