Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions today are addressed to the Minister for Education, Culture and Employment. I’d like to follow up on my Member’s statement.
I’d like to first ask the Minister, with regard to the Student Financial Assistance review, I believe it was started in the 16th Assembly, and Members from the 16th who have returned to the 17th are waiting for the results from that review. There have been many suggestions from Members over the years as to how the SFA program could be amended, could be made for the better. Certainly, as I mentioned in my statement, there are certain courses which are ineligible for SFA funding. Students’ upgrading courses out of high school, for instance, and the vocational training courses, which I mentioned. I’d like to know from the Minister whether or not the Student Financial Assistance review has considered any change in policy that would allow transitional vocational programs to be funded through the SFA program. Thank you.
Thank you, Ms. Bisaro. The Minister responsible for Education, Culture and Employment, Mr. Lafferty.
Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. The specifics of it, I don’t have in front of me, but an area that has been raised in this House will definitely be taken into consideration. This is an area that hasn’t been highlighted as part of other jurisdictions, as well, through post-secondary program. Of course, it doesn’t qualify as SFA programming, but there are other sources of funding that individuals can access. That is the Labour Market Agreement through the federal government that we have within the GNWT, within the ECE department. We are willing to assist in that area.
I would encourage the individual to apply through that venue. We would be more than happy to look at the application, as well, through that Labour Market Agreement. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, thanks to the Minister. I’m not sure the Minister understands. This particular individual is a challenged individual. They are not looking for a job. They are looking, at this point in time, for skills which will enable them to become an independent person able to live on their own, and they need certain life skills which they don’t currently have because they have been living from home.
Apart from the Labour Market Agreement possibility, we have funding for academic programs through SFA. We certainly have funding for apprenticeships in another area of Education, Culture and Employment, but I would like to know what programs other than the Labour Market Agreement are available for a challenged student who wants to go on to further training in order to become an independent person. What programs are available to them? Thank you.
Mr. Speaker, this particular program, transitional vocational through Grande Prairie College, is not a post-secondary program. As you know and Members know, SFA qualifies for post-secondary programming, but there are other sources of funding that is the Labour Market Agreement. It is not only for on-the-job training. There are other ways to work around the system where we have the funding through the federal government. That is one example.
Income assistance is another example. Employment Insurance, Aboriginal Skills and Training Strategy is another funding that is available, UCEP, University and College Entrance Program, and Labour Market Agreement. Those are some of the venues that we have access to and, more specifically, Labour Market Agreement. We have assisted those students that want to pursue an area of interest, whether it be post-secondary area. That is an area that we can definitely look into, to sponsor the individual. Mahsi.
Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. Final, short supplementary, Ms. Bisaro.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to suggest to the Minister that not all of those options are available to individuals. He first of all identified that SFA is only for post-secondary. We have students who are graduating from high school who do need extra training in order to be contributing members to society. Income support is not available to students who are not going to school in the territory. If this student were to go to Grande Prairie College, income support would be denied. I thank the Minister for the list, but some of them don’t totally apply.
The example that I used probably will not be able to receive any help for the next school year. I would like to know from the Minister whether or not he will consider revising the policy to assist challenged students to get some financial assistance for further schooling beyond high school. Thank you.
Mr. Speaker, I did already commit to that. We will be considering those recommendations brought forward to our attention by the students, parents and general public on SFA overall review. We are going to make those changes. We will definitely come back to the standing committee and highlight what we are going to pursue. This is an area that has been brought to our attention today. I will definitely look at that as well. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. The honourable Member for Weledeh, Mr. Bromley.
