This is page numbers 5615 - 5640 of the Hansard for the 19th Assembly, 2nd Session. The original version can be accessed on the Legislative Assembly's website or by contacting the Legislative Assembly Library. The word of the day was know.

Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

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The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you. Minister of ECE.

Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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R.J. Simpson

R.J. Simpson Hay River North

Thank you. I expect an announcement next week and all of the instruments to establish the board to all be completed this month. Thank you.

Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

All right. Member for Yellowknife North.

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Rylund Johnson

Rylund Johnson Yellowknife North

Awesome, very happy to hear that stuff is being caught up. I was very excited to see the announcement of the return of the social work/teacher program as well as kind of some work for a general arts and science program. Do we have an estimated cost for reinstating those programs? Thank you.

Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

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The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Minister of ECE.

Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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R.J. Simpson

R.J. Simpson Hay River North

Thank you. Part of the work to transform the college is ensuring that there is a funding formula in place so that these types of programs are costed. Right now that isn't in place although there is a budget for the programs, and it's the same budget that has existed since the programs were in existence. Thank you.

Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you. Member for Yellowknife North.

Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

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Rylund Johnson

Rylund Johnson Yellowknife North

Thank you. Do we know where on which of the three campuses each of those programs is planning to be located? Thank you.

Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

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The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you. Minister of ECE.

Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

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R.J. Simpson

R.J. Simpson Hay River North

Thank you, Madam Chair. So with a new board of governors in place, they will be making those types of decisions along with the college administration. So I know that Members have been accustomed to asking those questions of the Minister but with the change in relationship and with the establishment of the board, things are going to operate differently now. So I can't comment on future decisions of the board. Thank you.

Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

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The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you, Minister. Member for Yellowknife North.

Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

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Rylund Johnson

Rylund Johnson Yellowknife North

Yeah, thank you. I know right now the nursing program in Yellowknife is, you know, by most measures a success. I know many of the people who have taken that program or are taking it presently. But I believe there's some limitations on the space to expand that program, especially in the housing. I've heard from people that, you know, didn't get into that program -- or chose not to take that program because they couldn't get student housing. So, you know, even in the world where Yellowknife gets another program, I'm not convinced its current space requirements will allow that, especially on the housing front. Before we give all of the decisions to this board, are there any plans to kind of increase the space needs in Yellowknife? Thank you.

Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

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The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you. Minister of ECE.

Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

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R.J. Simpson

R.J. Simpson Hay River North

Thank you. So this House did pass the amendments to the Aurora College Act, so that decision has been made. So we're past the before part. But as the Member's aware, we have a facilities master plan that sets out, you know, potential infrastructure investments and the college and the government are well aware of the space limitations, and along with the residents in Fort Smith, addressing those limitations are the top priorities for new infrastructure for the college. Thank you.

Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

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The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you. Member for Yellowknife North.

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Rylund Johnson

Rylund Johnson Yellowknife North

Thank you, Madam Chair. I just want to switch gears a bit on the trades front. What I've been seeing lately is a lot of great announcements coming out of the federal government and directly to Indigenous governments. You know, I think we saw the Tlicho get, I believe, it was 30 apprentices paid for. I know Fort Good Hope has some federal funding to build a trades centre, which is all great work. There's other examples going on. I'm just hoping the Minister can speak to the extent we are kind of aware of that tracking it or offering partnership. I think, you know, the Fort Good Hope, for example we -- committee met with them, and it seems clear they will need some sort of apprentice building support and perhaps we have to tailor our programs to build that cooperation. I'm just wondering if the Minister can speak to whether we're kind of aware of this and reaching out as more and more of that federal money goes directly to Indigenous governments. Thank you.

Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you. Minister of ECE.

Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

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R.J. Simpson

R.J. Simpson Hay River North

Thank you. So we have, as I stated earlier, career development officers in the different regions of the Northwest Territories, and they are attuned to what is happening in their regions. There are often if not formalized relationships at least informal relationships among the different organizations, so Indigenous governments, ECE, businesses. And so I can say that, yes, the department is aware and always open to working whichever way works best for everyone involved. Thank you.

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The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you. Member for Great Slave.

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Katrina Nokleby

Katrina Nokleby Great Slave

Thank you, Madam Chair. I wanted to just talk a little bit -- actually a lot of my colleagues have asked some of my questions already, and I appreciate the information. But I always have to get a plug in for Skills Canada. Their funding has stayed fairly stagnant over the last while. And, really, for my own personal history and experience with the program, it's a really, really good program. We do well at it, I think, and as far as the competition piece when we send people. I'm sure there's other pots of funding; however, during the pandemic, it was very difficult for them to sort of continue on and there was a discussion around sort of pivoting to more virtual types of sort of trade programs or training. And so I'm just curious to know, like to me, I think this is a great place where with we can invest a lot of money. It's a lot of young people. So I think the youth gravitate more towards it than maybe some of the other types of funding or programs we have.

So can the Minister speak about whether or not we're going to fund Skills Canada NWT a bit more, how are we going to transition or help them transition to a more -- or an ability to be more virtual and reach more community members? Thank you.

Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

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The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you. Minister of ECE.

Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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R.J. Simpson

R.J. Simpson Hay River North

Thank you. And so we do have the $70,000 in here. On the line item, there's another $85,000 the department contributes out of the Labour Market Development Agreement. Perhaps I can hand it to the deputy minister for some more succinct comments on the Member's question. Thank you.

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The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Deputy minister MacDonald.

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Macdonald

Thank you, Madam Chair. And the Minister's numbers are correct. Those are funding contributions from ECE. Their primary funder is Employment and Social Development Canada so that's where they tend to get most of their revenue. But they may be able to fund other partnerships with individual education bodies across the territory as that's their direct link into schools. Thank you, Madam Chair.

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The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you. Member for Great Slave.