Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’ve made my Member’s statement on the graduates from the Sahtu. There are about 25 students this year. I want to ask the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment if there is any mechanism within this department to track graduates that are graduating this year to see how successful they will be in post-secondary institutions, or what they will be doing a year from now or two years from now. People like my nephew or other people in other communities that are graduating this year.
Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. The honourable Minister responsible for Education, Culture and Employment, Mr. Lafferty.
Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Through the divisional education councils in the regions we monitor those students that are graduating from secondary school. Post-secondary is a bit different. Students are on their own, but we track them through student financial assistance. Once they’re sponsored by the department, we know who those students are, which field they’re in, the year they’re in the program. We’re definitely keeping track of secondary and their pursuance of which program they’re interested in. That is information that is available through the divisional education councils as well.
I have a list of 25 students that are going to graduate in the Sahtu this year. I’m going to challenge the Minister and the department. Next year at this time in the House I’m going to ask about these people who graduated. Some of them are going to be in post-secondary, maybe some of them may be working, training in other institutions. I want to challenge the Minister, this department, I’m giving them a heads up that I’m going to ask them where these students are, how are they doing, have you tracked them, and things of that nature. Is the Minister up for the challenge?
First of all I’d also like to congratulate those 25 students that are graduating. It’s always great to hear the graduates of the Northwest Territories. I wish them all the best, whether it be post-secondary, workforce entry, even on-the-job training or further upgrading. We’ll do what we can as a department, but we have to work with the organizations at the community level too. They are keeping track of their community students, whether it be in the workforce. We can’t really keep track of those students who enter the workforce. We keep track of those students who are still in the K to 12 education system and through SFA, will monitor who the students are, the ones that we’re sponsoring. We’ll be keeping tabs on those students that are graduated this year and see where they’re at next year, but we have to keep in mind that communities will have to work with us as well to provide that information.
I think the communities have been saying this. We need to work with the department. I again challenge the Minister, for example, young graduate Samuel Kodakin, next year I want to ask if the institution has talked to him, the department, have you gone to school? If not, why not? Are you working? Has it helped you? Those type of things to see where the graduates have gone once they finish school. Maybe he’s going back to Aurora College to do upgrading to further his career in another field of specialized knowledge and needs to do that. I want to ask the Minister, that type of tracking, keep track of these students who are graduating this year to see where they are. Ask the questions. Do the interviews with them. Let them know that we want to see them succeed. I want to ask the Minister that type of detail working with our government.
That’s the very reason why we need the assistance of the principals, the teachers, the guidance counsellors, the school boards, the chairs, the board members, the leaders, to give us that information. We cannot keep track of 3,000 students on an individual basis where they plan to be. We’re going to do our part to monitor the best we can as a department, working with the career counsellors at the community level, the regional representatives through our department. Yes, we’re going to be working with the department, and I take up the challenge to work with the community organizations. We have to look out for all the students so they can be successful upon their return to the Northwest Territories.
Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. Final, short supplementary, Mr. Yakeleya.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As Members in this House, we are all proud of our graduates this year. I ask the Minister, there’s nothing impossible. There’s a can-do attitude here. Can he set things in motion that can look at how we track the increase of students. It’s not impossible. We can do it. We have 5,000 people in our workforce here. We can do it if the Minister puts things in place in motion that can be done. Can the Minister make it so?
Since it’s Friday, we have to all think positive and, definitely, it’s doable. It’s an initiative. It’s an opportunity that we need to work together, a collaborative approach to monitor those students that have graduated this year, where they’re going to be next year, the next five years, 10 years. Definitely, we’ll do our part and work with the communities in the regions. Mahsi.
Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. Colleagues, before we go on, I’d like to thank my two Pages here in the House. On my left I have Ms. Brianna Wolki from Paulatuk. Thank you, Brianna, for all your hard work. To my right I have Jerry Ruben-Bennett. I feel safe with my Pages around. Moving on. The Member for Weledeh, Mr. Bromley.
