Marci cho, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I too have questions for the Premier. We will develop and implement a strategy to increase employment in small communities as part of our mandate in the 18th Assembly. I'd like to ask the Premier: what has the government done to date to increase employment in small communities? I'm specifically talking about the last year. Thank you.
Masi. Honourable Premier.
As a government, we've done a number of initiatives over the years to increase the number of employment in small communities. I guess the one that's been more successful has been our Government Services Officer Program where we have taken vacant positions and converted them into government services officer positions and I think we have been able to hire approximately 20 government services officer positions in small communities and they're all filled and they're providing a very useful service. We also have the Skills 4 Success program which incorporates input from industry, NWT residents, and so on so that we can help people acquire the skills, knowledge and attitudes for employment success. We also have the Small Community Employment Support Program and about 300 people are supported every year. Of course, I'd be remiss if I didn't mention decentralization initiatives of the Government of the Northwest Territories where over three phases and over a number of years we have moved approximately 190 positions out of Yellowknife out into the regions and into small centres.
The Premier almost answered all my questions but that's okay. Mr. Speaker, I'd like to ask the Premier if he could have a discussion with the departments to create other jobs in small communities that are outside the public service using government dollars, whether they're projects or O and M programs.
We do this on a regular basis, and certainly we will continue to look at ways to fund these jobs so that we can hire people in the smaller communities. We recognize the significance of those jobs, and certainly through a traditional economy, where the government invests about $2.5 million a year in trapping programs, certainly we work with industry to try to get more people hired from the communities. As a government, we are constantly looking at this approach.
The Premier mentioned decentralization as part of the method of putting some employment outside the larger centres into the smaller centres. The Premier mentioned Phases 1, 2, and 3. I'd like to ask the Premier if there's anything beyond that in the area of decentralization?
Decentralization continues to be a priority of this government. Over the past few years as a government we have not made excuses for not decentralizing. In the past, there have been issues with lack of housing, lack of office space, and as a government we've invested $21 million, I think it's $7 million a year for housing, to support decentralization. We invested about $300,000 for office space, and we asked our departments to identify opportunities for decentralization on an annual basis. For the most part, the suggestions or recommendations are small units or divisions that lend themselves to decentralization, and we'll continue to take that approach and continue to have decentralization as a priority.
Masi. Oral questions. Member for Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'm glad we've gone that road. The government may actually be having some difficulties filling some jobs in the small communities due to lack of infrastructure. Has the government looked at those jobs that have remained vacant for longer periods of time and considered perhaps re-profiling those jobs to somebody else in the community that may have a different set of skills but could also be helpful to the community in all kinds of areas? One example might be alcohol and drug counselling. Thank you.
I know that, as a government, we review our vacant positions, or positions that have been vacant for a long time, to try to identify the reasons for those positions to be vacant. A large part of them are professional, very technical positions, and in those cases we have to look at if it's a required service or a critical service, then we have to look at other ways to have those services provided. Where we have some flexibility, we would be prepared to look at that. I think that, historically, if I recall properly where we've taken professional jobs and filled them with people who don't have those qualifications, at some point you have to review how successful the program is. But where we have that flexibility, we've shown we can do it with the government service officer positions, where we've been able to do that, and certainly we're prepared to look at that. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Oral questions. Member for Sahtu.
