Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Yes, one example that is in place and that has been in place for some time, is the Beaufort Delta Training Group. That is an area that our superintendent is a key player in. The membership of that consists of some of the aboriginal government representatives as well as all the departments. I guess that is probably an illustration of the type of partnerships we deal with. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Ootes. Mr. Miltenberger.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Could the Minister indicate what is happening in the area of the LMDA money the territorial government receives and that the aboriginal governments receive as well? That is another big area where there was significant opportunity for the kind of partnership referred to in this activity description.

Is there any significant partnerships that have been worked out with the aboriginal governments in terms of fishing and effective use and coordinating program dollars so there is no duplication and overlap? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Mr. Ootes.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I will ask Mr. Cleveland to address that question, Mr. Chairman.

Thank you, Mr. Ootes. Mr. Cleveland.

Thank you, Mr. Cleveland. Mr. Miltenberger.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Could the Minister indicate if he and his officials are playing a more hands-on role in terms of encouraging this kind of evolution at a faster pace based on, say, the Inuvik model? If it is more formalized, it seems to work more effectively than in other regions where it may still be at a very ad hoc or piecemeal basis. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Mr. Ootes.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Yes, there is no doubt that the Inuvik situation seems to have the interest of all the parties and is moving along very well. We are participating in that and are taking interest in that ourselves. We are moving along to ensure our interest extends to the other regions where all of the activity is taking place as well, Mr. Chairman.

Thank you, Mr. Ootes. Mr. Miltenberger.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. In order to establish this particular budget process as it is based on, could the Minister, for a comparative basis for the next main estimates, indicate which regions have a formal process and which do not? As well, which regions have a fledgling process?

I would be very interested, since there is a significant amount, millions of dollars if not tens of millions of dollars, on the table here. I think it is an important area of cooperation. I would ask the Minister if he could provide that information. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Mr. Ootes

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Yes, we would be pleased to be able to give an update on that. I do not know whether the Member was asking for that with the next process or whether he is interested specifically now.

Thank you, Mr. Ootes. Mr. Miltenberger.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I would appreciate that information as of this particular main estimate process. Then I would interested to see the progress when we do next year's main estimates. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Mr. Ootes.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Yes, we can supply that to the Member by a letter if he wishes.

Thank you, Mr. Ootes. Mr. Roland.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. A couple of areas under the advanced education and careers section. Before I get into the specific question, it is good to hear the department, on a number of occasions now, talk about Inuvik, the regional training committee that is set up.

I must say I am impressed with their work as well. However, I must also say that it was under initiative from the community members who decided to get together and look at what they can do, in recognition that there was going to be a lot of pressure put on the different departments, government agencies, NGOs, to come up with some solutions to the training and coordination services. They have done a fairly good job and hopefully we can expand on that as a government.

The areas that I have questions about, Mr. Chairman, as we have heard a couple of areas have to do with the SNAP program or the apprenticeship program that has been talked about and how we want to expand and encourage that sector. Yesterday, I raised in my general comments issues around that when it comes to existing programming. Just for more detail in that area today, if the Minister can state what they actually will be doing in schools to improve on this program or the streams that are set up that students will go into that at the end of?

For example, I raised the specific stream of 16, 26 and 36 courses for senior high students. That in fact they would not, even upon successful completion of that courseload, be eligible to challenge the pre-trades exam. That does not say very much for our system.

Hopefully there are some changes going on in the system that happen, not the fact that you can still take this and, at the end of it, you have to take the 33 socials courseload to write and challenge that exam to get your diploma.

I think we need to go right to the core of it, not just to band-aid it. Hopefully, maybe the Minister can give some details as to what will be done and what it is, in the area of the Students North Apprenticeship Program, that will improve and we will see more students going into that area. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Roland. Mr. Minister.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I would just like to acknowledge the reference to the Inuvik training group. The department is a participant there, but it certainly was stimulated by the community. That is when success comes about. It is because of the community.

On the issue of SNAP and apprenticeships and trades training and so forth in schools, the Member did reference the program of 16-26. That is a math program. It is one of a number of pathways students can choose. Because this is a technical area, perhaps I can ask Mr. Cleveland to address in more detail how this applies. I want to state that there is, and I said it earlier, no attempt here by us to allow the watering down of programs or the lowering standards of individuals to access and get into apprenticeship programs and trades.

We do have standards. We have to meet those according to national standards if there is going to be mobility for students. We also need individuals to be able to move into the workforce. It may not require certain levels, but we need to be able to give individuals an opportunity to get into the workforce.

Perhaps if I use an example. Through the mine training committee, a mobile welding unit was developed with the cooperation of Aurora College. That mobile welding unit goes from community to community. It is a two-week course. Industry is picking up those individuals, and has done so for a number of communities already, to work for them. It gives the student who is taking that particular course an opportunity to enter into the workforce. They are by no means qualified trades people, but industry needs people who can do spot-welding. That is one example of one of the reasons we need some of these programs. Mr. Cleveland.