This is done on a number of levels. New Brunswick currently has a number of initiatives.
One of the great advantages is that we have been able to convince the government that there was a problem with access to the workforce. Actually, for a long time, New Brunswick was considered a province where the unemployment rate was the greatest challenge. It took us a while, a decade, to convince the governments that access to the workforce was a challenge. Studies showed that the level of education was making it difficult for people to access existing jobs. This has finally made people understand that the issue was twofold. EI recipients want jobs and companies are looking for people, but the people available are not suited for the jobs available. That is why there are a number of provincial initiatives, such as a collective project where we want to educate people on the importance of lifelong learning from cradle to grave. The department has taken initiatives on post-secondary education, training and employment, and we are putting initiatives in place to deal with specific problems.
Federal initiatives are problematic. The federal government has put in place a program—I don’t remember the name—to train employees and it is sort of the same across Canada. However, at provincial level, our initiatives have been tailored. The purpose of our initiatives is not only to help companies provide training to people without jobs, but also to provide training to people with jobs to make them more qualified to increase the productivity of the company, to contribute to modernization, and so on. So we are working at various levels.
We are aware of the problem. It is rather complex, but all the departments are working toward the same goal.