Jackson Lafferty

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to recognize former Behchoko resident Peter Beggair who is here with us.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I wish to table the following document, entitled “Workers’ Safety and Compensation Commission Corporate Plan 2012.” Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, this government promotes the importance of trained and certified skilled journeypersons. We encourage our youth to consider skilled trades as a great career choice, and we celebrate the success of our apprentices and journeypersons.

Every year the Northwest Territories dedicates a week to those in the skilled trades and occupations. This year, Apprenticeship and Occupational Certification Week is scheduled for February 6th to 10th. Each regional ECE Service Centre will host Apprenticeship and Occupational Certification Award ceremonies for the 37 top mark awards achieved by our...

I’m glad the Member raised that issue. It’s a very valid point. There are agreements in place with the Deh Cho and other regions as well. There are some changes through the federal government, whether it be ASEP versus ASETS and we also have the Labour Market Development Agreement and also the Labour Market Agreement that I’ve highlighted. It’s a separate entity but we continue to support those individual organizations and members.

The Member referred to an agreement that is in place. We know that there is a sunset clause but we need to coordinate together with the community. It is at a federal...

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. The Member did talk about the income security in the communities, and part of the program is to assess those individuals that could pursue productive choices at the community level. We also have a small employment program, as well, a subsidy to the employer so they can hire community members. It’s been very successful to date and we will continue to address that. There’s also a Labour Market Agreement and Labour Market Development as well. That funding is allocated for training, skill development, self-employment, work experience and so forth, youth employment. That...

Through the Department of Education, Culture and Employment we have regional representatives, regional employees at the community level, and we collaborate with other departments, as well, whether it be the superintendents working with the career development officers or PWS and ENR. Each department has their own mandate, their own initiatives on how or where those individual positions should be based, which community or region. Within our ECE department we target each region, each community where those positions should lie, what kind of position it should be, the skills and so forth, and...

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Now, more than ever, Northerners are realizing the importance of literacy. January 27th was Family Literacy Day. Celebrating Family Literacy Day helps recognize the important role that families play in literacy development.

The Northwest Territories has vast economic potential, and Northerners want to be able to access the jobs being created. We know that to take advantage of the opportunities, we must have a skilled, educated and literate workforce.

Family support is imperative to our children’s literacy development. Parents and elders are our children’s first and most...

This could be an opportunity where we look at the Aboriginal Student Achievement Initiative. This has been an initiative that we have in all regions. We’ve heard so many possible solutions and opportunities in the Beaufort-Delta as well. We’re going to start implementing that, and this could increase in certain programming as well.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Our department does not purchase buses directly but we do provide contributions to the school boards. For this matter it would be the Beaufort-Delta Department of Education, for which we provide funding. Whether it be for transportation, it all depends on the community size and the enrolment. The decision strictly lies with the DEA and DEC on where they want to allocate funding, whether it be custodial or administration or the teachers or the busing. Some of the organizations, when they receive contributions from our department, set aside approximately 5 or 3 percent...

Yes, most definitely we will be raising our concerns. As the Premier has met with the Prime Minister and Miltenberger met with the Finance Minister, both are discussions we continue to have with the federal Ministers to raise our concerns.