Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, this is going to be a phased-in approach. We realize that the incumbents are going to require assistance and training. We have training money and the money that we have allocated to us to do that and we are going to do an assessment of each worker to see what their needs are. We intend to work this, as I indicated to the Member for Hay River North, through the college. We want to develop the curriculum. We also recognize in some cases we may be in situations where there is going to be some type of grandfathering arrangement made, which gets back to my fundamental commitment that we are not here to get rid of people and to disregard the many long years of work that many of the alcohol and drug workers contributed to their communities, often, as has been pointed out, at very, very low pay with no benefits. So we want to make this a proactive and positive process. Once we get established, hopefully we will have people who choose to take the prevention component or certification as an area they want to get into coming out of the college as graduate, but the first little while is going to be taken up with making sure that the workers in the field have the skills to do the job. Thank you.
Michael Miltenberger on Bill 3: Appropriation Act, 2003-2004
In the Legislative Assembly on February 18th, 2003. See this statement in context.
general Comments
Bill 3: Appropriation Act, 2003-2004
Item 20: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
February 17th, 2003
Page 147
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