Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, when it comes to workforce development, we have had some success in the NWT with individual companies developing a project-specific workforce through training and development programs. This has worked well for long-term projects like mines which have lifespans of a decade or more; however, our economy is increasingly shifting towards more project-based employment for which this kind of workforce development model does not work as well. Projects are more time limited, sometimes involve seasonal work, and are spread across the territory. Any individual project, be it mine remediation, housing construction, or large scale construction projects like the Stanton hospital, often aren't long-term or large enough to develop their own workforce, nor can they take on the responsibility of lining up future work for people as their project winds down. I think unless there is better coordination and planning around workforce development and deployment, we may see local employment numbers drop even further than what we are already seeing. I would like the government to be proactive about addressing this challenge, and I think the GNWT is best positioned to take on the role of workforce planning and coordination.

Mr. Speaker, the issue of workforce availability in this the NWT is an increasingly urgent and pressing issue. The president of the Northwest Territories and Nunavut Construction Association raised concern in the media recently that shortage of labour is one of their top concerns. When I was meeting with individuals involved in managing workforce for large remediation projects in the NWT, similar concern was expressed, and it was noted that the lack of centralized workforce coordination in the NWT makes it difficult to identify and link workers with and across projects to ensure continuity of employment through apprenticeships and steady employment after trade certificates are obtained. While GNWT does do some of this work and has prioritized workforce development, I think there is room for the government to step further and more effectively into not only training and development but also workforce coordination.

I am imagining a government agency or division which would act as a matchmaker of sorts which could coordinate with individuals, Indigenous governments, and others to help connect projects with skilled labour. This would help projects maximize northern employment and employment continuity for skilled workers. It could also strengthen our ability to help plan for workforce development and training with post-secondary institutions. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'll have questions for the Minister of ITI at the appropriate time.