Alfred Moses

Early childhood development is a priority of this government. It became a priority of the 17th Legislative Assembly. Anything that we can do to ensure that our staff and our children have the opportunity to develop in the best way they can. We are willing to work in those areas. I can't commit to a timeframe at this time.

In the 17th Legislative Assembly, some of those concerns were brought forward. We do have funds that go to the daycare providers, but also to creating a Childhood Staff Grant program. We have a scholarship for people that want to go out and get trained. Currently, I believe our programs are working well, but if the Member would like to adjust that issue, it's something that, throughout the course of this government, we can take a look at.

At this time, we cannot commit funds to such an option.

The Department of Education funds our education authorities to the tune of about $150 million every year. If the Member and the community and the parents wish to look at providing grades 10 to 12, I would encourage them to speak with the superintendents, as well as the DECs, to look at the possibility of providing that type of program in the community of Tsiigehtchic.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Currently, there are a couple programs that we're running. First one is the Skills for Healthy Relationships program, that are targeted to grade seven to 12, the WITS Program which was mentioned earlier in the Member’s statement, and that's targeted from kindergarten to grade six. And then the other ones that we're having is Positive Behaviour Supports targeted from kindergarten right through to grade 12, as well as online resources, and obviously the Kids Help Line is another way that we can do that. Plus things that we do as well here, as we did in the Great Hall...

At the current time, we don't have a concentrated effort where some of the lowest employment rates are. We do have some opportunities coming up with the possibility of some big infrastructure projects that this government might approve, and based on where those projects might be, we can focus on those areas, as well as support all regions in getting employment rates higher.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As the Member knows, this is my second term of the Legislative Assembly, and on a yearly basis we do review those unemployment rates. As I was answering questions earlier in the House, we are taking actions to address some of these unemployment rates throughout the Northwest Territories, in small communities, regional centres, and here in Yellowknife as well. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. There are various ways that the department is working with our stakeholders to adjust the issue that the Member brought up. First of all, through Aurora College, we do offer trades technical training at Thebacha Campus. We also work with the Mobile Trades Training Unit in Aurora College up in Inuvik. As with Skills 4 Success Initiative that I mentioned in previous answers to questions earlier this week, through implementation programs, programs are being aligned with identified labour market needs. With that said, we also want to make sure that communities and regional...

As I mentioned, with the Truth and Reconciliation Commission bringing forth the recommendations, when we looked at them, we found out we were already doing a lot of this work throughout the Northwest Territories. With that said, we are offering some of this training to other jurisdictions throughout the North and throughout Canada. I myself participated in the training. We had participants from Nunavut, Yukon, Saskatchewan, Alberta, and we are also looking at getting federal ministers who are also interested in taking some of this residential school training. Our goal is to ensure that anybody...

We are going to be releasing a labour market information report next month. It’s going to give guidance and direction in where we need to go. We are also looking at programs within the Aurora College system to address some of these issues based on what that report says, but also, our Skills 4 Success Framework and some of the other work that we are doing with the regional centres. I think in the next little while, as we get our mandates from this government moving forward, we will know which direction we are going to have to move forward in, hopefully, and look at increasing our employment...