Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, a decade ago we knew the demand and competition for skilled workers would intensify with an aging workforce and people leaving the labour market in large numbers. Well, we're living in the future, Mr. Speaker, and it's safe to say our demand exceeds our expectation.

Labour shortage is something I hear about every month. Northerners and northern industries have big dreams and big opportunities but can't turn dreams into reality without skilled workers. Mr. Speaker, don't fall off your chair but I need to applaud Housing NWT as leaders in recognizing they have a role to play in workforce development.

Today, the GNWT is still the dominant northern employer in a Yellowknife-centric work environment and the dominant industry-driver outside of mining. This means that opportunities for developing skilled labour in many NWT communities rest squarely with opportunities afforded directly or indirectly through the GNWT. Housing NWT recognized this and built apprenticeship opportunities into their capital contracts requiring industry to offer local apprenticeship opportunities on each project. This practice needs to be adopted by all GNWT departments and this government needs to take youth development further.

ECE's SNAP, or the Schools North Apprenticeship Program, provides the perfect landscape for this. SNAP pairs high school students with employers so high school students can get valuable work skills and explore trades careers. Kids earn while they learn using GNWT wage subsidies and get a high school graduation credit for every 40 hours worked.

But Mr. Speaker, of 24 SNAP students, only two are located outside of Yellowknife and of 14 SNAP apprentices, again only two are located outside Yellowknife. Today, the South Slave, Deh Cho, and Sahtu have no SNAP students and the Deh Cho, Sahtu, and Beaufort Delta have no SNAP apprentices. The Beaufort Delta has 861 youth between 15 and 24, the Deh Cho there are 404, and in the Sahtu there are 371. Mr. Speaker, surely one from each of these regions is eager for the opportunities afforded by SNAP.

The GNWT needs to recognize itself as a northern employer and take its own place in youth skilled labour development. Local entrepreneurs aren't the only game in town, Mr. Speaker, and unfortunately in many of our small remote communities, there are no other options for SNAP students wanting to learn a trade other than GNWT learning opportunities.

Mr. Speaker, every NWT community should employ a SNAP student, and I will have questions for the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment at the appropriate time.