I’m also in receipt of a Return to Written Question 13-17(5) asked by Mr. Hawkins on February 24, 2014, to the Honourable Jackson Lafferty, Minister of Education, Culture and Employment, regarding the Social Work Program at Aurora College.
The Social Work Program is a recognized transferable program that is offered at Aurora College’s Yellowknife Campus in partnership with the University of Regina. The program that is currently being offered is a diploma program. Although Mr. Hawkins’ questions refer to extending the Social Work Program by one year, in fact, two additional years would be required in order for students to complete a degree program.
1. The cost of expanding the Social Work Program
at Aurora College by one year so that three years of study toward a degree in social work are available in the NWT.
If the Social Work Program were extended, it should incorporate two additional years to allow the students in the program the potential to earn a degree. The cost estimates are provided with a view to adding two years to the program to 20 students per year. The total cost for adding two years to the Social Work Program is estimated between $1.3 million and $1.4 million. These numbers would include the costs for additional instructors, contract services, materials and supplies, additional classroom space, program funding, brokering fees and student housing.
2. The steps that would be required to expand the
Social Work Program at Aurora College by one year.
Several steps would be required to expand program delivery to offer a Social Work degree including staffing instructor positions, identifying the host university courses, and realigning the sequencing of courses for two streams of students, those currently enrolled in the program and those entering the program. Any additional funding required would need to be identified and approved through the GNWT’s business planning process.
3. The obstacles, if any other than funding, that
would have to be overcome in order to expand the Social Work Program at Aurora College by one year.
One obstacle, other than funding, would be to secure additional classroom instruction space for year three and four programming. Another obstacle, assuming 20 students in each cohort year, would be the need to provide housing options for 40 additional students.
Mr. Speaker, we recognize the need for social workers in the North. We also acknowledge the need to increase the number of degree-granting programs in the NWT. Expanding the Social Work Program would be considered in the context of Aurora College’s overall plan for program delivery. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.