Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the Schools North Apprenticeship Program (SNAP) is a program for high school students in the Northwest Territories who are interested in a career in the trades. Mr. Speaker, this is a tremendous program. It gives youth an option to seek an alternative to leaving the North for their education or dropping out of school when they do not want to pursue an academic program. This allows them to complete their high school education while establishing themselves in a trades career. It gives them a significant leg up on that career at the same time, Mr. Speaker.

We know that a healthy economy stems in part from a skilled work force, yet our workforce is lacking many skilled workers. The Northwest Territories is short of trades people and we are right now importing employees from the south to build northern projects. This is certainly not maximizing our northern economy.

The SNAP program encourages youth to stay in school. Right now too few of our students are graduating from high school in the Northwest Territories in comparison with the rest of Canada. Mr. Speaker, we are well aware that more than a high school graduation is required for most jobs now available. In fact, most require 17 years of education.

Here we have a structured, proven program, yet I understand, Mr. Speaker, that there are fewer than 20 students in the program this year. This number is not proportionate to the number of students that we should have in the program. Mr. Speaker, since we are having trouble getting people into the trades I think this is a program that needs to be supported better.

Parents need to understand too that a university or academic education is not always the best track for their children to follow. In our environment in the North, most jobs will likely come up through the trades programs. With mining, oil and gas and other resource-based industries, this is certainly one of the best ways to pursue an occupation. In fact, a career in the trades can often yield a better wage and usually more secure jobs than many other jobs.

Mr. Speaker, the Department of Education, Culture and Employment should be better promoting this program to youth and be doing more to encourage young people to consider a career in the trades as a viable option for their future. The department should also be more actively promoting the program to employers, promoting the benefits of participating in such a program and the assistance available to them in doing so. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

-- Applause