Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you to the witnesses for being here today.
One of the great things about the employment challenge that our Canadian economy is experiencing now is that it actually has awakened two parties. First, the aboriginal community recognizes its potential as employees and second, the Canadian employers recognize the potential of the aboriginal community. So it's actually a blessing that we're going through this now because it's just accelerating this opportunity that has been overlooked in our economy for some time. It's great that we're seeing the potential and we're acting on it.
One of the things that has come up a number of times is an issue about eligibility. You talked about 18. We did a study on post-secondary education for aboriginal students when I was on the Standing Committee on Aboriginal Affairs and what was identified at that time was that things needed to start sooner in the education system in the aboriginal communities—to get the potential skills training to those already in grade school, to keep their interest, and to enable them to access those opportunities earlier in their education.
First, I'd like to go on record to make sure the analyst picks that up, because I'd like to see that in the report.
The next thing I've heard, talking about the program, is that it's limited to five years and there are cut-off dates. We are entrusted to use taxpayers' money—it's not government money, it's taxpayers' money—to ensure that we have good value. I don't think it's unreasonable to have a sunset clause on programs so that they can be reviewed. It doesn't mean that they're not going to be renewed, but it gives us an opportunity to look at the outcomes.
Quite frankly, previously we've found that various programs just didn't have great outcomes so we need to have that opportunity to review. It isn't that there isn't support of the programs as much as it is that we just want to make sure we review them and make sure they're working. That's what this committee is doing now, just seeing what is working and what is not. It's great that we can ask you those questions.
On the take-up in the aboriginal communities as far as recognizing these opportunities and moving forward, I wonder how you go into a community and take that opportunity in a classroom or somewhere and just communicate the opportunities and encourage and give students confidence.
I would ask our witnesses particularly from Nova Scotia and from the mining sector if you get involved in that and if so, how do you manage that?