Debates of February 23, 2015 (day 64)

Date
February
23
2015
Session
17th Assembly, 5th Session
Day
64
Speaker
Members Present
Hon. Glen Abernethy, Hon. Tom Beaulieu, Ms. Bisaro, Mr. Blake, Mr. Bouchard, Mr. Bromley, Mr. Dolynny, Mrs. Groenewegen, Mr. Hawkins, Hon. Jackie Jacobson, Hon. Jackson Lafferty, Hon. Bob McLeod, Hon. Robert McLeod, Mr. Menicoche, Hon. Michael Miltenberger, Mr. Moses, Mr. Nadli, Hon. David Ramsay, Mr. Yakeleya
Topics
Statements

QUESTION 683-17(5): MACKENZIE DELTA POSITION VACANCIES

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have a few questions for the Minister of Human Resources. I’d like to ask the Minister, what is the most current vacancy rate for GNWT jobs in the Mackenzie Delta including education and health authorities?

Speaker: MR. SPEAKER

Thank you, Mr. Blake. The Minister of Human Resources, Mr. Beaulieu.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I can give the Member a snapshot of what we have on PeopleSoft October 31, 2014. There were 19 vacancies. Usually by September all of the positions in the schools are filled so that there will probably be no vacancies there, but with the rest of the GNWT there are 19 vacancies in the Mackenzie Delta at that time.

I’d like to ask the Minister, on average, how long have these jobs in the Delta gone unfilled and how does that compare to the NWT average?

Right now there are nine of those 19 jobs. Well, as of October 31st, when those vacancies were identified, we proceeded to try to fill nine of those jobs, so either those jobs have been filled or are in the process of being filled. Then there is also the possibility that there have been more vacancies created. On average, the jobs that we go to fill are being filled in the same time period as other jobs across the territory.

Last year the Minister announced the Regional Recruitment Program which was supposed to link on-the-job training to a permanent job.

How often has this been done in the Mackenzie Delta and what are the results so far?

I don’t know if any of the regional recruitment positions are in the Mackenzie Delta riding. I can get that information. However, I do know that if there is a possibility that any of those positions would be eligible for the regional recruitment position, we would use that as a method to fill jobs. If a standard process was not working, then we would use a regional recruitment to fill those jobs.

Speaker: MR. SPEAKER

Thank you, Mr. Beaulieu. Final, short supplementary, Mr. Blake.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Within the last year the Gwich’in, the GNWT and Canada have all signed an agreement to build capacity within the communities. I’d like to ask the Minister for the status of that as of today and how many jobs are working towards being filled.

This is a committee between the Gwich’in and GNWT. The Premier and the president did sign this memorandum of intent on April 1, 2014. We set up a working group between the Gwich’in, GNWT and the federal government. The intention is to have three people starting at the Gwich’in, three people starting in the GNWT and three people starting with the federal government all at the same time and working in those positions for one year and then they would rotate. We would also make accommodations if any of the Gwich’in people wished to stay exactly where they were after year one. We’re expecting to make the first placements of those positions on September 1, 2015.

Speaker: MR. SPEAKER

Thank you, Mr. Beaulieu. The Member for Yellowknife Centre, Mr. Hawkins.