Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My statement today is on hiring graduates. Mr. Speaker, many of us in this Assembly have talked about the need to hire northerners. Others have also talked about student employment. I would like to talk about the missing link. That is what we do as a government to encourage employment for recent graduates. Mr. Speaker, we spend $12 million a year on student financial assistance, but what do we do to encourage those same students to take jobs in the north? Do we have entry level positions in our government and businesses so they have somewhere to start? I have not heard of very many. Northern students have many other opportunities presented to them. Every fall recruiters descend on college and university campuses across the country. They search for the best and the brightest among the students in their final year. Of course, this includes our best and brightest as well. In contrast our students have to dig and scrape to make contacts in the north in most occupations.
I was told recently about a student who graduated in occupational therapy. Her letters to northern employers were not even acknowledged. So, she is staying in the south where she had four job offers. Mr. Speaker, travelling to every campus is expensive and I am not suggesting that we do that. However, there has to be a way to let students know about what opportunities are available here at home. At the same time, we need a system to help employers promote themselves to northern students. As a government, we also need to look at our organization. Is it only open to those with experience or do we have entry level positions for new graduates? We also need to encourage other northern employers to create opportunities for new graduates. There are lots of creative things that can be done so that as a territory we can get some return for the dollars spent on student financial assistance.
We have to see our post-secondary students as a valuable resource. We need to reach out to them, actively encourage them to come home. Help them get over that no win situation of no job/no experience, no experience/no job. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.