Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In my Member's statement, I talked about the knowledge economy. In the future, when we look at how technology is changing Canada's economy, we can see that, where new technologies have been introduced, there is a demand for highly skilled workers, particularly highly skilled information and communications technology workers. I would like to ask the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment if the department has a plan to harness potential information and communication technologies, and what they are doing about that field and how it can transform our economy. Thank you.
Masi. Minister of Education, Culture and Employment.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As the Member knows, we are going through a foundational review that is going to help identify some of the priorities and program services, which we are going to be working on with the Aurora College in regards to education here in the Northwest Territories, but we also have the Aurora Research Institute that hands out research licences every year. On average, it is about 200 licences that are given out. Recently the Aurora Research Institute just completed a new strategic plan, and it focuses on things like research priorities, partnership, knowledge, management, education, and outreach. As you heard earlier this week, with the new fibre optic link coming into effect, that is an opportunity to promote some of this kind of research and education. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I am glad the Minister brought up Inuvik. A perfect example of how knowledge economy is changing Canada is the City of Calgary. It is one of Canada's fastest-growing cities, and it has some of the highest incomes in the country. What most people don't know is that 40 per cent of its workforce is in the creative industry, and that is the fourth in the country, just ahead of Toronto. The entire City of Toronto, there are more creative people working in this knowledge economy information communications technology. Inuvik has this fibre optic link. Is there a plan to develop a knowledge cluster using the Aurora Research Institute, using Aurora College, and using funding from ECE to develop a knowledge hub in Inuvik that can take advantage of the amazing things with information technology that is taking place in the community?
I believe Aurora Research Institute is already doing that type of work and continuing to promote other types of education opportunities, as I mentioned. The mandate, actually, for the Aurora Research Institute is to improve the quality of life for NWT residents by applying scientific, technological, and Indigenous knowledge to solve Northern problems and advance social and economic goals, which is a goal and a mandate of this government. I believe Aurora Research Institute is already doing this and will continue to promote innovative ways of education. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
This is why I made the statement. What Aurora Research Institute is doing is good, solid research that is advancing scientific knowledge, but what a knowledge economy is, is using the skills and expertise of these hubs to build economic opportunity, and that is exactly what we are talking about. It cannot just be up to ITI. I think we are hearing about a lot of good work that is going on in the natural resource economy, but we need to focus on building a knowledge economy.
What the Minister is saying is not quite right. I am wondering if he will commit to developing a knowledge economy strategy, working with his department to identify both labour market demands, skills and training that can fuel those demands, and access the opportunities that currently exist and develop them into full-blown economic opportunities that can create jobs and growth in our communities. Will the Minister commit to a plan that does exactly that?
As Members know, we do have the Labour Market Information Report that talks about the needs that we have in the Northwest Territories. We are using that to adjust job creation as well as focusing on residents in the North so that they can get into the workforce. We will work with our departments to address those needs, and we will continue to support Aurora College and Aurora Research Institute. We are working on an overarching legislation that will allow other institutes to come up in the Northwest Territories and create some of those opportunities that the Member is referring to.
Masi. Oral questions. Member for Kam Lake.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Again, the Minister is looking at what we have currently got in play. Embracing one economic model does not mean abandoning the other. The work they have done is about existing economic opportunities in the Northwest Territories. I am talking about creating new economic opportunities.
Let us go with the Minister has said here. We need to bring in more universities and more post-secondary institutions. When is the Minister going to develop legislation to enable these post-secondary institutions to operate in the Northwest Territories? I am talking about an overarching post-secondary act for the Northwest Territories so we can get institutions like Dechinta, like College nordique, and any other university that wants to come up north, train students, and contribute to our economy. When is that legislation going to come forward to this House? Thank you.
We are currently working on that legislation. I don't have a time frame for right now, but once I do get more details, I will share it with the Member. Thank you.
Masi. Oral questions. Member for Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh.
