Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I just want to follow up on my Member’s statement with regard to the Interpreter/Translator Program. I’d like to ask the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment what is the existing programming that we do have available for residents out there currently. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. The honourable Minister responsible for Education, Culture and Employment, Mr. Lafferty.
Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we do have a program in place through the Yamozha Kue Society through the Dene Cultural Institute. We deliver a module pilot training program. There have been different training programs in Yellowknife, Lutselk'e and other communities as well. It’s based on the modules. So, Mr. Speaker, once those six training modules are delivered… And a certificate of achievement is also awarded to those individuals. Once the six modules are completed, it’s going to be delivered in all language communities. Mahsi.
I’m glad to hear that there will be an expansion of that program throughout the North. Is that something that’s planned for the upcoming fiscal year 2010-2011? Thank you.
Mr. Speaker, this is an ongoing initiative that’s been in the works for several years now and we will continue to work on improving in this area so that we can deliver a wide range of interpretation and also translation training programs into the regions. We’re reaching out to the communities. But, Mr. Speaker, with the upcoming language symposium that’s scheduled for the end of March, this will be one of the topics of discussion at that forum. We want to get input from the language experts to give us direction on this particular piece of work. Mahsi.
Will this program be expanded after March 31st to other communities? I know that the language symposium will give us lots of direction and lots of good ideas as we’ll have the experts from throughout Canada, but I’d like to know if our Interpreter/Translator Program will be expanded to invite other members of the public to join it. Thank you.
Mr. Speaker, the modules that I’m talking about is we gave further funding in August 2009 to provide the Yamozha Kue Society to complete the development and product of the training modules for the community-based interpreter and the translator training modules that will be delivered as a pilot project.
Mr. Speaker, we need to reach out to the five regions that we have and it will take gradual steps, but this is an ongoing pilot project that we’re continuing to promote. Again, at the language symposium the experts around the table will give us more feedback on this particular program. Mahsi.
Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. Your final supplementary, Mr. Menicoche.
Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Will this Interpreter/Translator Program get to the level where the people attending it can be certified trainers in the regions and communities? Even I’m looking towards having something with Aurora College as well. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, that will be part of the long-term goal that we have where we did have a successful college Interpreter Training Program in the past and also that is the area that we are also looking at as well. In the meantime, we are delivering the training modules in the region. We will continue to work in that area and also improving in what we have on hand. Mahsi.
Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. The honourable Member for Nunakput, Mr. Jacobson.
