Alfred Moses

I'm sorry, Mr. Chair. Can the Member please repeat his question? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. This government is committed to finding new ways to make it easier for NWT residents to acquire the skills and training they need to get jobs and to connect employers to trained and qualified employees.

The Department of Education, Culture and Employment plays a key role in this by focusing on fostering lifelong learning, skill development, training, and employability. That includes expanding opportunities for tradesoriented learning, while also enhancing our communications, service delivery, and way of doing business.

Today, I would like to tell Members about a new...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. To my right, I have my deputy minister, Sylvia Haener, and to my left Deputy Minister Olin Lovely. Thank you.

Any positions that were reduced within our department, we'll continue to follow up and monitor to see how that position that was reduced is affecting the program delivery as well as other staff in that area.

No. I just want to thank the Members for their questions, and I know there are a lot of concerns and a lot of issues out there in terms of infrastructure needs throughout the Northwest Territories. We try our best to meet them as we move forward.

Sitting as a Regular Member in the 17th, I understand some of the frustrations, but, in our current fiscal situation and with all the competing infrastructure needs, it's always a tough job to see where we put the dollars. But I appreciate the questions and just thank everybody for their support and the questions that they had. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

As mentioned in those three factors in terms of job reductions, the main was what that risks and impacts on program delivery was one of those three, and we want to make sure that programs are being delivered, can continue to be delivered within that division, and, in some cases, picked up by other members, other staff, that are working within that division or that department.

Yes, thank you, Mr. Chair, and I thank the Member for his concerns and comments. That's, I think, the main direction for the Skills 4 Success Action Plan is to get out into the small communities. I know we've had Members who have brought those concerns forward of finding unique ways to increase the employment and the training and skill development in our small communities throughout the Northwest Territories. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Going through such an exercise is difficult on our senior management. Obviously, we don't want to look at any positions being cut as affecting residents of the Northwest Territories, but we do look at the position based on those three factors. It's not based on the individual that's in that position, it's based solely on the position and using those three factors to identify should a job be cut that it will have the least disruption to the programs that they serve. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. When the announcement for this funding came out, we had about a month, as did other institutions, to try to get the funding, so we had to look and act fast to get a proposal developed and together and out the door and look at where we can provide training and opportunities in the Northwest Territories. The heavy equipment facility in Smith was a prime example which we can support. The Mine Training Society actually just donated a bunch of equipment to the campus there, as well, so it was just a great opportunity for us. There was a lot of federal dollars, and we didn't...

Mr. Speaker, all positions from entry level to management are looked at and reviewed and we base it on those three factors that I mentioned; mostly the one that would be least disruptive to the program delivery in that division.