Thank you. Bill 7 is now ready for third reading. I would like to thank the witnesses for appearing before the committee. Thank you very much.

It seems that we have run out of items this afternoon. Oh, Bill 2. The appropriate Minister in this case is Mr. Nerysoo. Do we have Mr. Nerysoo here? The Honourable Richard Nerysoo.

Minister's Introductory Remarks

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, the proposed amendments to the current Apprenticeship and Trade Certification Act reflect recommendations made by the Standing Committee on Agencies, Boards and Commissions to improve the trade certification process and to broaden the scope of the act to permit occupational certification.

The standing committee recommended that adjustments be made to the statutory role and meeting requirements of the board, that trade advisory committees be eliminated and that an alternate system of standards for workplace qualification be developed. The amendments proposed will reduce the number of standing committees and administrative structures while still encouraging a partnership between employers, employees and the government in designing and managing occupational standards.

For example, under the proposed Apprenticeship, Trade and Occupational Certification Act, provisions are being made to allow the board to meet at the call of the chair in consultation with the supervisor of apprenticeship; to remove the requirement of the board to hear and determine appeals relating to apprenticeship contracts; to allow the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment to establish appeal panels as recommended; and, to eliminate all provisions dealing with the establishment or function of trade advisory committees. Regulations under the Apprenticeship, Trade and Occupational Certification Act will be amended to allow trade examining boards to perform similar functions previously carried out by trade advisory committees but on a task-by-task basis. They will be required to provide reports to the Apprenticeship, Trades and Occupational Certification Board.

During the past few years, the apprenticeship program and other occupational certification programs have been under review across Canada. One of the key questions which has been asked has been how to take advantage of the success of the apprenticeship format and apply it to a broader range of employment positions. These discussions have led to a movement to support occupational certification. This concept involves the development of standards for various types of positions and stresses the protection of public health safety and security. As well, it promotes a trained workforce and increases the status and compensation for certified individuals.

Amendments to the Apprenticeship and Trade Certification Act will allow the board to issue certificates of competence in occupations other than designated trades and provide for the regulation of the training and certification of persons in occupations other than the designated trades. Designation of occupations encourages industry to develop and deliver training programs and to monitor standards of training and practice. Government will help facilitate training, provide information and other referrals. A schedule of designated occupations recommended by industry will be established under the new act and regulations.

The first occupation to be designated under the new act will be the occupation of trades helper, as some of you may know. Standards for this occupation have been developed by industry, and certificates are currently being issued on a pilot basis jointly with the NWT Construction Association to construction trainees on GNWT capital construction projects under the building and learning strategy. Seventy northerners have received training and certification to date. The provision to recognize other occupations will increase a northern skilled workforce.

Mr. Chairman, in closing, I would note that the amendments to this act have been prepared not only based upon the input of the Standing Committee on Agencies, Boards and Commissions, but also with the guidance of the members of the Apprenticeship and Trades Certification Board, itself. The board, as you may recall, is made up of both employer and employee representatives from across the Northwest Territories. We believe, Mr. Chairman, that the proposed amendments will strengthen and streamline our apprenticeship system as well as placing the Northwest Territories in the forefront of efforts to develop effective occupational certification in close cooperation with business and industry. Thank you.

With those introductory remarks I am prepared to deal with the bill after the comments by the Standing Committee on Legislation. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Thank you, honourable Minister. On behalf of the Standing Committee on Legislation, Mr. Whitford.

Standing Committee On Legislation Comments

Thank you, Mr. Whitford. Before I open the floor for general comments I would like to ask the Minister, Mr. Nerysoo, if he would like to bring in his witnesses.

Yes, Mr. Chairman, if I could have the support of my colleagues.

Thank you. The honourable Minister is asking for the concurrence of the committee to bring in his witnesses. Agreed?

Agreed.

---Agreed

Thank you. Proceed, Mr. Minister. For the record, Mr. Minister, please introduce the witnesses to the committee.

Mr. Chairman, on my right is Mr. Mark Cleveland, who is the assistant deputy minister of culture and careers; on my left the legislative counsel, Ms. Carol Whitehouse.

Thank you. Welcome to the committee. We are dealing with Bill 2, An Act to Amend the Apprenticeship and Trade Certification Act. The floor is now open to general comments to Bill 2. Mr. Koe.

General Comments

Mahsi, Mr. Chairman. The program for certifying and developing apprenticeship tradesmen is a very beneficial one. We have many examples throughout the north of successful trades people who have worked their way through the apprenticeship program, and I continue to support and encourage any initiatives in enhancing the program.

One of the concerns, I think, is always the quality of training and the ability to provide quality training to tradespeople, not only in the north but wherever they can get the tradesmen. I think the department and the government have to continue to support that development and the training wherever it is and in whatever trades. So this bill provides us a lot more leeway, the ability to create new occupations, not only for the north -- I guess specifically for the north -- but it may provide some leadership and development of other trades.

One of the concerns in doing that, though -- and it ties in with the quality and it's been raised by some tradespeople -- is the transferability of their certification. People like to train, take training and get some kind of certificate or document saying that they're qualified in a certain area, but I think these people also want to be able to work in other jurisdictions; Alberta, Ontario or wherever, and that paper that they've earned in the Northwest Territories to have some status and some power. I just want to ask the Minister what guarantees can he give us that these trade certificates that our tradesmen get and earn, as to whether or not they're transferable between provinces. Are the ones they earn in the north transferable for use in other jurisdictions?

Thank you. The honourable Minister.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I'm not sure if I could necessarily guarantee the trades. I do want to say, though, that the programs that are generally being offered now under the trades; if they fall under the category in which there is a red seal exam offered -- in other words, that allows for interprovincial recognition -- there is no particular problem with that.

There are some other trades, though, that do not have interprovincial status but are recognized within each jurisdiction. One is the housing maintenance apprenticeship program that we offer. It provides a broader range of skills and we recognize that as part of our own certification. But there are also other apprenticeship programs that are offered provincially that are not accepted in other jurisdictions.

What I can tell the honourable Member is that for the last two years we have been working with the Labour Market Ministers to identify trades that could be acceptable and, in fact, appropriate curriculum and instruction that will allow for general acceptability right across Canada. We have identified a number of those and are now working on making sure that the examinations are set out so that an exam can be written, for instance, right in Inuvik on a computer. That's the kind of stuff that we're doing now. Hopefully, there will be an allowance for us. We're still having those discussions. We've not come to any conclusions, but I think there is a recognition that there is a need for us across this country to be more accepting of interprovincial certification, whether or not it's in the trades or in the other occupations. So we are working on that particular matter right now.

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Before I allow any other general comments, I would like to recognize in the gallery, an elder from Hall Beach, Hubert Amagoalik...

---Applause

---Applause

Thank you. Qujannamiik. General comments. Mr. Arvaluk.

Thank you, Mr. Arvaluk. I believe that was a point that the honourable Member wished to make. General comments? Are we ready for clause by clause?

Clause by clause.

Clause By Clause

Thank you. Bill 2, clause 1.

Agreed.

---Agreed

Thank you. Clause 2.

Agreed.

---Agreed

Clause 3 of Bill 2.