Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I expect the Member is asking about a stand-alone campus as an issue. I am hoping to have a report in time for the business plan process this June that would identify the best way to move forward with either a new site or an expansion on the existing location. Once I've got that, we will try and bring it forward through the business plan process.

Thank you, Mr. Dent. Mr. Hawkins.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. When can the Minister make that available to Members? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. Mr. Dent.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I think I'm expecting to see the report in early June, so that's the sort of timetable.

Thank you, Mr. Dent. Mr. Hawkins. Thank you. Next I have Mrs. Groenewegen.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, as Mr. Dent is probably aware, through the initiative of a number of business owners and interested parties, educators, his own department in Hay River, through the Career Development Centre, have formed an organization and are working towards having a trades school in Hay River, something that has been long talked of and thought to be a good idea. To this point I don't believe there has been any requests for government funding, but I'd like to ask what would currently be available in terms of program funding or support, even capital for that matter. On a previous activity, we considered the money that had been allocated for the Kimberlite Training Centre here and I understand that was some industry and some government money, matched funds. We think that Hay River would be an obvious and likely choice for a trades school, given the amount of light industry, heavy industry, the number of apprentices that

are already trained in Hay River. But this would be something more comprehensive, it would reach out to a wide variety of people who may have potential to be employed in industry in the Northwest Territories, particularly with the pressure on the resource development companies. This is the concept that's at hand and being worked on, and I would like to be able to take back to that group information about the kind of support that this government could offer either through existing programs and funding or one-time funding, or just anything that might be available to aid in making this dream a reality. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. Mr. Dent.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I would agree with the Member that there are tremendous opportunities for northerners in the trades. We have a lot of potential. We know that there's going to be a lot of jobs, and a lot of jobs will be in the trades area, so we welcome all sorts of partnerships when it comes to trades training. Just as the Kimberlite Centre, the Yellowknife Catholic Schools came to us and said we've managed to raise half of the money through the private sector, will you provide the other half of the money. If a similar proposal comes from another community, obviously it's something that we have to take a look it. If we've done it in one community, we have to be prepared to consider it in others. So the same sort of approach we would be prepared to see what we could do to support in a similar manner.

Thank you, Mr. Dent. Mrs. Groenewegen.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Is there any money that is identified at this time, say regarding O and M, money that's already been earmarked for things like this, program dollars? I understand that a proposal seeking support similar to what the Kimberlite Centre did will be entertained by this department, and I greatly appreciate that and thank you. I know that we have briefly discussed the possibility of a couple of different types of funding, O and M being one of them, and I'd just like to put on the record today if there is already money allocated for something like that. Thank you.

Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. Mr. Dent.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. In the budget that we're looking at, we have identified funds for over the next couple of years to increase the availability of trades training. So we're going to be putting in associated costs as well as reducing the PTR across the Territories to assist with providing instructors who can deliver in trades training.

So if the proposal comes in and is tied to a school, it makes it very easy for you to identify a means to get some of the monies towards staffing the operation. Again, if it's tied to a school, it would then fit into the school funding formula. So that would give you some of the light and the heat and the O and M costs that way.

Thank you, Mr. Dent. Mr. McLeod.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Did I overhear the Minister, in responding to Mr. Braden's questions, saying that the government were thinking of bringing on apprentices within the government department or DPW? Did I hear that correctly?

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Mr. Dent.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I believe I remember from the Minister of Finance's budget speech that the Department of Transportation will be adding apprentices through the course of this next year.

Thank you, Mr. Dent. Mr. McLeod.

Thank you, Mr. Chair, and thanks to the Minister for that. Are we carrying any apprentices now within DPW or any of the government departments?

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Mr. Dent.

Mr. Chair, I'm sorry; I can't answer that question.

Thank you, Mr. Dent. Mr. McLeod.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. If the Minister can get the information and forward it on to me, it would be much appreciated.

I would also like to ask him about the subsidy that's provided to employers. Government does provide subsidies for employers to cover apprentices' wages and, if so, how much do we subsidize right now and are there any plans on maybe bringing that amount up? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Mr. Dent.