Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to inform this House that the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation has developed an Affirmative Action Employment Plan for the Western Arctic.
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This plan complements the Corporation's Inuit Employment Plan. The corporation has set aside $300,000 for salaries, training and development of affirmative action candidates in the Western Arctic. The plan includes identifying four on-the-job training positions in headquarters and the western district offices to develop candidates for positions within the corporation for future management positions in government. In addition, the corporation will sponsor two Aurora College students from the Business Cooperative Education Management Studies Program. The students will be able to combine on-the-job experience with classroom teaching.
Mr. Speaker, last fall the Standing Committee on Social Programs raised with me, the issue of affirmative action employment and development for the Western Arctic. Comments from committee Members led to the decision that an Affirmative Action Employment Plan for the Western Arctic should be developed. After all, the development of affirmative action employees will be every bit as important to the new western government as it will be in Nunavut. Within the next several days, I will be forwarding the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation's Western Arctic Affirmative Action Employment Plan to the Standing Committee on Social Programs. I look forward to a future opportunity to discuss this plan with the committee. Thank you.
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