Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Many of us recognize the importance of human resources as our most valuable asset. Generally, the NWT has a very young, undereducated, undertrained workforce. A small majority of us are fortunate to have employment with municipal or territorial governments, local housing associations or other government funded and sponsored organizations, or the private sector.
Mr. Speaker, unfortunately most of our residents do not have the education or training necessary to enter into the technical or senior management level positions that are currently filled from outside our communities, our regions and our territory.
Although we appreciate individuals relocating to the NWT when they fill the available employment opportunities, we should be filling these positions from our own available human resource pool. Mr. Speaker, there will be many more employment opportunities available with the future development of mines and the establishment of two new territories in 1999. There are also hundreds of jobs that turn over within our current government. Our government must address the education and training needs of our existing and future workforce as its first priority. We must be prepared, in the immediate future, to fill a majority of employment opportunities from our own residents.
Mr. Speaker, we must invest the time and resources today in supporting our residents to acquire the education and training they need to participate in our northern economy in the future. Thank you.
---Applause