Mr. Speaker, the Summer Student Employment Program is a crucial part of this government’s commitment towards the people of the North and the development of a skilled and knowledgeable northern workforce. The 2010 Summer Student Employment Program is underway and applications for summer student employment are being accepted.
I ask all Members, residents and parents that if they are aware of any students seeking summer employment, to encourage them to register as early as possible with the Department of Human Resources at @email.
Mr. Speaker, each year the Government of the Northwest Territories hires hundreds of post-secondary students through the Summer Student Employment Program. This program assists northern students in acquiring work experience relevant to their field of study. It also provides students an opportunity to gain valuable work experience and insight into government as they discover a career path, demonstrate their cutting edge skills and enhance their personal goals.
The government benefits from the ability to develop potential future employees and showcase the opportunities available through a career in the public service.
Mr. Speaker, the Department of Human Resources started the advertisement campaign in December 2009 and has been working with client departments to ensure success with this year’s program. Applications for summer student employment began being accepted on December 1, 2009.
This past summer, the Summer Student Employment Program was very successful; 347 students were hired through the program in 2009, compared to 282 in 2008, for an increase of over 23 percent from the previous summer. Almost 40 percent of those hired were northern aboriginal students.
Mr. Speaker, exit surveys indicate the vast majority of summer students found their experiences with the public service to be valuable and would recommend the Government of the Northwest Territories as an employer. Students are already submitting applications for next summer and the program appears to be as popular as ever.
In keeping with the department’s strategic goal of fixing the foundation and stabilizing service delivery, I have asked the Department of Human Resources to make a number of enhancements to the Summer Student Employment Program.
The department is taking an active role in guiding managers in the recruitment and hiring of summer students to ensure that established policies and procedures are followed consistently. Training sessions and presentations are taking place for managers across the Government of the Northwest Territories to ensure the hiring procedures are communicated to all departments, board and agencies.
Mr. Speaker, the Summer Student Employment Program is a significant factor in the development of a skilled northern workforce and part of the broader strategy of Maximizing Northern Employment. Mr. Speaker, I would also like to mention that the Department of Education, Culture and Employment has new funding recently announced in the budget for $350,000. This funding will provide wage subsidies to employers for youth aged 15 to 29 years in small communities to gain work experience to acquire the skills that lead to increased self-reliance. Summer employment provides opportunities to students from around the North to gain valuable work experience and to participate in matters of public importance.
Mr. Speaker, in closing, the Department of Human Resources will continue to work with the departments, boards and agencies to find new and better ways of providing such opportunities to students. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
