Alfred Moses

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to take this opportunity to recognize Mr. Fraser Oliver, president of the Northwest Territories Teachers' Association; Adrien Amirault, executive director for the NWT Teachers' Association; and Amanda Mallon, professional development coordinator. I want to let them know that we are very appreciative of the work that you do on behalf of our teachers across the Northwest Territories.

I also want to recognize all the students who are here today. We are listening to you and really appreciate that you have made the time and effort to come and join us.

As well, we...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I believe staff from my department had met on November 29th with the Aboriginal Head Start staff, staff at the K'atlodeeche School, as well as the school principal. I myself wrote a letter to the chief of K'atlodeeche First Nation and had asked him if he wanted to meet to address some of the concerns that he was asking. I believe I sent that letter out last month in January. I can look at the date again and see if we can set up a meeting.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Just a little bit of history. Between 2008 and 2016 a number of significant facility upgrades totalling the amount of $2.256 million were completed to repair and upgrade the building. The existing condition of the building will need to be assessed prior to a recommendation for renovation or replacement. Should the assessment determine that a renovation is required, a planning study will be launched in 2018-19 to begin this process. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

We're expanding opportunities for post-secondary education that includes other institutions such as Dechinta Centre for Research and Learning, as well as College nordique, and some of these will be addressed as government looks at developing a new overarching legislation for post-secondary education in the Northwest Territories.

Yes, we have.

Laughter

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The department will be continuing to work with the college and other post-secondary partners to ensure that program is better aligned with the needs of the labour markets. We're also reviewing the Student Financial Assistance program to see how it might be used to incent and encourage NWT residents to pursue post-secondary education that is aligned with in-demand occupations and the needs of the labour market.

The Skills 4 Success document is also being used in high schools, and we sent it to all the schools across the Northwest Territories so that information can be...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Aurora College's new strategic plan will not directly involve other private postsecondary institutions in the Northwest Territories. It will look specifically at how the college can best serve the interests of the NWT residents. We did have NWT residents, as stakeholders, give input into that strategic plan. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I also agree that we need to build and develop skills within our small communities, remote and isolated communities especially, in getting our people back to work. Any way we can figure that out innovatively, using our community learning centres a lot better, working with our Aurora College to look at the programs that are being developed, but also working with industry and the private business sector to see what is needed and how we get a betterskilled workforce coming out of the postsecondary system. Those discussions, we'll have as soon as we see that report and what is in that report.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Any partnerships we can create and have that will help bring better outcomes for residents of the Northwest Territories, we are happy to get in those discussion, whether it is federal or even triterritorial with our northern partners. We are already having some meetings, as you know, with the curriculum that Alberta is developing, and our input into that, but any type of partnerships are more than welcome to have those discussions. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

With the announcement, the NWT Teachers' Association, all the school boards, and our staff are working out a way to support our teachers in the schools, and this is going to be on a school-by-school basis, how they make those decisions.