Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you very much for coming here today. We have been working on this employment insurance study for a few weeks already, and we are always learning something new. So I am very pleased to welcome you here.
Professor Lightman, I was particularly moved by your study on welfare. We know that it is currently a real scourge. In Quebec, we are now even on a third generation of people on welfare. I find it very unfortunate that women do not have access to training so that they can get off welfare.
In Quebec, we set up the Chantier de l'économie sociale in 1995. This led to the creation of small businesses that see themselves responsible for providing opportunities to welfare recipients. This program works quite well because these people are given at least a year or a year and a half to get used to holding a regular job.
Last week, we heard a witness from a rural community who told us that the program set up by the government was wonderful for women because it enabled them to work in non-traditional trades, such as construction. This also enabled them to obtain training, and so on.
You do not appear to agree with this premise. In your opinion, what are the shortcomings or flaws in this program? Could you tell us how we could better serve women from rural and urban communities?