Human Resources committee  Just to address the issue with respect to safety, there is a welding standard, CSA W117, I believe, that specifically states how women in welding trades are to be protected, or how every employee should be protected, in terms of emissions from welding fumes. Ventilation equipment

Human Resources committee  Yes.

Human Resources committee  I don't have that information. I'm sorry, I don't have that statistic. Perhaps Dr. Cherry may have some information.

Human Resources committee  Absolutely. These are highly paid jobs in welding, and this is the kind of income that you cannot replace with many other professions. That's why I believe that women will go back to the welding profession once they have their baby and have the opportunity to return to a place of

Human Resources committee  Absolutely. I think it is critical that we show women that we care about their work experience, that we care about their well-being, and that we will do things that support them so they can be a mother and be a professional tradesperson.

Human Resources committee  That's according to the Skills Canada organization.

Human Resources committee  It's all trades.

Human Resources committee  It is.

Human Resources committee  There could be other reasons, but what I am seeing clearly is that there are more women who are participating specifically in welding trades at high schools and colleges. We're seeing that women are willing to enter the trade. They just need support and acceptance. Sometimes they

Human Resources committee  There are varying degrees and varying fields of welding. You can take a basic welding course for a year and you can find a job in welding. Now, you're going to have limited skills with that one year of training. If you take two years, your options will broaden. I always encourage

Human Resources committee  I'll say a few things. We don't have any statistical data that indicates what those percentages may be. However, we have a declining birth rate in this country, and we rely on immigration to sustain our economy and to keep our economy growing. We should do everything in our power

Human Resources committee  That is correct.

Human Resources committee  Through our Canadian Welding Association Foundation charity we have a special focus on women in trades. We organize camps specifically to attract and recruit women. Last year we organized more than 50 camps, and I think this year there will be more than 100 camps. We participate

Human Resources committee  We are probably the most engaged organization of any organization in this country. We have a membership base. We have over 400 high schools throughout Canada that are engaged with us. Those are the high schools that we provide with electronic welding helmets, for example. We purc

Human Resources committee  Thank you very much, Mr. Chair. The Canadian Welding Association is very pleased to be here today. We thank the committee for inviting us to speak on this very important bill, but before I begin those remarks, I would like to provide some background information on our organizati