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Results: 1 - 15 of 29
Robert Blakely
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Robert Blakely
2012-12-06 9:10
In terms of the shipbuilding program on either coast, make sure apprentices are there.
I'll wrap up. I have only a couple of things to go.
Concerning supports to the learner, you can't get a student loan if you're an apprentice, because your program is for eight weeks, not twelve. The profile of our people is that they have kids, they have families, and they have responsibilities. They need some dough. For Pete's sake, it isn't a lot of money.
In regard to EI, pre-approve them. Make sure they get the money when they're there. Prior testimony indicates that the number one complaint is not getting EI money.
Concerning the apprenticeship incentive grant and the apprenticeship completion grant, double them. Make them available for all years of apprenticeship and for second trades. The cost for all federal supports to apprenticeship is $89 million. Even if you doubled that, it's a value. The cost of the grants is about $8 million. Another eight million bucks would get us more completers. We need completers.
Thank you very much for your attention and for letting me go over my time.
Serge Buy
View Serge Buy Profile
Serge Buy
2012-10-29 16:05
It varies immensely, depending on the trade or the sector. You're looking at the Canada student loans program right now, which funds programs that start at four weeks. What we're saying is that on one side the federal government recognizes programs that can be very short, and on another side, with the grants, it does not recognize those programs.
I would say that the average program at a Canadian career college is about 26 weeks. That would be the average. Our position is that to make it easy, the federal government shouldn't be looking at program A, B, and C and creating a whole bureaucracy to evaluate programs. It already recognizes a program; it is four weeks with the Canada student loans program. Why doesn't it take the same measure with a program that is a sister program to the Canada student grants program and use that?
Serge Buy
View Serge Buy Profile
Serge Buy
2012-10-29 16:36
I will need just a few seconds.
I think you raise an interesting question. The problem we have I think is that with education having many players, including the provincial government, it's going to be really hard to change everything. However, the government has the ability and the capacity to direct funding where education is needed and workers cannot be found for jobs that exist. In Alberta we have employers who cannot find workers. In Nova Scotia we have companies that now, with the huge shipbuilding that is happening, are scrambling to find education.
In terms of our funding for the Canada student loans program and the Canada student grants program, we're going to keep giving money to people who are making their choice to go to universities and get a degree and a diploma where no jobs are there. In articles in the media, you have journalists asking why we are funding professions where there are no jobs—
Zachary Dayler
View Zachary Dayler Profile
Zachary Dayler
2012-10-24 15:40
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
On behalf of our 25 student associations across the country, representing over 300,000 students, I want to thank you all for the opportunity to appear before you today and to bring forward our recommendations.
Canada needs more educated people with less debt. Canada recently fell from 8th to 12th place in the rankings of the Global Innovation Index and from 19th to 25th place for investment in human capital and research. This shows that compared with other nations, Canada is not investing enough in higher education and research and development to keep pace. While our outputs are good, other countries are catching up.
CASA believes the government should invest in programs that are working and further invest in those that will complement future success.
By 2017, university and college education will be required for 75% of new jobs. The problem, however, is that the costs of attaining an education are increasing at a dizzying pace, a fact that I know everyone in this room is aware of. Since 1991, the costs of education have more than tripled. In the decade between 2000 and 2010, costs of education increased more than 211%.
Given the increased costs, more and more students are turning to loans, both public and private, to fund their education, ultimately driving up their debt loads upon graduation. In 2010, Statistics Canada reported we are graduating students 10 years financially behind. The government can help address this by increasing grant funding through the Canada student grants program.
Since 2010, the CSGP has reduced the average student loan by $461. For a reasonable investment, the government can do even more by increasing available funding by 25% per qualified student. Such an investment will reduce the overall debt for low- and middle-income students, helping some of those with the most need.
Canada's universities and colleges are also magnets for global talent, and as a country, we want to not only cultivate the best and the brightest, but we should also want to attract them. Last year it was announced that 1,000 doctoral students would be accepted for permanent residency under the federal skilled worker program. The value of attracting and retaining international students is found both within the classroom and their contributions to the overall economy. The government should consider extending a similar fast track to the permanent residency program for international master's, undergraduates, and college students in disciplines that would address Canada's labour shortages.
We also need to have a focus on creating opportunity for Canadians. Demographic projections illustrate that one of the most important investments the government can make is in the aboriginal population of Canada, which is forecast to grow to 1.4 million by 2017. However, the program currently structured to support first nations and Inuit students is under a 2% funding cap placed on Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada. The PSSSP is an example of a program that could ensure future success if better funded. Those who've received funding are accessing and completing their education, and this is a positive.
We're recommending the government remove the 2% funding cap on the post-secondary student support program, fund the backlog of students who've been denied funding, and ensure that the program is adequately funded into the future.
This week is also Open Access Week. Canada needs to ensure that tomorrow's labour force has every means at its disposal to create, manufacture, innovate, and discover. This cannot be ensured through training alone. At present, most of the new findings and information generated through this research are paid for through public dollars, but it is not publicly available. The government should motivate innovation and entrepreneurial spirit by enacting legislation requiring the three federal agencies, SSHRC, NSERC, and CIHR, to ensure that all findings produced with publicly funded research are made available in an open access format.
In closing, I'd like to draw your attention to the importance of creating incentives for youth employment. Finding a job is one of the greatest challenges facing youth and students today. Canada's economy has added jobs, but youth have been left behind. To cover the costs of living, tuition, and academic materials, many students supplement available financial assistance by working during their studies. It has been reported that during the last year of an undergraduate program, 62% of students work, on average, 18 hours per week. Our members were pleased to see the government take action on the income work assessment. Now we ask the committee to take the next step and remove this earnings penalty altogether. No Canadian should be punished for earning a living.
The budget is a reflection of priorities. CASA believes every investment in education is an investment in our future prosperity and is a symbol of what makes Canada great.
Thank you.
View Hoang Mai Profile
NDP (QC)
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
I'll continue with Mr. Dayler.
You say finding a job is one of the greatest challenges facing youth and students today. Yesterday we had the Canadian Federation of Students come before this committee. When we asked them whether things have been better or worse for students in the last six years, they said they have gotten worse.
When we look at the rate of unemployment, which is double for youth, and when we look at student loans, which are going up, what is your take on how things are going for youth and students?
View Shelly Glover Profile
CPC (MB)
—communities with the forgiveness of student loans for medical graduates who practise in remote and rural areas, is that a good measure?
Jeffrey Turnbull
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Jeffrey Turnbull
2012-05-31 17:06
Yes, you announced that already, and we have supported that already.
Roxanne Dubois
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Roxanne Dubois
2012-05-31 10:05
The federal government certainly has shifted the way it funds post-secondary education. It used to give funding directly to the system. Now it's providing a lot of money in loans. That's how we're shifting the way the education system is being paid for. Unfortunately, that has an unequal impact on students, because ultimately taking on debt—
View Cathy McLeod Profile
CPC (BC)
Can I quickly intercede? The government has given 3% more per year in the social service transfer, and we've also readjusted the student grant program for medium and low incomes. My basic point is I have to look at what Mr. Lee said in terms of what we're doing and where we're going, but rather than helping my children, I would say if we need to put more in, we need to be focused in terms of ensuring everyone has opportunity.
I need to move on.
Mr. Waldman, I think what your case elucidated was the need for a just-in-time system. Why should someone be waiting five or six years to come to Canada? The other thing I frequently hear, and you didn't mention, was the background of this particular applicant. If teachers come to Canada, they're going to be unemployed. In the meantime, in my riding I have calls probably once a week saying they need a doctor. Our rural community is desperate for this doctor.
The minister himself said he knew it was a very difficult decision. But to move toward a much fairer system for all and match the skills.... I have to perhaps agree with Mr. Kurland and Mr. Grady on this one. Again, I think your case elucidates it all. I'll leave it to both of you, Mr. Kurland and Mr. Waldman, to comment.
Robert Sutherland
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Robert Sutherland
2012-05-07 15:55
On the issue of loan forgiveness, we could consider on the provincial end piloting something like tying a financial incentive to having people contract to work in remote areas for certain periods of time, to see if that might be a help. Dr. Swan might be able to speak to the issue that across the faculties of dentistry in Canada, about eight have set aside specific seats within the dental program for special consideration. Those would be the type of people....
Hopefully, they would be aboriginals, they would be people from remote areas who would be given some other consideration, and there would be an incentive to go back to where they were.
I mentioned the Ontario Dental Association's remote areas program. That's where the federal government has contracted the delivery of services for an area in northwestern Ontario that's literally the size of France. The Ontario Dental Association currently has the contract to supply dentists to that area.
That sort of thing might be something to consider as well.
Chloé Ward
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Chloé Ward
2012-05-07 16:48
One of the more pressing problems we're seeing is that many specialists are unable to find work in their specific field. Essentially, we are reaching a point, as Noura indicated, where there soon will be enough doctors, but these doctors will not be aligned with the specialties in demand.
Training spots in the various medical specialties simply do not match the population needs of Canadians. There are over 60 medical specialties that medical students can choose from. We're currently doing a very poor job of identifying current and future medical doctor labour shortages with respect to specialty and by geographic location.
For example, many specialists in cardiac surgery, radiation oncology, and orthopedic surgery currently have difficulties finding jobs in their fields. Because these specialists are highly trained, whenever they're unable to find work, they're often forced to leave the country.
The lack of a national level of cooperation is a large impediment. For instance, Ontario projects that before 2017 there will be labour shortages in almost every medical specialty in Ontario. Quebec is expecting an oversupply of physicians by 2016.
We're seeing similar trends across the country. When medical students apply to specialty spots after medical school, they apply through the CaRMS portal, which is essentially a national portal redistributing medical students across the country, not necessarily within their home province.
As of right now, there is no national health human resources database that tracks this kind of information. “The Future of Medical Education in Canada Postgraduate Project”, which is funded by Health Canada, actually calls for HHR planning on a national level, with government involvement.
Basically, we have demographic data on our population and on disease prevalence, and we know what the burdens are for our health care system. All we need now is a national database to collate this information and make it available so that we can use this information in the future to make projections and essentially align the residency and training spots in different specialties with the needs of Canadians.
According to the Society of Rural Physicians of Canada, 21% of Canadians are rural, but only 9% of Canadian physicians practise in rural areas. One of the main reasons that we have some underserved rural and remote areas in Canada—we're echoing previous messages from today—is that we're training few students from these rural and remote communities.
It is estimated that over 90% of medical students come from wealthy urban areas—essentially areas where there are no physician shortages. We know that medical students from rural or remote communities are far more likely to return to their communities to practise after medical school.
In Budget 2011, as you know, there was money allocated to forgive the loans of physicians and health care providers who begin to work in underserved rural and remote communities in Canada. This program aims to improve access to primary health care in underserved regions. We applaud this initiative; however, this program is inherently flawed as it currently stands.
Essentially, the loan forgiveness incentive begins only after residency, meaning that medical residents make payments on the federal portion of their Canada student loan during residency years. This greatly diminishes the incentive of loan forgiveness to attract physicians to underserved rural and remote areas. We need to defer the interest on and payment of the federal portion of the Canada student loan during residency in order to render this program effective.
View Kennedy Stewart Profile
NDP (BC)
We've heard a lot about student loan forgiveness. I'm on the industry committee. It's a global world now. Everybody moves around.
I'm just wondering if that's the best way to direct government moneys. Wouldn't it be better to just pay somebody, as other countries do? They just pay people more to work in rural and remote communities. Do you think a more broadly placed plan, rather than something attached to loans, might be a better way to go? Maybe I'll leave that open to you all.
Chloé Ward
View Chloé Ward Profile
Chloé Ward
2012-05-07 17:18
There are definitely a number of ways you can incentivize medical trainees to go into different professions. We have been focusing on that, because it is a new program the government announced in Budget 2011. They have indicated in Budget 2012 that they will continue to implement this program, which will begin in 2012 and 2013. Since this is an existing program that is going to come into effect very shortly, and since it is inherently flawed in what its main goal is, which is basically to attract physicians to these underserved rural and remote communities, we've been focusing on just this.
This is something very tangible that will not cost the government very much to change. It will greatly improve the efficacy of this program that is going to come into place in the next few months.
Christine Nielsen
View Christine Nielsen Profile
Christine Nielsen
2012-05-07 17:19
In my profession, medical laboratory science, right now about 80% of the students go to university first. They have their B.Sc. and think they're destined for medical school and find out that's not happening. There are very few jobs you can do without getting your next professional certification or licence, or without moving into the master's realm. My students today are graduating at about 25 to 27 years of age with six to eight years of student loans behind them. Even though my profession is not included in the loans relief program, I do believe it would be an incentive to move to rural and remote locations.
The other bonus behind that employment is they don't offer, as the large urban areas do, a job that's a point to or casual employment; they offer a real full-time job. We think that a real full-time job along with a loan forgiveness program that would help them pay back years of loans would definitely help. I do know there are some programs where there are things such as workforce relocation bonuses, but what we find is sometimes other employers will buy out the contract or the return to service agreement.
I'm not too sure what the perfect solution is, but we'd like to be included in the pilot, if we could.
Louis Beauséjour
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Louis Beauséjour
2012-03-12 15:58
I am joined today by Yves Gingras from the Strategic Policy and Research Branch.
On behalf of the department, I would like to thank the committee for the opportunity to speak with you today on our skills development activities in support of high-demand occupations.
HRSDC aims to build a stronger and more competitive Canada, to support Canadians in making choices that help them live productive and rewarding lives, and to improve Canadians' quality of life by assisting them with making important transitions.
While we are responsible for the design and delivery of a large suite of national programs that provide direct benefits to Canadians, I will confine my remarks today to our programming that supports skills development and labour market efficiency.
As we are all aware, the Canadian economy is undergoing significant changes. We recognize that the growth and decline of industries, and changes to the way work is conducted—including through the introduction of new technologies—are creating new and growing skill and labour demands. In order for Canada to remain a leader in the global digital economy, for example, we need both highly-skilled ICT workers, as well as digitally-skilled workers in jobs throughout the economy.
At the same time, the Canadian population is ageing, with many Canadians approaching retirement. This means that, despite strong immigration and efforts to support the retention of older workers, such as the elimination of mandatory retirement ages, our labour force is going to grow much more slowly than in the past, creating demand for replacement workers.
The Government of Canada recognizes that while structural changes and economic growth are increasing employer demand for particular skills—such as science, technology, engineering, and math skills, digital skills, medical skills, and the skilled trades, as you have identified in your study—labour market needs differ across the country. While some sectors and regions face critical skills and labour shortages, others face skills surpluses and high unemployment rates, pointing to the growing issue of skills mismatches.
Recognizing that provinces and territories are well placed to design and deliver labour market programming that responds to their local and regional needs, a significant component of HRSDC's labour market programming involves transfers to the provinces and territories. Each year the Government of Canada transfers almost $2.5 billion under the labour market development agreements and labour market agreements. Using these transfers, provinces and territories can tailor their programs and services to local economic realities and address skills and labour shortages in their jurisdictions.
In addition to these broad labour market transfers, HRSDC has a number of initiatives aimed at enhancing labour market efficiency, increasing the participation of under-represented groups, and creating a skilled labour force. I will briefly discuss our programming in each of these areas and how it helps to address skills shortages, including in high-demand occupations.
As I have mentioned, while labour market projection may indicate that we may meet demand at a national level, regional or local over-supply or under-supply of high-skilled workers may in fact exist. For this reason, efforts to enhance labour market efficiency are critical to matching the supply and demand of skills across the country. Labour market efficiency means that workers are able to access jobs matching their skills and employers can access the qualified workers they need. HRSDC's programming in this area focuses on labour market information, labour mobility, and foreign credential recognition.
Our Working in Canada website posts job offers enhanced with occupation- and location-specific labour market information for job seekers, workers, and businesses. It includes occupational and career information, such as wage rates and salaries, current employment trends and outlooks, and skills and educational requirements.
The Working in Canada site will be further enhanced through the new sectoral intelligence program. The new program will engage industry stakeholders in the development of labour market information, national occupational standards, and certification requirements across key economic sectors. This information will be disseminated through the WiC and partnership organizations to ensure that Canadian employers, workers, and students can make the most informed choices. It will also help post-secondary institutions' decisions about curriculum development and admission levels to help meet demand in emerging or growing sectors, such as health care, energy, and information and communication technology.
Given Canada's slowing labour force growth, internationally trained individuals play an increasingly important role in supporting economic growth. Recognizing that internationally trained individuals experience difficulty in finding work that matches their skills and education, the Government of Canada, in collaboration with provincial and territorial governments, is leading the implementation of a key initiative, the Pan-Canadian Framework for the Assessment and Recognition of Foreign Qualifications.
The Government of Canada invested $50 million over two years through the economic action plan and further contributes $25 million annually to improve the recognition of foreign qualifications.
Fundamental to the collective effort to implement the framework, HRSDC's foreign credential recognition program aims to improve the integration of internationally trained individuals into the workforce. Under the framework, governments agreed to initially target 14 priority occupations over three years for actions to speed up foreign credential recognition. These 14 occupations represent 85% of the skilled workers coming to Canada and include a number of high-demand occupations, such as registered nurses, physicians, and engineers. Internationally trained individuals in these priority occupations can now expect to have their credentials assessed within one year.
As you probably know, internationally trained individuals often face financial barriers to credential recognition and can have difficulty borrowing money due to a lack of credit history in Canada. Recognizing this, Minister Finley announced on February 22, 2012, an investment of $18 million in a three-year foreign credential recognition loans pilot project that will help cover the cost of licensing exams, training and skills upgrading. Delivered in partnership with community organizations, these loans will make it easier for internationally trained individuals to secure jobs that suit their skills and experience.
While foreign credential recognition helps address long-term labour and skills needs, the temporary foreign workers program responds to short-term labour and skills shortages. By facilitating the entry of temporary foreign workers into Canada, the program helps meet the needs of employers that aren't able to find Canadians or permanent residents to fill the jobs. HRSDC is currently developing a new streamlined application process for temporary foreign workers to be launched in spring 2012. This new process will be limited in scale to higher-skilled occupations, including the skilled trades.
Another component of labour market efficiency is mobility. HRSDC works with stakeholders to reduce barriers faced by internationally trained individuals and Canadians as they move across the country. Recent amendments to the agreement on internal trade represent a major breakthrough in domestic labour mobility. Provincial and territorial governments have agreed that workers certified for a regulated occupation in one province or territory can, upon application, be certified for that occupation anywhere in Canada. This means that internationally trained individuals and Canadians can more easily seek available work in their field wherever they wish to work.
Given declining labour force growth, combined with high demand in a number of sectors and regions, increasing the labour force participation of under-represented groups can help to overcome skills and labour shortages. HRSDC has a number of programs aimed at ensuring that groups that are currently under-represented in the labour market—including aboriginal people, youth, older workers, immigrants, and persons with disabilities—have the skills and opportunities to participate.
I have already mentioned a number of initiatives that support the participation of immigrants, but I will now speak to a few of our programs that are targeted at aboriginal people, and youth in particular. I would be happy to provide additional examples if you are interested.
The aboriginal population in Canada is fast growing and represents a valuable pool of labour in Canada. HRSDC funds a suite of labour-market programming to ensure that the aboriginal population has access to skills development and training in order to take advantage of job opportunities where there are skills and labour shortages. The aboriginal skills and employment training strategy, for example, is a demand-driven program that provides funding to over 80 aboriginal organizations to deliver services that help aboriginal people prepare for sustainable, meaningful employment.
The Skills and Partnership Fund (SPF) is a partnership-based, opportunity-driven fund that supports projects aiming to encourage innovation and partnerships, to test new approaches to the delivery of employment services, and to address systemic gaps in service delivery.
SPF has the flexibility to respond to skilled labour shortages and is already funding projects that help address employer demand for digitally-skilled workers.
For example, SPF is providing $3.5 million over four years to the Aboriginal workforce development initiative in New Brunswick. In partnership with local educational institutions, this initiative is working to support ICT-focused education and training. It is expected that 150 Aboriginal people will become employed in the ICT sector as a result.
Youth also have unique needs and challenges in obtaining employment. The youth employment strategy is the Government of Canada's commitment to help disadvantaged youth, recent graduates and students get the information and gain the skills, work experience and abilities they need to make a successful transition to the workplace.
The career focus program, for example, which is delivered under the youth employment strategy, provides career-related work experience opportunities for recent post-secondary graduates. In support of the digital economy, a portion of this program's funding is being targeted toward helping recent graduates find employment in the ICT sector or in digital occupations across the economy.
Other initiatives outside the youth employment strategy are also supporting youth and employer demand for digital skills. For example, HRSDC provided funding for the digital jobs of tomorrow project, which is carried out by the Canadian Coalition for Tomorrow's ICT Skills. Improving ICT career awareness is key to increasing post-secondary enrolment and graduation rates from ICT disciplines.
In September 2011, the project launched a series of outreach initiatives, including a website and activities for schools and students aimed at changing perceptions about technology-related careers. Over 7,000 students have already participated in these activities.
I will now highlight some of HRSDC's initiatives to create a skilled labour force, including those targeted at medical skills, STEM and digital skills, and the skilled trades.
HRSDC supports access to post-secondary education through the Canada student loans program, which provides Canada student loans, Canada student grants, and repayment assistance measures; as well as the Canada education savings program, which helps families save for the post-secondary education of their children. Budget 2011 announced improved student financial assistance measures for part-time learners so that more individuals can get the skills they need to succeed in today's labour market.
Our labour market projections indicate that shortages of medical professionals are expected over the next decade. To help address growing demands in some regions of the country, Budget 2011 announced that the federal government will forgive a portion of the federal component of Canada student loans for new family physicians, nurse practitioners, and nurses who practise in under-served rural or remote communities.
Access to highly skilled STEM workers, including ICT professionals, is critical to attracting multinational firms to Canada and to ensuring that Canadian firms are able to grow and develop. The Government of Canada supports the acquisition of STEM skills in a variety of ways. Budget 2011 announced that HRSDC would reallocate $60 million over three years as part of the digital economy strategy to support digital skills and enrolment in key disciplines related to the digital economy, including STEM fields. Many of the government's initiatives focused on STEM skills are supported by science-related departments, agencies, and the granting councils. My colleagues from Industry Canada may be better placed to provide details on these initiatives.
With a budget of approximately $35 million in 2011-12, the Office of Literacy and Essential Skills is helping Canadians develop the literacy and essential skills they need to participate fully in the labour market. For example, in February the government announced that the Community Business Development Corporation Restigouche will receive more than $1.6 million for a project to develop workplace digital skills in small rural businesses.
The Government of Canada also recognizes that skilled trades are essential to building and maintaining Canada's place in the knowledge-based economy and are critical to economic recovery and growth. As part of an integrated suite of federal supports to apprentices, the apprenticeship grants introduced by this government in recent years are supporting apprentices and helping to address foreseeable labour shortages. In addition, Budget 2011 announced that the government is supporting Helmets to Hardhats, a program that helps veterans, Canadian armed forces members, and reservists access a range of careers within the construction industry.
We are also working closely with the provinces and territories and the Canadian Council of Directors of Apprenticeship to manage and deliver the interprovincial standards Red Seal program. This program increases the mobility of skilled workers across Canada, making it easier to match supply and demand. The government has also begun work with the CCDA to facilitate the assessment of internationally trained skilled tradespeople and others who face barriers to certification.
Let me conclude by thanking you again for the opportunity to contribute to your study. Ensuring that we have the skilled workers to deliver essential services such as health care, and to drive growth and competitiveness is crucial to Canada's continued prosperity.
As I have briefly discussed here today, HRSDC has a number of measures in place to help address the skills and labour demands of employers across the country. Our programming enables flexibility to address regional labour needs, promotes participation and enables skills development, and helps qualified workers obtain employment wherever their skills are in demand.
The contribution of other stakeholders including educational institutions, industry, and governments is also needed to ensure Canada is well positioned for growth and competitiveness.
Thank you.
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