Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I'd like to talk about the apprenticeship program which is available under this government. There are individuals who are interested in entering the program, from small and remote communities, but are unable to meet the need as quickly as they would like.

The problem is, Mr. Speaker, for example, a journeyman plumber from the region comes to my community and he spends approximately 200 hours per year there. There are potential students who are interested in the apprenticeship program but the requirement is, Mr. Speaker, not acceptable to the people in the small communities. Journeyman plumbers spend approximately 200 hours in the community. According to the system, if the student wants to be eligible to attend these technical institutes, he would have to have 1,800 hours to be eligible. In order for the person to attend the southern institution, my calculation tells me the person would have to spend about nine years in the community, under the supervision of a journeyman from the region. The problem is, if you live in a small community, you are penalized. I would like the appropriate Minister to seriously look at changing the system in order to make it more accessible to individuals who are interested in remote and small communities. Thank you.