Mr. Speaker, today it is my privilege to announce the first graduation of the North Slave Correctional Centre’s cooking program.
This was a partnership between NSCC and Aurora College. Five young men received their camp cook certificates last Thursday. Everyone who attended the graduation saw their pride at finishing the program: they now have skills they never had before. This opens a world of new opportunities; all they have to do is choose to take them.
Aurora College has been an active partner in the delivery of cooking programs throughout the NWT, and we certainly saw that with this program. The effective partnership between Aurora College staff and NSCC food service staff is proof that when we work together, great things can happen.
Our correctional facilities are not warehouses for offenders who are just waiting out their sentences. Our treatment and support programs are focused on rehabilitating offenders and dealing with the root causes of their criminal behaviour. Our goal is to give them the skills they need to reintegrate into their communities. Specialty training programs like this aren’t right for everyone. But for certain offenders, they can be the key to getting employment, taking responsibility for their behaviour, and staying on the straight and narrow.
This was an opportunity for these five young men; a chance to start again. They’ll go back to their communities with new skills. They prepared a delicious meal for their guests, and I know they’ll be excellent cooks. I’ll be watching their careers with interest.
Our Territory has a growing need for qualified cooks, and there are employment opportunities in the food service industry. Graduates of the cooking program have both the ability and the opportunity to further explore and pursue this as a lifetime career choice.
The vast majority of offenders eventually leave custody and go back to their communities. We are always glad when people deal with the issues that were leading them to offend, and take the steps they need to become productive members of society. Our goal is to have safe, secure communities. Developing offenders’ employment skills is one key to helping them reintegrate into their communities and stay out of trouble in the future. Mahsi cho.