Status of Women Committee on March 26th, 2012

[Dan Albas, Conservative, Okanagan—Coquihalla, BC]

Thank you, Madam Chair, and thank you to both of our guests for being here today.

I have a few questions for Ms. Coté.

There have been a number of reports that one of the most pressing issues facing executives across the country is a shortage of skilled labour. According to a Globe and Mail C-suite survey, two-thirds of executives say they're having difficulty finding qualified employees, and one-third say the labour shortage is so severe that it's preventing their companies from growing as quickly as they could.

Have you been able to identify in any of your work if today's girls are more or less likely to be interested in skilled trades or more non-traditional fields?

[The Chair, NDP, Irene Mathyssen]

Madam Coté.

[Cara Coté]

I believe they are more interested now. The market is changing for girls. Before we didn't have any role models at all, or information to direct them into the non-traditional jobs. Now that is becoming more apparent.

We are also finding with the job shortage that we are able to start outsourcing to other areas. For example, I believe the Saskatoon Chamber of Commerce president recently went to Ireland to recruit people and bring them back here. That is just one of the programs we're doing locally that way.

As far as the technology, we are able to reach a broader base of qualified female applicants online, and bring them to locations where we need them.

[Dan Albas, Conservative, Okanagan—Coquihalla, BC]

Do your members also share the concerns of other executives about finding skilled labour and not being able to grow as a result of that?

[Cara Coté]

That is a huge issue, especially here in Saskatchewan, where we are having a bit of a boom. For example, we need more programs, more desk space really, to produce those people, whereas that's fairly limited right now.

[Dan Albas, Conservative, Okanagan—Coquihalla, BC]

As far as skilled labour and focusing specifically on trades, are more girls pursuing these opportunities, and if not, why not?

[Cara Coté]

I believe they are starting to pursue them more. There's the GETT, or girls entering trades and technologies program. I believe it's a program in grades 7 and 8 where girls are taken to a technical college. They spend a week there learning about the different trades available to them. They get to speak with the instructors and other successful females going through that program. I believe it is actually improving.

[Dan Albas, Conservative, Okanagan—Coquihalla, BC]

Thank you.

When the Girls Action Foundation appeared before us they made a series of recommendations. The first was to provide mentorship and diverse role models for girls growing up. The second was to educate boys and young men to think critically about gender expectations and promote more equality between the sexes. The third was to implement and expand programs that reduced gender harassment, especially in the educational institutions.

I'd like to hear the Canadian Federation of Business and Professional Women's thoughts on these recommendations.

[Cara Coté]

Those are fantastic recommendations. BPW International has come out with a program. My apologies that I can't remember the exact name off the top of my head. I believe it's called “I will teach them how to respect her”. It's aimed at young men, and how they can teach their peers how to be more respectful to young women and girls, starting at a very young age. That is a program that would help support those recommendations.

[Dan Albas, Conservative, Okanagan—Coquihalla, BC]

That would be number three, the implementing and expanding of programs that reduce gender harassment. Would you say that's the recommendation your organization would probably support the most?

[Cara Coté]

Yes, that's true.

[Dan Albas, Conservative, Okanagan—Coquihalla, BC]

Okay. Thank you.

Madam Chair, I am done. Again, I thank the witnesses for their appearance today.

[The Chair, NDP, Irene Mathyssen]

Thank you very much.

Now over to Madam Sgro for seven minutes.

[Judy Sgro, Liberal, York West, ON]

Thank you very much, Madam Chair.

Welcome, to both of our guests. It's always very informative when we have witnesses such as you.

Ms. Nicolle, what would your total budget be for the organization?

[Leanne Nicolle]

For Plan International Canada?

[Judy Sgro, Liberal, York West, ON]

Yes.

[Leanne Nicolle]

Or, to clarify, on this program?

[Judy Sgro, Liberal, York West, ON]

Plan International Canada first and then the program second.

[Leanne Nicolle]

Plan International Canada is an approximately $130 million organization.

This program is quite small. It's a pilot project, and over three years it will cost about $300,000.

[Judy Sgro, Liberal, York West, ON]

You were very fortunate to get such good sponsors for many of those segments of the program.

[Leanne Nicolle]

Yes. The private sector has been very helpful.

[Judy Sgro, Liberal, York West, ON]

That's the kind of the thing I would somehow expect them to be automatically. It sounds like an appealing initiative. So many people are looking for funding, it's not always easy to be successful. Congratulations

Of the $130 million, where does your funding come from?

[Leanne Nicolle]

We have 180,000 individual donors across the country, so a majority of our funding is from individual Canadian donors.

To be clear, this is under our international program. Our entire youth programming, which is what this is considered to be, is self-sufficient. We operate on zero fundraising. We don't use fundraising funds for this program.

[Judy Sgro, Liberal, York West, ON]

The whole $130 million, as an overall budget, comes from individual donors?

[Leanne Nicolle]

Yes. Individual donors, CIDA, and institutional donors; those are the three.