Evidence of meeting #84 for International Trade in the 42nd Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was poland.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Liberal
Cyclone Mfg. Inc.
I'm not sure if I really understand, but I was probably seven years old when I made my plan to come to Canada. The Canadian consul in New York asked me the same question, why I would like to come here.
Liberal
Linda Lapointe Liberal Rivière-des-Mille-Îles, QC
Was it difficult for you to adapt to a different culture?
October 30th, 2017 / 4:15 p.m.
Liberal
Red Dot Digital
I was sort of lucky. I come from a family of diplomats, and I have lived around the world, so I didn't really have any trouble in that respect. However, other communities tell me about adaptation issues.
There should be a guide on general qualities, such as punctuality. There should be an explanation of what it means to be a Canadian. The communities know it. They often say that something is very Canadian, that it is very upstanding, and so on. I could write the guide, if you like! The difference is very obvious when we go back home.
Liberal
Linda Lapointe Liberal Rivière-des-Mille-Îles, QC
The opposite is also true.
Our colleague talked earlier about the different languages and cultures in European countries. For example, I would not speak to Portuguese people and Polish people in the same way.
Red Dot Digital
I completely agree.
I am currently doing business in the United Kingdom and in France, and I see differences between those two countries. I have lived there. Often, I am the bridge between all those countries because I understand how things work. So there are differences, and they have to be taken into account.
Liberal
Linda Lapointe Liberal Rivière-des-Mille-Îles, QC
Those differences must also be explained to businesses.
Liberal
Linda Lapointe Liberal Rivière-des-Mille-Îles, QC
You said that you went on a mission to London and had difficulty recruiting small and medium-sized businesses to participate in a trade mission abroad.
Do you have any suggestions for us? How should we try to encourage them to take advantage of all the export opportunities presented by the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement, or CETA?
Red Dot Digital
They should be given funding. I paid for my ticket and my hotel accommodations. I paid for everything, but representatives of Accenture, Deloitte and other businesses were there with all expenses paid for them. So small businesses really need help in that area.
I stayed at that hotel for two weeks at my own expense, and they had five days there at the expense of their business. In my opinion, they had no place even being on the trade mission. Deloitte doesn't need to go on a trade mission to London because they already have offices in that city. I think that assistance must be provided to smaller businesses that don't really have the opportunities or the means to participate in trade missions.
Liberal
Linda Lapointe Liberal Rivière-des-Mille-Îles, QC
Do you have any advice for us on twinning in order to help Canadian businesses establish relationships with other countries' businesses?
Red Dot Digital
It could be done through a chamber of commerce like ours, for example.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Mark Eyking
Yes, I know, and you were on a roll there, but we have time for one MP and we're going to give it to the Conservatives.
Mr. Allison, you have the floor.
Conservative
Dean Allison Conservative Niagara West, ON
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
To our guests, thank you as well.
I want to go back to what Mr. Carrie talked about earlier, the skills shortages—you alluded to it as well—and the match. I know that one thing our government tried to figure out is how we align the skills shortages. It's something that all governments have to work on.
Talk to us about your experience specifically. I know you're looking for machinists and general labourers, etc. Do you do apprenticeship training? Talk to me about some of the things you do. If you're short of apprentices or short of machinists, where would you go to look for them, if they're not provided in Canada?
Is that where some flexibility to bring them in...?
Cyclone Mfg. Inc.
We are working with Sheridan College. My son finished at Sheridan College here in Canada, so he has a close relationship. At the same time, we are hiring either Ryerson or U of T students. As soon as they show up, we train them. We provide apprenticeship programs, things like that, and there are some co-op programs in high school. We do that all the time. We don't mind. We are happy to hire young graduates.
Conservative
Dean Allison Conservative Niagara West, ON
I want to say thank you for doing that. Not enough Canadian companies do apprenticeships. We see that in Europe they've been very successful with great apprenticeship programs.
Cyclone Mfg. Inc.
I think we should start educating parents and young students. I believe there is still some stigma that manufacturing means working in a dirty place, when actually people wear white shirts to work, and so on. With high-tech computerized equipment with joy sticks, it's almost like playing Nintendo.
Conservative
Dean Allison Conservative Niagara West, ON
Karima, I like your experience. You're in a digital world, so you're in a different type of business altogether. Talk to me about the skill sets that you're looking for in your business. How easy are they to find?