Mr. Speaker, what efforts are being made to ensure those listed in the priority hiring are receiving appropriate access to interviews and employment in the Government of the Northwest Territories?
Thank you, Member for Thebacha. Minister of Finance.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the Affirmative Action Policy is one tool that the Government of the Northwest Territories uses to ensure that we have a representative workforce, and in so doing, in addition to having that policy and having that in place for all hiring across the Northwest Territories, there are efforts made in the course of the careers recruitment process to provide assistance. There is a help section within the website and within the department that could assist individuals in terms of resume writing and can assist them with interview preparation. In addition to that, there are officers within the department of human resources that can assist with maintaining and following the Affirmative Action Policy to see that it is, in fact, working as hard as it can.
It is but one policy, Mr. Speaker, and we do recognize that recruitment to the service of the Northwest Territories is going to be one that requires us to look across all of our departments to make sure that we are providing supports and assistance to the people of the Northwest Territories so that they are ready and able to apply to the positions as they become available. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Who is involved in the appeal process when priority candidates are unsuccessful at obtaining employment?
Candidates who apply and who are eligible for an appeal, which is individuals who identify themselves as being candidates, would be potentially able to appeal. Those processes are reviewed by independent staffing officers. Independent staffing officers, there is a regulation that applies in terms of identifying who those individuals are. They have to meet a certain set of criteria including the fact that they are outside of the service of the GNWT, and those are the individuals who would review those appeals.
The Affirmative Action Policy states that all departments and agencies within the public service will plan and implement affirmative action measures. Senior management made a statement to Regular MLAs that there have never been an evaluation of the Affirmative Action Policy. What action is the government going to take to evaluate the Affirmative Action Policy?
Many, many years ago, there were some reviews of the Affirmative Action Policy but it has certainly not been any time within recent memory. I can confirm, Mr. Speaker, I have already requested and received a briefing on specifically the issue of the Affirmative Action Policy from the department. It, certainly, is on the radar, if I might say so in that way, that it is something the department is alive to, and that there may be a need to modernize that policy. For the moment, the next step would simply be to do that work within the department, and to bring it to Cabinet to see that it does see action within the next Assembly, if considered appropriate.
Thank you, Minister. Final supplementary, Member for Thebacha.
Mr. Speaker, the Government of the Northwest Territories, policy 14.03 pertaining to the Affirmative Action Policy states, "The Government of the Northwest Territories will give preference in employing, training, and promoting qualified suitable and eligible target group persons." What has the government done to train and promote these target group persons?
Mr. Speaker, there are a number of programs existing already within the Department of Finance and specifically within the human resources department that are meant to address exactly the challenge that I am hearing. For example, the Indigenous Career Gateway Program is an opportunity for Indigenous candidates to be given training in order to assume positions within the GNWT. Regional Recruitment Program is another opportunity that is meant to link opportunities that come available within regions and to identify when there is an opportunity that requires some training in order to help a person become eligible for that position. Indigenous Management Development and Training Program, that is an opportunity for individuals already within the GNWT's public service to see that they have appropriate skills and training so that they can continue to advance their careers within the GNWT.
There, certainly, are a few programs within the Government of the Northwest Territories, and as I mentioned earlier today in my own Minister's statement that there is a recognition that, perhaps, more efforts can and should be made to ensure that those programs are well communicated to the public, to our staff, and to all Members of the Legislative Assembly. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister. Oral questions. Member for Yellowknife Centre.
