Mr. Speaker, it won’t be long before students across the NWT begin their annual search for summer employment. Many students in our small communities are disadvantaged by the fact that there are not enough summer job opportunities in their home communities. Some of these students have been studying away from home and look forward to returning to their families for the summer months. They also want the chance for the important on-the-job training that will help them reach their employment goals and pay for their schooling. It will not be possible for many of them to find meaningful job opportunities in their home communities unless the government makes it a priority to put summer jobs in small communities, not just in regional centres.
In 2012 the GNWT hired 308 summer students, an increase of 9 percent from 2011. Almost 55 percent of our students in 2012 were northern Aboriginal students. Last year the government only managed to hire 280 students, the lowest number in three years and the lowest percentage, just over 50 percent of Aboriginal students in the same time frame.
I want to strongly urge managers in all GNWT departments, boards and agencies to make 2014 a record year for the number of northern and First Nations students employed in meaningful summer jobs, especially in smaller communities.
I understand that each department, board and agency makes its own decisions about summer student hiring based on their needs and budgets. Summer students need guidance and mentorship. This can make more work for busy public servants when you push summer student hiring to the back burner when there are more pressing program priorities.
Have the Ministers spoken with their senior managers and instructed them to make this a priority? I’m asking each Cabinet Minister in this Assembly to take a moment to show leadership and encourage your departments, boards and agencies to hire a record number of summer students this year. Set target numbers, make it a part of managers’ performance appraisals, make it a prerequisite for bonuses paid to senior staff, do more detailed reporting. Next year in the Public Service Annual Report I hope to see statistics that show our target for summer student hiring and how we did in meeting these targets, and the total percentage of NWT students seeking employment who were successful in getting jobs.
Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.
---Unanimous consent granted
Summer students are our future public servants. They bring fresh energy and fresh ideas, they can take on tasks that are important but haven’t been done because of workload challenges. When we give our students jobs in the communities, we keep them in the North and we help them to put down strong roots to ensure our communities continue to thrive and grow in years to come. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Nadli. Member for Weledeh, Mr. Bromley.
