With regard to entrepreneurs and those entering the market at a younger age, how much is the cost of education affecting their capabilities once they complete their education and carry a student debt? I have a number of businesses in my riding and have heard the comments about skills shortages. I know some skill shortages exist because people are graduating with degrees in fields where the technology or everything has moved on, or the debt-to-repayment ratio for a job in that field is not consistent with the recovery of that investment.
It's interesting, because over the years we've allowed training to be moved into the educational system and to be put on the backs of students, for the most part, and the general public, and then there's a complaint by business that students are not qualified. All of a sudden it's up to people who are going to university at the age of 17 and who are going to graduate with $30,000 to $40,000 worth of debt to understand and know what the market value of their degree is going to be four and a half years from now, and they have that debt burden. It seems like a pretty unfair thing to ask a 17- to 18-year-old.
I just put that out there. I see this happening in the workforce I speak of, including among tool and die makers, mould-making, and other things. Is it also affecting start-up entrepreneurs with a heavy debt load from tuition?