I was very proud to announce the program for the reserves, a commitment of summer employment for the first four years of a reservist's career. I did this in Kelowna with the British Columbia Dragoons, which is a regiment that I know very well. This sends a very positive message to people who want to join the reserves. It shows a value to the commitment that they're making. More importantly, it allows a very predictable sense for them, because a lot of the people who join the reserves are students in university and trade schools, and it gives them the money to plan and finish out their career. On average, sometimes a degree or training will take about four years, so this gives them that predictability.
Equally important is the cadet program. At the British Columbia Dragoons, I got to meet some cadets as well, and I reiterated the message that I always send every time I see cadets or speak about them, which is that our cadet program is the best leadership program in the country. We are looking at ways to enhance that.
One important aspect that I'm looking at immediately is how we can, in the Canadian Armed Forces, increase the number of opportunities for cadets to go to summer camps, because not everybody gets to go to summer camps. People get selected. Cuts in the past have reduced the ability for people to go to these camps, and I want to make sure that we give them an opportunity.
We have a little bit more work to do on this. I think one of the key priorities for me is how we can increase that, because I think that will have a significant impact. It goes in line with what we're trying to do with the announcement as well, which is to have more reservists working in the summer.