Thank you, Mr. Vanthuyne. Minister Moses.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. There would be a number of variables, and I think the Member has alluded to a few of them, in terms of journeypersons with certificates. We have seen a decrease over the years. We continue to also look at having 389 apprentices who are current registered in the Northwest Territories. The good news is that we have developed an Apprenticeship Trades and Occupational Certification Strategy for the next five years, and that's being implemented by the working group and the steering committee. That's mainly made up of people in the industry. So hopefully we will start seeing some good improvements in that, and as, you, Mr. Chair, asked me questions in the House last week on updates on that program, we are almost a year into the implementation of that strategy, but we can look at both the steering committee and working group and try to get updates on how those are and what are some of our challenges. So we'll definitely keep an eye on that. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Minister Moses. Mr. Vanthuyne.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. The Minister mentioned a number of registered apprentices. I believe it was 289 - sorry, 389. Do we know if that number has been an increase, or is that a decrease over previous years? I'll just put this question out to the Minister at the same time. Are SNAP and Skills having positive effects on our apprenticeship numbers? Are we seeing benefits from those programs? Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. Vanthuyne. Minister Moses.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. First of all, I don't have the level of detail in terms of the apprenticeships from year to year. I just have the current statistics, but we can get that information for the Member. SNAP and Skills NWT, they're both excellent programs. I believe they are having a positive impact on our students who are looking at entering into the trades. We have had some really great success at the national level, as well, with NWT Skills Canada and the work that they do. The great thing about the NWT Skills Canada program is a lot of people who have gone through NWT Skills actually go into their trade, and then they come back and are judges or they work with NWT Skills Canada during the regional and territorial competitions. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Minister Moses. Mr. Vanthuyne.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Yes, maybe just lastly, one thing that we might want to do, if it is also available, if you are going to be providing detail on yearafteryear apprenticeship registration numbers to us, can you also maybe look at letting us know is there a reporting mechanism that SNAP or Skills has for tracking their apprentices and/or those who have an interest in apprenticeship? All I am trying to do is really quantify the effects that those two programs are having on our registered apprentices for the territory. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. Vanthuyne. Minister Moses.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Yes, we can definitely have those discussions. We're definitely big supporters, as well, in terms of making sure that we have apprentices in the Northwest Territories to meet our labour market demands, as well as our employer demands. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Minister Moses. Mr. Vanthuyne.
Nothing further, Mr. Chair. Thank you.
Mr. O'Reilly.
Thanks, Mr. Chair. Just while we are on the subject of apprenticeships, maybe I can ask this Minister, and I might have to ask another one: it seems to me that when we're doing big capital projects that that is an opportunity for us to promote apprenticeships and trades, and so on. Do we insert into the contract requirements that contractors hire or use apprentices? Is that something that we would find in the contracting arrangements for large GNWT projects? Thanks, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. O'Reilly. Minister Moses.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Department of ECE focuses on the training and development of our apprentices across the Northwest Territories, as well as certification. When it comes to contracts, I think that might be a more suitable question for the Minister of Infrastructure.
Thank you, Minister Moses.
I can talk to the Minister of Infrastructure and get that information for the Member.
Okay. Mr. O'Reilly.
Yes, the Minister over there was sort of like a deer caught in the headlights all of a sudden. He had to pay attention. It's a "heads up". When it comes to his turn, I will be asking those questions. Look, if we're going to spend time and money trying to encourage apprenticeships, surely to goodness we can find ways for them to work on our capital projects to get their certification and all of that kind of stuff. Anyways, the Minister is listening to me now. I am sure he is going to get ready when I ask him those sorts of questions, but I want to move on to some questions about postsecondary education. As I understand it, ECE does provide some ongoing funding to College Nordique and Dechinta, so is this the right place in the budget? Is it found in the contributions here, on page 51 of the departmental budget? Thanks, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. O'Reilly. Minister Moses.
I believe so. It should be on this page. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Minister Moses. Mr. O'Reilly.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. So can the Minister confirm whether the level of support for College Nordique or Dechinta is changing from 20172018 to 20182019? I just want to know if it is changing in any way, up or down. Thanks, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. O'Reilly. Minister Moses.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. I know that recently, with Dechinta, we did increase their funding, and it was a multiyear funding agreement. With College Nordique, I don't have the full details in front of me. Okay, sorry. With the College Nordique, that funding has stayed the same. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Minister Moses. Mr. O'Reilly.
It's good to hear, at least one of our other postsecondary institutions is getting an increase in their funding. Can the Minister tell us what that increase is for Dechinta and what the contribution, say, for 20182019 is going to be, then? Thanks, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. O'Reilly. Minister Moses.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. The increases that we had previously gone into agreements with Dechinta on was for $500,000. Also, I just want to make a note that, with College Nordique, the government has gone into contracts with them for training services throughout all of our departments, so there is also an increase through other departments in terms of funding for French services. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Minister Moses. Mr. O'Reilly.
Thanks, Mr. Chair, and I appreciate the Minister's answer. So, if Dechinta was getting $500,000 before, what are they getting in 20182019? Thanks, Mr. Chair.
Thanks, Mr. O'Reilly. Minister Moses.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. The previous arrangement that we had with Dechinta before we got into the multiyear agreement was $250,000. Our current contribution to Dechinta in that multiyear agreement is $500,000. Thank you.
Thank you, Minister Moses. Mr. O'Reilly.
Thanks, Mr. Chair. Yes, I appreciate that, and I think that is a good investment of funding from our government. I am sure the Minister will work with College Nordique to look at how we can support those folks, as well. I want to shift now to the postsecondary education legislation. Can the Minister just give us an update of where that is at? Thanks, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. O'Reilly. Minister Moses.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Currently, the discussion paper is before standing committee. We are also getting that information out to some of our other partners and stakeholders on that legislation to get their feedback. So I believe the discussion paper is before standing committee, and, as I mentioned, getting that discussion paper out to leadership, really, in the Northwest Territories to see how this legislation is going to work. Thank you.
Thank you, Minister Moses. Mr. O'Reilly.
Thanks, Mr. Chair. Yes, I appreciate that. So maybe I can just ask the Minister. So the first step is going to be a discussion paper. The usual process seems to be that there is a "what we heard" report, a legislative proposal, and then a bill arrives in the House. Is that the process that we are going to use here, and can the Minister just give us some rough ideas of the timing of those different steps? Thanks, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. O'Reilly. Minister Moses.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. I think it is important on this piece of legislation that we get good consultation on that discussion paper and make sure that all of our stakeholders and our partners have that input. We are expecting a draft bill to the Legislative Assembly by late 2018 or, if anything, early 2019. So we are going to have that consultation over the next several months, and then, hopefully, we will have a draft before the Legislative Assembly. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Minister Moses. Mr. O'Reilly.
Thanks, Mr. Chair. Yes, that is what I had, and I appreciate the Minister's answers, and I look forward to that discussion paper very soon. Thanks.
Thank you. Any further questions on this activity? I have to apologize to committee here. I included pages 50 to 60, but I am going to separate that by calling this summary and then moving to information item starting on page 54. So, going to page 50, Education, Culture and Employment, labour development and standards, operations expenditure summary, $50,389,000. Agreed?
Agreed.
Okay. We shall move on and do page by page on the information items, starting with 54. Any questions to page 54? None. Page 55? Seeing none, information item on page 56, any questions? Seeing none, information item on page 57, any questions to page 57? Seeing none, information item on page 58, any questions to page 58? Seeing none, information item on page 59, any questions to page 59? Seeing none, information item on page 60, any questions to page 60? Seeing none, we should go back to the departmental total on page 29. Departmental total, Education, Culture and Employment, $327,341,000?
Agreed.
Agreed. That concludes the department. Does the committee agree that consideration of the Department of Education, Culture and Employment is completed?
Agreed.
