The 16th Assembly identifies a preventative approach and a focus on tackling fundamental causes of problems as an effective and efficient way to support our people. Based on some emerging statistics and understanding, we have a huge opportunity to improve both our economic and social health by simply improving basic skill levels in our population.
In fact, many of us recently met with a national specialist who estimated that a strategic investment of $9 million to $10 million towards improving literacy levels of groups in the N.W.T. could expect a return of the same amount within a year. That’s right: one year. Improved functional literacy skills create jobs, increase work time and wage levels, and yield improved health of families. In return, these new skills pay dividends to government through increased taxation revenues and through reduced unemployment costs, health costs and income support payments.
It has been shown that those people with good basic skills accumulate many advantages, while those without skills accumulate disadvantages — often a downward spiral from generation to generation. With the delivery of literacy education, this cycle of accumulating disadvantages can be interrupted, leading to improvements in people’s lives and the reversal of that downward spiral.
For every job today, workers need increasing skill levels to do their work, to solve problems and to be productive. This is due to trends in economic globalization, competition with developing countries, technology advances and other reasons. From trapping to operation of equipment and communication technologies, in our homes and in our communities, people need to have good literacy skills.
Our challenge — our opportunity — is clear. Focused and coordinated leadership to strategically invest in literacy can lead to improved lives for Northerners, greater economic development, increased revenues and reduced social and employment costs. With good leadership on our part, program delivery and costs can be shared with important partners like the Government of Canada and industry.
Let’s ensure this government provides that leadership and wise investment.
Mahsi. Thank you.
