Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As the saying goes, the hope springs eternal from the human breast. I think we always have to be optimistic, in spite of what we see as the lack of revenue to proceed on a lot of these issues. We meant just this morning, for instance, with members of your community and the Ice Diamond people about the employment opportunities in the diamond sector and the need for the schools and the college to be involved in that. As well the college is currently trying to gear up and tool up its apprenticeship programs to address and meet the significant shortfall in terms of tradesmen, millwrights, welders, electricians, plumbers, et cetera. We are gearing up. There is no new money, in fact, to do this. A lot of the funds we do have we are looking for third party funding. We have increased that funding significantly in the last few years.

Yes, I think there is cause for hope. What that exactly translates to in terms of vocational programs in Hay River, I cannot tell you at this point. I can tell you that our 6:45 a.m. meeting this morning addressed the issue of how we are pulling these recommendations together and the work that is going to be done on those. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I hope that my comments and questions do not contradict Mr. Ootes's position that he took on no new initiatives without the money. That is a concern and I think if we are realistic, we should not try and career path or education path everybody along academic lines strictly, that there is a good opportunity under the budget and money already allocated for high schools to get students started in that stream before they get to apprenticeships or college or choose an actual trade or profession. Could the Minister indicate whether or not there would be the opportunity within high schools that currently exist to add vocational training if it did not include more funding, is that an opportunity that is available at this time for high schools to integrate vocational trades and training at the high school level at this time?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would say that the Department of Education, Culture and Employment is willing and committed to look at all these particular opportunities if the community wants to define where they think some of the needs are. I met with Mr. Butler from BHP and talked about the very issue of going to the schools on the issue of vocational trades and the needs for tradesmen. As well, I am meeting with the Ministerial Forum on mine training on Thursday and that is one of the issues we are going to be looking at. I would say, yes, and I would hope that the DECs and the DEA in Hay River are putting pen to paper in terms of how they would like to see that happen.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, can the Minister tell us, does the department at this time have any way of tracking or identifying where there are trades, where currently we are bringing people in from southern Canada to fill trade positions? Can they quantify the needs for tradespeople in the various industries at this time?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. To my knowledge we do not have a database of that nature but it is one of the issues that I talked about earlier in regards to a response to Mr. Henry of the need to be able to do that. To anticipate and forecast and point out where the needs are short-term and long-term in terms of those types of occupations so

that we can plan and gear up our systems to meet the demand. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. At this time the Minister cannot tell us that the department knows for example, if there is a shortage in the area of heavy duty mechanics, automotive mechanics, I mean how can we gear our education system to these needs out there in the workforce if we do not have any idea of where there is a shortage. Do we need welders in the Northwest Territories right now? Where are we lacking or does the department even know? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The department has an idea, we know for instance that BHP is importing a lot of skilled tradesmen from the south, welders, millwrights, all those type of trades. We know in the different areas. I have not yet been made aware of any type of coordinated database that brings it all together to allow us to forecast. We do have information, but it is not as well put together as I would like. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to return to recognition of visitors in the gallery.