Marsi cho, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I have questions for the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment. Mr. Speaker, just to be clear, I'd like to ask the Minister if the Small Community Employment Support Program budget of $3 million that was added to the $1.2 million now supports all communities except Yellowknife. Thank you.
Masi. Minister of Education, Culture and Employment.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Member is right; there is $4.2 million in GNWT funding that aims to expand employment as well as training opportunities across the Northwest Territories.
On April 1, 2017, we did make enhancements to encourage success and look at having the program become more successful than it has in the past, and one of those enhancements was expanding eligibility, and that included the communities that I had mentioned earlier this week. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I'm wondering if the Minister could tell me who was consulted prior to making this decision.
Since the enhancement of the program was in the last budget, we had to look at how we can look at improving the program in many different areas so that we can see success through the Small Community Employment Support Program. It is application-based. We continue to encourage businesses, Aboriginal governments, community organizations, even other governments to work with us to apply on the program so that they can get funding.
Since then, we've also had some consultations in May and June, and those consultations were with Aboriginal governments, communities, leadership, staff, employers, residents, other GNWT departments, Aurora College. We are waiting on that report and look forward to sharing that report with committee. That will help guide and develop small community employment strategy for the next fiscal year.
I'd like to ask the Minister if the department at first intended to deliver the Small Community Employment Support Program to small communities only.
As I said, with the increase of $3 million to this program we didn't see that the $1.2 million previously get fully utilized within the small communities. With the new $3 million that was increased to this funding, my staff has been going out and getting that information out to the communities to allow them to understand that they can apply for this funding.
We're working with businesses, Aboriginal governments, and community groups so that they can actually apply on this program. With the enhancements that were made, we looked at expanding eligibility that included the communities; we looked at increased benefit levels and added flexibility for community employers as well as organizations that wanted to apply on this program. We continue to ask these businesses, organizations, Aboriginal governments to apply on the program and let's get our people working, let's get our people trained in our communities.
Masi. Oral questions. Member for Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Like I said in my Member's statement, this is a major disappointment to watch 10 years of our work go down the drain with one decision.
I'd like to ask the Minister: who made the decision to change the communities that this program was intended for? This program was intended to address the small communities; not the regional centres, the small communities. The regional centres have other ways of getting employment, obviously. Who made the decision to go outside the small communities with the Small Community Employment Support Program? Thank you.
I do not think this is a disappointment, or the hard work from the rural and remote communities are going down the drain. Actually, it is an enhancement. We have $3 million added to the fund to top it up to $4.2 million. We made enhancements to the Small Community Fund. Like I said, program eligibility, you get more people who can apply on the program, increased benefit levels as well as flexibility for community employers and organizations. At no way do I think this is a disappointment. I think this is something that we should be excited about and promoting. It is focusing on employment, and it is focusing on training opportunities. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Oral questions. Member for Sahtu.
