Advance Education Minister Naomi Yamamoto says she remains well aware of the local call to establish engineering programs at Prince George's university and college.

"It's something we're actually reviewing right now," Yamamoto said Tuesday in answer to comments made about a B.C. Transportation Ministry campaign to attract civil engineers that included a stop at a university in Toronto speaking to the need for programs in this city.

The University of Northern British Columbia is working to get a four-year engineering degree program established, and the College of New Caledonia is seeking a two-year engineering technician program.

Both schools argue that students who are trained in the North will stay in the North.

However, Yamamoto also said it's too soon to "talk about it in detail," and added that even if programs are started up today it would still take a few years before the students graduate and start working.

She said the government ran into a similar situation with nurses a few years ago.

"At one time we were recruiting quite heavily in England and in other provinces," Yamamoto said, but added there are no current shortages of nurses in B.C. after doubling the number of seats in the province's nursing schools.