Richard Nerysoo Mackenzie Delta

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.

The Chair John Ningark

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

Fred Koe Inuvik

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?

The Chair John Ningark

Thank you. The honourable Minister.

Richard Nerysoo Mackenzie Delta

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.

The Chair John Ningark

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.

The Chair John Ningark

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?

Some Hon. Members

Clause by clause.

Clause By Clause

The Chair John Ningark

Thank you. Bill 2, clause 1.

Some Hon. Members

Agreed.

---Agreed

The Chair John Ningark

Thank you. Clause 2.

Some Hon. Members

Agreed.

---Agreed

The Chair John Ningark

Clause 3 of Bill 2.