Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Good morning.
Mr. Speaker, the Northwest Territories Power Corporation is committed to providing and maintaining safe, reliable and cost-effective facilities. As part of that commitment, the corporation recently honoured the first 15 graduates of an innovative training program for diesel plant operators.
These people have the critical task of supplying power to their communities, 24 hours a day, every day of the year. Their dedication to the job of keeping the lights on should not be overlooked.
The Power Corporation believes it is important that plant operators be able to upgrade their knowledge and skills. Well-trained operators are more confident in the job they are doing and they can do it more safely. Training programs are a wise investment because they provide employees with a solid opportunity for career advancement with the corporation.
The Operator Training Program brings regional operators together for two weeks of classroom training under the instruction of Ernest Murdoch, a veteran diesel-electric operator and stationary engineer with 20 years experience in the Territories. Mr. Murdoch also spends another week with each operator in their own plant.
The fifteen recent graduates are all from the Baffin region. They include ten Inuit operators, and among them is one woman. When the program is completed in the spring of 1998, more that 60 operators in 43 communities will have had their skills improved. Other courses are now underway for system operators, and a third program is being developed for shift operators at large plants in Iqaluit, Yellowknife and Inuvik.
Mr. Speaker, these people have a great responsibility, not only to the corporation, but to their friends and neighbours in communities across the North. Making sure they have the right training is the best way to help them continue to do their jobs safely, effectively and efficiently.
Mr. Speaker, I know this Assembly joins me in congratulating these operators, and future graduates, on their accomplishment. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.