Human Resources committee  —and not after they're finished. They are good programs. Anecdotally speaking, if you talk to employers, they probably have no clue that they're entitled to $1,000 if one of their apprentices writes their C of Q. I'd be curious to see what the uptake is on that, as well. The

Human Resources committee  It's the awareness of the different trade possibilities. There are 24 different trades; people know five of them. They know plumbers, electricians, carpenters, painters, but they don't know all the others.

Human Resources committee  Also, teachers don't know them; guidance counsellors don't know them and parents don't know them. How do you direct someone to look at this? Some of them are very high-paying, six-figure jobs, with a good pension and highly in demand. When you look at crane operators, there a

Human Resources committee  Again, it's awareness, and then sometimes it's just complexities, a bit of bureaucracy. There are so many steps to get the completion grants and to get the loans that they just get lost.

Human Resources committee  —yes, how many potentially could have had it and how many did.

Human Resources committee  In events such Future Building—and I'm tooting my own horn, obviously—what happens is that we have approximately 20 of the unions come in, they have a hands-on booth, and the kids come in and get to try what that trade involves. Virtual reality has become a big training tool. Th

Human Resources committee  That is an issue. In my previous role, I was the training director for the painters union, and I worked directly with apprentices. It's lack of awareness. They're not aware of the loan program. They're not aware of the completion grant. I would tell them that they were leaving

Human Resources committee  Thank you, Mr. Chair. Thank you to the committee for inviting me to speak today. Today I would like to explain what the Ontario Construction Secretariat has seen regarding the skills shortages in the greater Toronto-Hamilton area, and some of the challenges associated with them