Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have questions for the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment. I would like to know if the Minister has reviewed the employment rates across NWT communities. Thank you.
Masi. Minister of Education, Culture and Employment.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As the Member knows, this is my second term of the Legislative Assembly, and on a yearly basis we do review those unemployment rates. As I was answering questions earlier in the House, we are taking actions to address some of these unemployment rates throughout the Northwest Territories, in small communities, regional centres, and here in Yellowknife as well. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Just to be clear, I am talking about employment rates, not unemployment rates. Is there any sort of plan to increase employment rates in communities in Northwest Territories?
Yes, we are working with, as I mentioned earlier, the regional training partnerships committees. The department has also created five new positions for Employment Transition Officers that work within the communities to help people transition from unemployment to employment opportunities. That is in some of the regional centres throughout the Northwest Territories, and we also have career development officers that we are trying to get more involved into the schools while they are working with Income Assistance clients.
I would like to ask the Minister if there is some sort of concentrated effort in communities that have the lowest employment rates.
At the current time, we don't have a concentrated effort where some of the lowest employment rates are. We do have some opportunities coming up with the possibility of some big infrastructure projects that this government might approve, and based on where those projects might be, we can focus on those areas, as well as support all regions in getting employment rates higher.
Masi. Oral questions. Member for Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I realize the Minister is just starting on working with the employment rates, but I would like to just get a feel for the communities, what is coming, so I would like to ask the Minister what the next steps would be, in gauging people as it relates to the employment rates in small communities. Thank you.
We are going to be releasing a labour market information report next month. It’s going to give guidance and direction in where we need to go. We are also looking at programs within the Aurora College system to address some of these issues based on what that report says, but also, our Skills 4 Success Framework and some of the other work that we are doing with the regional centres. I think in the next little while, as we get our mandates from this government moving forward, we will know which direction we are going to have to move forward in, hopefully, and look at increasing our employment rates throughout the Northwest Territories.
Oral questions. Member for Yellowknife Centre.
