Human Resources committee  I'm not aware of other similar tax incentives. I don't know if my colleagues may have more information on that.

Human Resources committee  It's a placement, but if a company manages to attract a student as a co-op employee, in our experience it becomes a “try before you buy” scenario for both the student and the company. The company has the ability to see that student in action and assess whether or not he or she will make a suitable full-time employee; the student has the opportunity to see what a career in that particular company would be like.

Human Resources committee  From our perspective there are a number of really strong tech clusters across the country. They're right across the board—Vancouver certainly, Calgary, and Montreal. There's a cluster emerging in Moncton. It depends on the kinds of industries there, the really important relationship between industry and the post-secondary environment, and the regional strength.

Human Resources committee  I would agree. The overarching piece that will help in this is a constant feedback loop between what's happening in our colleges and universities and what industry is looking for. Co-op programs, apprenticeship programs, and internships are one method by which you can build that feedback loop.

Human Resources committee  We have a partnership with an organization in our community called the Business and Education Partnership. Their focus is on helping young students from grades 7 to 12 in making more informed career choices. What we find is that the biggest influence on the career choices of students tends to be either their peers, their parents, or their guidance counsellors.

Human Resources committee  I'm sorry, I don't have a sense of that.

Human Resources committee  It's an excellent question. I think probably the key for new grads is that experiential learning component. In the Waterloo region, we really try to leverage the cooperative education model, making those connections between industries and students right from their first year of college or university.

Human Resources committee  The only thing I would add to what my colleagues have said is that the ICT industry, and the digital media industry in particular, is moving at such a pace that it's really difficult for these things to keep up. When we do recruitment events, we travel across the continent and we update our list of the hottest skills in demand every three months.

Human Resources committee  Thank you very much, Mr. Chair. Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen of the committee. Thank you for the invitation to join you today. My name is Avvey Peters, and I'm vice-president of external relations at Communitech. We are the technology organization in the Waterloo region, Ontario.