Jackson Lafferty

That’s exactly what is happening between our two departments. Also keep in mind that there is the employer aspect that we need to work with. We are dealing with upwards of 1,600 students and we need to identify who is graduating when, what kind of positions should be available to them in the Northwest Territories. Not just the GNWT, but other prospects and partnership opportunities within the Northwest Territories. There is also Skills for Success, improving employment success in the Northwest Territories. That’s another initiative on the go that involves integrated departments to work...

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. We have made some changes to our SFA application guidelines, and having a student’s consent was a barrier over the past several years now to linking the students with the employers and working with HR. So now we have the opportunity. We have the students’ consent to move forward, working very closely with employers and also the Human Resources department. There are also a Facebook page that allows employers to advertise jobs and work with our department to create opportunities for our students.

Again, in partnership with Human Resources, there is information sharing and some...

Since we got the consent from the students, now we have the dialogue with the interdepartmental discussion we are having, whether it’s the Housing Corporation, the housing maintainers or any other positions within departments and also outside the Government of the Northwest Territories, private agencies and public agencies as well. So those are discussions we are currently having since we got consent from the students. Yes, we are having the dialogue with the respective parties within the Northwest Territories. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

That’s correct. We didn’t have the checkmark prior to making those changes. Now we do have the students’ consent to allow them to explore opportunities in the Northwest Territories and creating opportunities for them through the employers. So, yes, we are making progress in that respect. We want to attract those students who return to the Northwest Territories, whether it’s an apprenticeship or other professional areas, and provide opportunities for them. That’s our overall priority. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Yes, I do, Madam Chair.

This particular issue is not new to my department. My department has been working very closely with the community and has provided funding over the past several years with respect to the summer preschool programming. Just recently Colville Lake residents have expressed an interest in having licenced daycare programming, so at this point my department is working with Colville to identify suitable space availability in the community. So, we’re doing everything we can to push that forward and I’m hoping we’ll see some progress in expeditious timing. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker, We do have daycare facilities across the Northwest Territories. I know we need to improve certain areas. We have been working in the Member’s riding. We currently have three licenced early childhood programs in the Sahtu region. Obviously, Members are requesting additions to that as well.

Fort Good Hope has a daycare; Tulita, child development; and Deline has a pre-school. These are some of the areas where we have established early childhood centres. We continue to improve in those areas.

My staff, my department is more than willing to meet with leadership and stakeholders to...

Mahsi, Madam Chair. I have with me, to my left, David Stewart. He is the deputy minister of Education, Culture and Employment. To my right is Olin Lovely. He is the assistant deputy minister of corporate services within the Department of Education, Culture and Employment.

Obviously, we would like to see a child development centre established in those two respective communities. My department, again, is working very closely with the community to have that established and ready to go. So, we’re working with community leadership to make that happen and it’s just a matter of finding that suitable space in Colville Lake and also working very closely with Norman Wells, the corporation that has shown interest, and we want to move forward on that. So, we’re doing everything we can as a department. We need to push that forward as best of our ability with our parties...

In 2015, obviously these are discussions we’ve been having with Norman Wells to develop programs. My staff are working with community members from the Sahtu region, more particularly in Norman Wells, to open a licenced early childhood program within the Sahtu region as well.

Just last month the Norman Wells Land Corporation met with ECE and is considering establishing a daycare. Those are discussions we’ve been having and we are making progress in that respect, Mr. Speaker. Mahsi.