Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment Minister of Education, Culture and Employment
The Honourable Caitlin Cleveland was first elected in the 19th Assembly as the MLA for Kam Lake in 2019, and has served as the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment, and Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment since 2023 after being acclaimed to the 20th Assembly.
In addition to owning and operating a northern business for over 20 years, Minister Cleveland worked in a variety of communications and policy roles in both the public and private sectors before entering politics.
Between 2019 to 2023, she chaired the Standing Committee on Social Development, fulfilling a goal to be a part of the discussions and decisions affecting social programs in the Northwest Territories. Her noteworthy work on the Committee included guiding the considerable review and input into recommendations on housing in the NWT, suicide prevention, and improvements to caring for children in care and building supported families.
Within the scope of her portfolios, Minister Cleveland is focused on helping children grow into successful NWT residents that recognize opportunities and develop successful careers that contribute to a growing economy. She advocates for new approaches to sector diversification and innovation, and ensures the North is welcoming both skilled foreign workers and investment in the critical mineral resources across the territory. She persistently explores solutions for efficient and equitable access to programs and services, upholding a shared vision of an NWT where people are supported in the ways they wish to live, work, and grow.
Minister Cleveland is a lifelong resident of Yellowknife where she lives with her husband and their three children.
Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I think this is a really exciting opportunity for the Northwest Territories to be able to transition into a polytechnic. Because I think that there is this idea that we're talking about bricks and mortar. But what we're talking about is really important programming that lends to building a solid economic foundation. And so absolutely I will acknowledge that the milestones are definitely delayed. That is quite clear as to where the transformation is at right now, and I really look forward to working with the college and the board of governors to...
Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, there are demographics that are tracked. We know where people live. We know the ages of clients. We know if it is you know, what their gender identity is. And so I think that depending on what the Member is looking for, I can either provide more information or can align some of the demographics with whatever it is that the Member is looking for, as long as we are ensuring that we are still only collecting data that we actually need for the program, for the government, and respecting people's privacy. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, it was the same along with what was shared here publicly today from the deputy minister and myself to himself and the Member for Range Lake.
Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I love the idea of new ideas, and I like the idea of being able to explore that and talk about it and figure out what that might look like. So absolutely, I'm more than happy to sit down with the Member and explore that. I think that part of the conversation would have to be what does that look like and where would it be, where would it go, and would it be welcomed there as well. So I think there's a lot of conversation yet to come, and that would have to be with all the Members of this House, and I would be more than happy just with as with any...
Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the transformation team had a goal to accomplish 66 goals, 66 milestones. They accomplished all of them. There are a total of 80 milestones. And since the transformation team was disbanded, the college itself has completed three milestones. So that is since November of 2023. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, while I don't have that specific data at my fingertips right now, it's definitely, you know, something that I would like to work with the Member on in the life of this Assembly, is to be able to have a number of great success stories, even if it is people who are using the new income assistance program in order to generate earned income that they can hang on to and be able to work towards some additional selfreliance and be able to enter into the workforce as well. So I think this is a really exciting time as far as income assistance and being...
Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, a program of that magnitude and of such a change in political direction of the government would need to come from this Legislative Assembly and would be something that would need to be found, I would say, within our business plans and also within the priorities of this government. Thank you.
So to the first question that the Member asked, Mr. Speaker, about whether or not they're big C counsellors or little C counsellors, I'm not sure if that means are they mental health counsellors; no, they're not mental health counsellors if that's what meant. Sorry, I was talking to fast.
In regards to what type of counsellors they are, they are people who are they fill a role, and they provide pathways. They are professionals. They understand their department. They understand how to create connections. And one of the things that reducing the administrative barriers of this program does as...
