Mahsi, Mr. Chairman. The program for certifying and developing apprenticeship tradesmen is a very beneficial one. We have many examples throughout the north of successful trades people who have worked their way through the apprenticeship program, and I continue to support and encourage any initiatives in enhancing the program.
One of the concerns, I think, is always the quality of training and the ability to provide quality training to tradespeople, not only in the north but wherever they can get the tradesmen. I think the department and the government have to continue to support that development and the training wherever it is and in whatever trades. So this bill provides us a lot more leeway, the ability to create new occupations, not only for the north -- I guess specifically for the north -- but it may provide some leadership and development of other trades.
One of the concerns in doing that, though -- and it ties in with the quality and it's been raised by some tradespeople -- is the transferability of their certification. People like to train, take training and get some kind of certificate or document saying that they're qualified in a certain area, but I think these people also want to be able to work in other jurisdictions; Alberta, Ontario or wherever, and that paper that they've earned in the Northwest Territories to have some status and some power. I just want to ask the Minister what guarantees can he give us that these trade certificates that our tradesmen get and earn, as to whether or not they're transferable between provinces. Are the ones they earn in the north transferable for use in other jurisdictions?