Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my questions are for the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment. When he announced the foundational review of Aurora College in May, he said it would take six to eight months. The contract for this review was awarded about two weeks ago. Can the Minister update us of when the review will be complete and in the government's hands? Thank you.
Masi. Minister of Education, Culture and Employment.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We are at a point right now where it is a very opportune time for the government to make sure that we do this right and that we do get a product and get the results and hear from our partners across the Northwest Territories, and get that information we need so that we can make those evidence-based decisions, and wait for those results. Right now, that contract was awarded. I think Members of this House should be patient and ensure that we do this right, and make sure that we get a really good product at the end of the day, and let our contractors do their job and make sure that we get the results that we need. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I am very familiar with the "we need time to do it right route" here. We have been through that before. What does the contract say about the delivery for the final report?
I will have to get that information from the department, and then I will get it back to the Member.
As the Minister is aware, business plans are being developed for a presentation to Regular Members in the middle of November, so will there be any results from this review that will inform the business plans for the next fiscal year?
As we get updates from the contractor and the work that they are doing, I will just ask Members to be patient and wait until we get those results, and we will continue to try and update Members on the progress that is being made.
Masi. Oral questions. Member for Yellowknife Centre.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, is the Minister also asking the students and instructors in the teaching and social work program to be patient for an additional year? They are, of course, not taking new students pending the results of the foundational review. Is that still going to be the case? Thank you.
We do want to get information from our partners, or non-government organizations, people who have a vested interest into getting our students into the NWT work force, and making sure that NWT students do succeed and have every opportunity through program services that we do provide, whether it is in the school system or the post-secondary institutions. We're going to make sure that we look at some of the information that we have. Now, this is the first time that the NWT ever had specific labour market information. We are going to use that to make sure that we give our students every opportunity to get an education, for one, and also become part of the NWT work force and offer those program services so that they can succeed. It is all about the students and making sure that, at the end of the day, they succeed and be part of their communities and a vibrant Northwest Territories. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
