Mr. Speaker, the government is taking a balanced approach with respect to making sure that apprentices have the opportunities to be trained. Our reforms are focused on employers working hard to provide available jobs and making sure that Canadians are cognizant of what is available to them.
With respect to our most recent budget, to be clear, there are a number of items the federal government has proposed in economic action plan 2013 with regard to skilled trades across the country and making sure that apprentices, in particular, have opportunities.
The centrepiece of the budget is the Canada job grant. In conjunction with employers and the provinces, we will be contributing to the skills training of unemployed or underemployed individuals to fill vacant jobs. This will move skills training from government programs into the hands of job creators.
Because we are aware that practical work experience is just as important as education and training, the second phase of this plan involves the creation of additional job opportunities for companies.
We have apprenticeship programs that are already working well. With our track record in supporting them for up to $4,000 through the apprenticeship incentives grant and the apprenticeship completion grant, tradespeople across the country have opportunities.
With respect to economic action plan 2013, there are three major initiatives that focus on the skilled trades. The first, which I have mentioned already, is the Canada job grant. The second, though, is our commitment in federal contracts, particularly those associated with affordable housing on maintenance, as well as new contracts, to have apprentices on job sites to make sure they can acquire the number of hours they need to move forward and become journeypersons.
We have also made a commitment to look at practical testing to make sure young apprentices can be assessed and move forward and also to help in their mobility from province to province. The member opposite may have heard from her colleagues that the Standing Committee on Human Resources, Skills and Social Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities heard significant concerns with regard to the mobility of young apprentices across the country, province to province, and the effort to decrease the interprovincial barriers. We will be working closely with the provinces in an effort to facilitate the movement of labour across the country.
Finally, we are focused on making sure the youth of tomorrow know what jobs are available, particularly that jobs in skilled trades are available to them and that they are excellent opportunities to have a great qualify of life. We are investing $19 million to make sure both employers and students are well educated in what opportunities are available to them across the country.