Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions are for the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment. In our region we’re finding it very difficult to attract apprentices, people who want to get into the trades, because of the quality of the education they are receiving in high school. It makes it difficult for them to enter into a trades entrance program or to get into the Apprenticeship Program because of the lack of skill or training.
I want to ask the Minister, is his department doing anything to improve the quality of education for Grade 12s that want to enter a trades program or a Trades Access Program or get into an apprenticeship program?
Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. Minister of Education, Culture and Employment, Mr. Lafferty.
Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Yes, that is our overall goals and objectives. That’s the very reason why we are re-evaluating and re-looking at our overall education system. More specifically in the small communities, whether it be the Sahtu region, Colville and the small communities, we’ve been told that their education system is not compatible or comparable to the larger centres. So those are some of the areas that we are currently making some drastic changes. So it will reflect on that, as well, and yes, we want those individuals to be Grade 12 graduates or even entering the Trades Access Program so they can retain journeyman ticket holders in their region. Mahsi.
Thank you. The overall picture the Minister has painted, looking at the overall system, re-evaluating in the last 10, 11 years as an MLA, we know in the Sahtu and the North that our education system is not comparable to the larger centres. It’s a known fact. As Mr. Premier said yesterday, it’s a cold hard fact. The cold hard fact of this issue is that we are not in the same ranking as the larger centres.
So, knowing this for the last 11 years, is the Minister willing to direct his department today to start looking at Grade 12, looking at and asking the communities, these are the programs that are going to help them to get into a trades program and to get into an apprenticeship program? Thank you.
Mahsi. Yes, those are the discussions that we are currently having, even directing my department to focus on those areas. There’s been a needs assessment that’s been completed just recently and that will give us the facts on what’s required, what kind of training should be delivered in the region and education and experience levels. So those are the facts that we will be working on with the college and with my department.
Specifically on Grade 12 graduates, they should be entering trades or college or university programming instead of upgrading. We’ve been told that before and I’m fully aware of that. That’s the very reason we are making those changes within our Education Act. Mahsi.
Thank you. It’s a well-known fact, also, that government operates and makes changes at lightning speed, maybe a year or two.
So I want to ask the Minister, given the time within our Legislative Assembly, can the Minister direct his staff to dedicate a staff person to go into the Sahtu communities to look at career planning, counselling, so they know that they need to take math and science, so when they finish Grade 12 these are the opportunities in the trades and apprenticeship and the students have a fair chance at least within the life of this government? I know that the Education Act will take a lot of discussions and we cannot afford to wait and just continue to fail our students. Thank you.
Mr. Speaker, part of the process will be that we have regional representatives and career development officers, as well, even from our headquarters. Yes, I totally agree with the Member that those regions that have an economic boom that’s happening, we should be focusing in those areas, whether it be the Sahtu region or the Deh Cho region. More specifically, now we are talking about the Sahtu, how we can prepare our individuals, community members so they can enter the workforce, what kind of training is required. More specifically, producing those individuals, those Grade 12 graduates and continuing high education, whether it be trades or other professions. Yes, I totally agree. I did instruct my department that we should have those career development officers focusing in those regions as well. Mahsi.
Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. Final, short supplementary, Mr. Yakeleya.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Recently in the Sahtu a couple of students couldn’t make it into the Trades Entrance Program because they couldn’t qualify. These are recent Grade 12 graduates, students that we graduated last year. We give them a huge celebration, the communities celebrated along with them, but when they came to write the Trades Entrance Program they didn’t pass. The Trades Entrance Program is 70 percent. These are students who were failed today.
I want to ask the Minister, why are we failing these graduates who want to get into a Trades Entrance Program, a career, to aspire to the goals that this Assembly set out for them? Why are we failing them?
Mr. Speaker, those individuals who are writing the trades entrance exams, it’s not only the Sahtu region that may have failed their trades entrance. We have to focus on how we can assist those individuals. Let’s come up with a solution. Let’s put our brains together with the departments and the community and also the regions on how can we come up with a solution to have those individuals pass trades entrance exams.
That will be my focus with my department, focusing on the Sahtu region so we can have those individuals pass their trades entrance so they can be prepared for the workforce. Mahsi.
Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. Time for oral questions has expired. Item 8, written questions. Item 9, returns to written questions. Item 10, replies to opening address. Item 11, petitions. Item 12, reports of standing and special committees. Item 13, reports of committees on the review of bills. Item 14, tabling of documents. Item 15, notices of motion. Item 16, notices of motion for first reading of bills. Mr. Yakeleya.
