Mr. Speaker, this government promotes the importance of trained and certified skilled journeypersons. We encourage our youth to consider skilled trades as a great career choice, and we celebrate the success of our apprentices and journeypersons.
Every year the Northwest Territories dedicates a week to those in the skilled trades and occupations. This year, Apprenticeship and Occupational Certification Week is scheduled for February 6th to 10th. Each regional ECE Service Centre will host Apprenticeship and Occupational Certification Award ceremonies for the 37 top mark awards achieved by our northern apprentices. Mr. Speaker, we thank our many partners and, particularly, northern employers. Without them, apprenticeship programs in our territory would not exist.
The Department of Education, Culture and Employment commits funding to apprenticeship for both technical training for tuition and related training expenses, and job wage subsidies that assist employers in the Northwest Territories with their apprentices’ wages.
From September to December 2011, the department issued 23 certificates of qualifications and eight certificates of competence to journeypersons in the Northwest Territories. Today there are 421 apprentices in the Northwest Territories. More than half of these apprentices are Aboriginal, but we still need more people in the skilled trades and occupations.
The vision for the 17th Assembly, believing in people and building on the strengths of Northerners, is the cornerstone of our apprenticeship and occupational trades program. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.
