Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Department of Human Resources recently held a career fair in Ottawa highlighting opportunities related to devolution. It is an exciting time to work for the Government of the Northwest Territories and I’m sure this initiative attracted attention and maybe even some prospective employees, but this news is discouraging to residents in some of our small communities.
During the career fair I heard from a Mackenzie Delta constituent who has been unemployed since June. She holds a diploma in office administration and is ready to work, but there are no jobs in her community. She makes her living there and it doesn’t make sense for her to leave. The lack of work is draining our small communities.
Another problem is that many government positions that are advertised often include the condition that applicants live within a certain distance of the job’s location. That requirement can easily mislead potential employees who are willing to relocate.
The Government of the Northwest Territories has invested a lot of effort into this Human Resource Strategy. Last year it was recognized as one of Canada’s top 100 employers and named one of Canada’s best diversity employers. If offers generous compensation and benefits packages, excellent health, wellness and professional development opportunities, but these things are only enjoyed by those who are already in, unlike my constituent.
I ask why we focus on hiring people from the South when we fail to develop opportunities for our own people in the North. Our residents hear promises of new jobs related to devolution. They want to know what that means to them, for them. Our people are looking for work and the population of the Northwest Territories is declining. We need to make more of an effort to reach capable individuals in the communities. We should continually review our actions to strengthen the public service and recruit and retain Aboriginal people. Our career fairs need to target Northerners and showcase all that our regions have to offer. It is the only way to develop vibrant communities and people who are healthy, educated and employed.
Thank you, Mr. Blake. The Member for Tu Nedhe, Mr. Beaulieu.
