Chamber Forum - Questions About Training A Skilled Work Force

On Tuesday evening the Moose Jaw and District Chamber of Commerce held an all candidates forum where five of the six candidates showed up to give a short introduction and to answer questions from the Chamber and the on-line forum viewers.

To help voters make up their minds we are running the questions and the answers from the candidates to the questions put forward to them in that forum in no particular order.

The sixth question we feature is a multi-part question that asks about what should be the federal government’s role in training workers to fill the skills needed by small and medium businesses in their operations.

QUESTION - A three part question about the provision of skilled labour for small businesses, the candidate’s personal opinion, what is the Party’s position and how can government help out to provide a skilled workforce?

Fraser Tolmie, Conservative Party candidate, said that any skills training needs to be done through consultation with industry because industry know what skills it requires their workers to have. Additionally

“Businesses know what skills their employees need better than bureaucrat or politician. That is why any conversation about skills training needs to start by consulting with the private sector to find out exactly what their needs are,” Tolmie said.

“Though many Canadians are having a hard tie finding employment I talk to businesses all the time that tell me the number one problem facing their business is a shortage of staff,” he said, adding “I have talked to restaurant owners, feed lot operators and implement dealers that simply don’t have the staff they need to meet their potential.”

“We need to give Canadians access to skills training but we also have to have better communication with the private sector and their needs for skills certifications are lacking in the job market,” Tolmie said.”

“We need to encourage young people to look hard at skill traded, attract professionals from other jurisdictions to come to Canada for work and that starts with building confidence as I mentioned earlier on. Only a Conservative government can get us back on track.”

Craig Townsend, Maverick Party candidate, said training requirements should be left up to industry because they know what skills they require. Townsend said the federal government should allow provinces to take the lead and assist if asked to do so.

“Industry is the authority on what skills industry needs,” Townsend said.

“Education is a provincial responsibility. The federal government can be ready to assist and should be aware of trends in industry but not steer it,” he said, adding “the basics should be taught in school specific to each company due to the variability of each company on a changing basis.

“The federal government has more chance of hindering than heling. The federal government should assist provincial governments and local authorities when asked.”

Chey Craik, People’s Party of Canada candidate, (PPC), said the PPC would reduce corporate income taxes and then allow businesses to use the funds to invest in training their employees to meet the business’s needs.

“Again I need to reiterate the PPC is not making for more spending. What we are looking for is over the course of one mandate to reduce corporate income tax from 15 percent own to 10 percent,” Craik said, adding “business then has the flexibility to use those tax savings in the areas that apply specifically to them.”

“That may be offering employees yearly professional development allowances to increase their skill level in order for businesses to remain competitive as employers and product and services providers it would be in their best interest to ensure they have skilled workers which means compensating them accordingly,” he said.

“To remain competitive locally and on the world stage they need to understand that their employees are their best resource. Investment in human resources is an investment in their business.”

Katelyn Zimmer, Liberal Party candidate, used her own personal experiences in her profession as to how to attract workers into an industry. She went on to state the federal government could assist students to acquire skills by student loan forgiveness or no interest loans for education.

“I will use an example with my own profession on how this problem can be approached,” Zimmer said, adding “number one to start to attract interest in a given profession or a sector early on targeting high school students, you nee to speak to them early in their career. We need to increase opportunities for training in universities, colleges and trade schools. Expanding the number of seats so we can train more students.

“We also as small business owners have to give opportunity to students to learn on the job. And one of the things that the Saskatchewan Veterinarian medical Association is doing is to provide mentorship and pre-sector job placements for the summertime that are partially funded in order to get students experience and even get their foot in the door as a potential employee at the end of their schooling,” she said.

“And finally the Federal government can play a role in student loan forgiveness as well as low or no interest loans or individuals looking to start their own business.”

Talon Regent, New Democratic Party candidate, said education is the best investment any government can make and it repays the investment seven fold. A New Democratic government would make affordable education a top priority.

“Education, education, education. Education is the single best investment that a government can put money towards in any conceivable place to put funds,” Regent said.

“And I recognize there are some people at this table don’t understand that it is important that we make investments in our future. Every dollar that we put into education nets a seven dollar return on investments. That is huge and that should be one of the greatest focuses of any government,” he said.

“But right now education is becoming less and less affordable. Even at the elementary and high school levels. Teachers are strapped. Techers are having to invest their own money out of their own pockets for resources in classrooms and that is unacceptable,” Regent said, adding “We need to be investing in our education. From the federal level yes, education can be a provincial jurisdiction but at the federal level government absolutely provides funding now. And it will provide funding in the future, especially a New Democratic government.”

“A New Democratic government recognizes we need to invest in Canadians and education is one of the best ways to do that.”

“As an employer myself, as a business owner myself, I would love to be able to go out into the job market and find people fully trained. I don’t want to have to be my own training manager at my small business. I don’t want to have to be training every one of my members of my staff when I only have three people there,” he said.

“I don’t have the resources there. Investing in Sask Polytech, investing in universities that is what will ensure I have skilled workers to be able to find in the job market. And the NDP will make sure education is affordable for people so they can get that education.”