Thank you, Mr. Bromley. Mr. Lafferty.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. This is an area that we have been discussing interdepartmentally. There is the TSC chargeback, I believe, in every department. Our Department of Education, Culture and Employment, I believe we’re one of the biggest users along with Health and Social Services because of our videos and linkage.
We’ve been exploring different options on how we can get away from that specific area where our Internet accessibility is quite large and part of the GNWT system. This whole fibre optic link and also the e-learning is a small piece of it, but that is an area that we have been exploring. I believe my director has been involved with the chargeback itself, and maybe he can provide the detailed breakdown.
Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. Mr. Devitt.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The education authorities are on the government network. They separated their traffic to improve service, or at least the TSC has separated traffic. We do work very closely with the TSC in this area, if that’s what the Member was referring. I hope that answers his question.
Thank you, Mr. Devitt. Mr. Bromley.
That’s news to me. I didn’t hear that discussed earlier when it was up. I appreciate that information. As I understand it, our education authorities do use our TSC programming but it’s done in a separate way. But they are integrated across authorities, so we just provide funding to them. Do they get chargebacks on their own? Would it show up in their budget, TSC chargebacks?
The network charges are budgeted in the directorate for the department and the network for the education authorities. I should point out that the education authorities are not on the government e-mail system and they don’t receive the same technical support, but they are on the government network.
Who does their technical work then? Do they hire their own? How does that work?
For networking within the schools, they would either use their own staff or contract for that. TSC would take the network to the schools.
I think I’m understanding the system now. I don’t have the expertise to criticize or critique it. I guess I would ask if that is the most efficient, having TSC look after our GNWT throughout our communities, and now slowly adding all the health authorities, but having our education authorities contract their own separate maintenance system. Is there an opportunity for an efficiency there, or is that something the Minister would look at?
We did look at the system a couple of years ago. We did a study, and it did recommend some changes that we’ll be implementing in terms of standards. We’ll also, I’m sure, be looking at this and other areas as part of the renewal project.
That’s good to know. Maybe that’s something the department could share with committee at some point just to see what those reports said. I’m glad efficiencies have been found and worked on. I guess I would just ask the Minister to be sure and include that, then, in the education renewal. That’s all I had.
Thank you, Mr. Bromley. I think we have a commitment from the Minister on that, so we’ll take that as a yes then. Moving on with questions I have Mr. Moses.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Just a really quick question here on page 10-19 with the Healthy Children Initiative with the contributions to communities in the amount of $2.1 million. What type of integrated early intervention services is being offered? Can the Minister elaborate on these services and if it’s being offered to all 33 communities or not?
Thank you, Mr. Moses. Mr. Lafferty.
I was just looking at the list and I’m not sure if it’s all 33 communities, but I do have quite a list here. It does capture early childhood, disabilities, district education, friendship centre, daycare society, nursery, library committee, and playschool and so forth. But I need to find out if it does capture all 33 communities, and if not, why not, and those types of questions. But this is all based on proposals that we receive from the communities. That’s what we have to date, the 2011-2012 actual numbers that we’re using, proposals that we receive, so I can provide that information to the Members. It is detail from the communities.
Just for clarification, this contribution here is open for all organizations that provide healthy children initiatives in the communities, so I’m assuming with it capped at $2.1 million it’s pretty well on a first-come, first-served basis.
That’s correct. It’s open to anybody that wants to deal with the preventive measurement, the early children’s initiative and so forth, in the 33 communities that we service, so it is open to them.
Thank you, Minister Lafferty. Committee, we’re combining 10-18, 19 and 20. Education, Culture and Employment, activity summary, education and culture, grants and contributions, grants, total grants, $52,000, contributions, total contributions, $168.801 million, total grants and contributions, $168.853 million. Does committee agree?
Agreed.
Thank you. Page 8-21, Education, Culture and Employment, information item, education and culture, active positions. Any questions?
Agreed.
Being none, 8-23, Education, Culture and Employment, activity summary, advanced education, operations expenditure summary, $48.727 million. Mr. Bromley.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. I just want to follow up a little bit on the adult learning and basic education programs, and I have got some information from the Minister recently which I appreciated. Can the Minister summarize what the plans are for this year with the CanNor dollars? Is that a matching funding? Is that something we match or are we able to use those dollars exclusively on their own for this ALBE initiative?
Great. Thank you, Mr. Bromley. Minister Lafferty.
Mahsi, Mr. Chair. The announcement came from the federal government directly to Aurora College, for Aurora College to deliver or enhance the ALBE. It’s specifically for ALBE programming, so they made it clear from the federal perspective. What we currently provide funding to ALBE is above and beyond that, so we are, as a department, working again closely with the college. There has to be a planning process to expend those funds through the college, so even though it’s their funding, we, as a department, still continue to work with them. This is an area that has been earmarked for the college to deliver ALBE through CanNor. That’s the information that we have, and again, the fund is flowed through to the college and we continue to work with them.
Thanks to the Minister for that information. I know we have done a pretty extensive review ourselves of ALBE through our program review office, and I know, I think maybe the Auditor General may have commented as well. One of the things that is clear is that we spend a lot of money on this, a lot of money on ALBE, and I have to say, I was a little bit surprised when I found out we’re getting a whole bunch more money from CanNor for this. It’s not something I would ever turn down, of course. I’m happy to see it. But one of the issues was we didn’t know what we were achieving with those dollars. Maybe we knew we weren’t achieving what we wanted to with those dollars, so the really big question is what we do with them and so on. This is within GNWT rather than Aurora College, although Aurora College is probably part of it. Where are we at with that? I believe there have been some moves to put in some evaluation programs. Can I just get an update on that? Are they in place, are we starting to measure objectively what we’re getting out of our rather large expenditures on ALBE, and will the CanNor dollars be subject to that sort of evaluation and monitoring as well?
I realize that part of the review process was based on certain criteria, whether it be evaluating and so forth. This CanNor funding up to $9 million, I believe, over the two years to expand the programming in our territory and increase employment opportunities for the North. Of course, I’m happy that we received funding, as well, and any new funding that’s available to us, even though we’ve done our comprehensive review of our adult basic learning education. But at the same time, we have to keep in mind that there are a lot of opportunities out there where we need to utilize and expand our campuses. When I say campuses, that means learning centres throughout the Northwest Territories. The Sahtu, and now Deh Cho and Beaufort-Delta are coming on stream as well. We have to prepare these individuals, which we may not have had in the past except for the three diamond mines, and we’ve seen the results of that. We’ve seen so many people that went through the ALBE program, whether it be heavy equipment operators, apprentices and so forth.
We’ve seen some success, so this is an area that we want to capture as part of that up to $9 million that’s been handed over to the college. We want to be involved along the way. We realize that we’ve done our own homework and so that’s an area that we will continue to work, of course, with the federal government and with the college itself.
There is an accountability framework for training of adults, the Auditor General’s recommendation. We take this very seriously. That’s nearing completion and will be ready for discussion with our educational partners. As you know, we have to work with the school boards and the college and so forth. We’re hoping that it will be ready for implementation in 2013-2014. Obviously, there will be some integration with the CanNor, with the college, but we need to work it out with them. We need to work side by side. That’s the information that I currently have right now.
I appreciate those comments. I’m glad to hear about the accountability framework that’s going to be in place. Let’s see, I did ask for one thing that I didn’t get and I can’t remember now what it was. Is there a matching requirement for the dollars? That’s the last one. Thank you.
Mr. Chair, I completely forgot about that part. It’s federal funding. No, it’s not a matching funding with GNWT or the college. It’s just the funding that flows directly to the college to deliver or enhance the ALBE program that they currently have over a two-year period. Mahsi.
Mr. Chair, Aurora College obviously is the major player in delivering this. Are there other partners in the delivery of the ALBE? Does the department itself play a role or are there other partners? Thank you.
Mr. Chair, there are other, whether they be the ASETS through the federal government, going to Aboriginal communities or leadership. There is a Labour Market Agreement that we have that train in those areas. ALBE covers a lot of areas. It is very generic even at the mine site. They provide training.
I keep on referring to training, but it is ALBE upgrades. That’s what is happening at the mine site and various areas in the Northwest Territories that deliver that. Community learning centres, friendship centres and other agencies are involved. Yes, there are more than just our department or the college that delivers ALBE. Mahsi.
Thank you, Minister Lafferty. Moving on with questions I have Ms. Bisaro.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. I wanted to ask a couple of questions about ALBE as well. I noted from the Minister’s opening remarks that he said the department will action recommendations from the Adult Literacy and Basic Education review. I wondered if the Minister could elaborate on what recommendations will be acted on and what programs will be changed. Thank you.
Thank you, Ms. Bisaro. Minister Lafferty.
Mahsi, Mr. Chairman. When I talk about the recommendations, ALBE review recommendations, again, we have to work with our Aboriginal partners. Obviously, the college plays a big role as well. When we talk about community deliverance, we talk about the Literacy Council. They have been actively involved. We have seen great success in that area. Not only that, but there’s been five adult educators that have been added to Aurora College community learning centres, even through CanNor, so we are beginning to see results.
Again, accountability framework is part of the recommendations that will be before us in this House, but what I was referring to was the recommendation that came out of that and we are proceeding with that through our partnerships in delivering that. Mahsi.
To the Minister, if some of this staffing is being paid for by CanNor money, what happens in two or three years’ time when the CanNor money is gone? Will we still have adult literacy staffing in our learning centres in our communities? Thank you.
Mr. Chair, obviously we would like to see a longer term commitment from the feds. Right now it is only a two-year funding. Usually it is a five-year investment, so we will be knocking at their door, even building our relationship with the CanNor department. If the fund is depleting, then that’s an area that we need to start planning now, re-evaluating even before the two-year time span is up. How has it been? Is it working well? How can we reinvest in those areas? We do have some time to re-evaluate our stance at that point in time. At the same time, we are working with Aboriginal governments, as well, because they do have some funds. We have some funds. How can we match if that’s the case? We are just thinking long term. If it’s working well within the next two years, obviously we would like to see that continue. I would like to see the federal government continue their investment in this area. Mahsi.
Mr. Chair, thanks to the Minister. I wanted to ask, within this section there are two funds which I don’t know whether or not it’s included here. One of them is the Mine Training Society and the other one is Skills Canada. I can’t find, within this section, where either of those organizations’ contributions are listed. Can I get some clarification? Thank you.
Mr. Chair, even though it’s not listed on here, we are contributing to both societies. Skills Canada, we contribute I believe $80,000 on an annual basis and we continue to do that. They have other sources of revenue, funding that is coming from other agencies, as well, or industries in partnership, so it goes beyond our $80,000. Even with Mine Training Society, I believe we contributed funds for them to continue while we work with the federal government to talk about the long-term strategy. We talk about pan-territorial approach as well. The Member is correct; it may not be highlighted specifically, but we are contributing to both societies. Mahsi.
Mr. Chair, thanks to the Minister. That’s good to hear. Could I know how much is earmarked for the Mine Training Society in this next budget year and can I be pointed to which line item it’s under? Thank you.
Mr. Chair, I’m trying to get the detailed information from my staff, but I don’t have it here with me. I can provide that to the Members.
Over the years, we have contributed. We are true partners along with ITI and other departments towards this Mine Training Society. We will provide the breakdown to Members. Mahsi.
Mr. Chair, to where these contributions would show up in the budget? Thank you.
Thank you, Ms. Bisaro. For that we’ll go to Mr. Devitt.
Mr. Chair, I don’t have that information with me.
Thank you, Mr. Devitt. Minister Lafferty.
Mr. Chair, we will have to find out where exactly it’s based at. I know for sure that we are contributing, but we will find out which category it’s on and we’ll provide that to the Members. Mahsi.
Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. Ms. Bisaro.
Mr. Chair, I appreciate that commitment and I look forward to seeing the information.
My last question here has to do with a statement in the Minister’s remarks. It had to do with the Aurora College housing. We are closing down the unit. There are savings realized by PWS from closing the existing units. It then says that the savings from PWS will be used to fund a portion of the department’s main estimates. I found that very confusing. Could I get an explanation of what is going on here? Are we transferring money from PWS to Education or what? Thank you.
Thank you, Ms. Bisaro. For that we’ll go to Mr. Devitt.
