Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I wish to bring up the important subject of capacity building within our communities. It is a difficult term to define. It has been defined as the ability to shape, control and take responsibility. The components of capacity building include basic literacy, education, life skills and training. These components of capacity building are taken for granted by southern Canada while in the North we continue to struggle and fight for them.
Mr. Speaker, the delivery of programs for training in the North has problems that must be overcome. Our programs and training initiatives are fragmented and have numerous delivery agencies which have resulted in duplication and overlap. Numerous GNWT departments are providing and undertaking various training and education programs.
In addition to these government initiatives, we have Human Resources Development Canada, Community Mobilization, the Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development, Aurora College, aboriginal governments and the private sector all providing various and similar types of programs and training with no apparent long-term vision of what we are trying to achieve.
Other problems facing capacity building include a lack of long-term focus on job and career opportunities, failing to recognize and meet the needs and expectations of communities, funding that is not adequate within the communities to develop their capacity, formal education that is undervalued or at times not appreciated in our communities, and a lack of basic literacy and education. These all limit access to mainstream employment opportunities.
Mr. Speaker, all is not lost when problems arise. We must look for solutions to overcome these problems. We must look outside the box to meet the unique demands placed upon us. We must plan for future development growth by identifying opportunities as they arise. We must take stock of our human resource capabilities. We need to determine our human resource requirements for the next five, ten and 20 years. It is important that training and education be coordinated for timely, meaningful and effective delivery. Financial and human resources must be made available for training within our communities.
Industry must buy into and actively participate in any capacity-building initiatives. Most importantly, aboriginal culture and its contribution must be recognized as an important component of sustainable development.