Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Good morning. Mr. Speaker, yesterday, I had the pleasure of speaking to a group of people at a forum on workplace education in the NWT. The forum included literacy workers, business people, representatives of union, aboriginal groups and community groups. You may remember that last fall I announced the NWT Workplace Education Strategy which is designed to broaden the territorial government's literacy partnership with large and small businesses, labour organizations and employers. The strategy is designed to develop more opportunities for workers to develop their basic reading, writing, math and critical thinking skills. The Department of Education, Culture and Employment is supporting the strategy with $200,000 in funding during the current fiscal and in 1997-98.
Mr. Speaker, there are many reasons why workplace education is needed in the territories. Workers often have the entry level skills for specific jobs but may lack the skills to take on more demanding tasks or adapt to changes in the workplace. Changing technology, downsizing, revised health and safety standards or the use of new equipment can affect the nature of employees' jobs. People who do not have the skills needed to deal with these changes may feel that they have no option but to quit their jobs even though they have other skills and knowledge that are valuable to the organization. Providing opportunities for people to develop their basic skills in the workplace increases the stability of the work force, which is good for business and provides greater job satisfaction for employees.
Mr. Speaker, workplace education can also increase awareness of safety and health issues, resulting in fewer job related accidents and health problems. About 100 people attended this week's forum. Guest speakers and facilitators from other parts of Canada were able to share their expertise and experience in workplace learning. People involved in some of the five pilot projects in the Northwest Territories shared their experiences and brought a unique northern perspective to the forum.
Mr. Speaker, although this is an area of adult education that has not received much attention, it is clear there is wide support across the Northwest Territories for this type of initiative. As a result of this forum, I look forward to seeing new partnerships formed and more opportunities for workplace education being offered to northerners in the coming months. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.