Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
I would say start the training now, because 2017 isn't very far away. In our community, we have 30 to 40 graduates a year. Some communities have an even smaller population, meaning fewer graduates. The dropout rate is 75%. We need to be able to take advantage of the ones who are graduating and promote the completion of high school. What I have found is that in southern culture, high school is not the finish line. It's almost implanted in you to further your education, to get your university degree or college degree, and to go past that. For many people back home, high school is the biggest accomplishment that will happen within their family, because they can't leave home due to sickness, family obligations, or things like that.
To be able to do the training Mr. Tapatai is talking about at home would be a huge advantage. But training would need to start now, not just for heavy equipment operators but for other things, such as engineers, surveyors, and tradespeople. I mentioned earlier about having to branch off from just the small positions, such as janitors or helpers in the kitchen and things like that. There really does need to be a supported effort all around by all levels of government, and by our regional and territorial Inuit organizations, to promote that.