Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I was reviewing the report commissioned by Alternatives North on the Mackenzie gas project. The report notes that most of the income and employment will accrue to individuals outside of the NWT. The MGP Socio-Economic Agreement and the employment benefits the NWT can derive from it need to be examined and work needs to be done to ensure maximum benefits stay here in the North. Section 2.1.1 states that up to 16 percent of direct employment opportunities during construction and up to 72 percent during operation, Mr. Speaker, should be filled by NWT residents. But, Mr. Speaker, let's point out the obvious. We're hard pressed these days to find a tradesperson to work in the comfort of your warm, cozy home, let alone on the pipeline. Now let's look at approximately 800 physical, demanding jobs in the middle of nowhere in the middle of winter for our constituents and residents. I'm sure they can hardly wait.
The fact is, about 60 to 65 percent of the employment demands will be for jobs that typically require some level of post-secondary education. In fact, section 2.4.1 of the MGP Socio-Economic Agreement states that the MGP will require prospective workers to obtain appropriate education, training skills and experience. Mr. Speaker, that's before being hired.
As recent as 2005, ECE commissioned a report that says that the majority of the current available labour supply has less than high school as their education level and recently little job experience. Indeed, as a clear example, Aurora College was forced to suspend its Nursing Program due to the lack of qualified northern candidates. There was a total of 343 high school graduates in 2005, Mr. Speaker, and I think there's chances that not all of those 343 high school graduates will want to work on this pipeline.
In June 2006 there were only 1,600 people in total looking for work. Again, how many of those would be suited for a life in the oil and gas industry; a life that can be hard, with labour and rotational work schedules in camp, Mr. Speaker? It's a tough life and it's tough at home. This isn't a lifestyle for everyone. Every industry in the NWT is suffering from the lack of skilled people for highly demanding jobs. This pipeline will put even more demands.
I'm concerned that we won't have the trained bodies to fill these oil and gas project positions, thereby losing out on the so-called...