Masi, Mr. Speaker. [Translation] I made a Member's statement on interpreters because those positions are very important, and we want more training. I'm going to ask the ECE Minister. [Translation ends]
My questions are for the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment, and they relate to the government's commitment to training and certifying professional Dene language interpreters and translators. Mr. Speaker, the Minister's Indigenous Languages Action Plan set goals for the development of Dene interpreters and translators. Those goals include in-house training and also partnering with external organizations for further training and certification. Mr. Speaker, can the Minister describe the progress his department has made in pursuit of those goals? I would like to hear more of a timeline, Mr. Speaker. Masi.
Thank you, Member for Monfwi. Minister of Education, Culture and Employment.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I want to thank the Member for his continued advocacy on this topic. I agree that people need to be able to access the government, and they should be able to access it in their own language. The Member is correct that we do have an action plan, and it has some items related to this.
In a broad sense, there are a number of initiatives that the government is undertaking. There is a mentor-apprentice program whereby fluent speakers, such as the Member, would apprentice a younger -- it doesn't have to be younger, necessarily, but someone who doesn't speak the language. There is funding provided for this, and this is a way to help a new generation of speakers gain those skills.
We are working on developing a two-year diploma program in conjunction with the University of Victoria, which has a lot of experience in this, and that would be an adult immersion program to get speakers to the point where they could become interpreters. The long-term goal is to have that program be the predecessor of, perhaps, a third-year interpreter-translator program. It is on the horizon.
In terms of some of the other goals or projects happening, this March, actually, the department is putting together a virtual gathering of the 30-plus translators and interpreters that are currently in the territory. This is to identify specific needs for ongoing professional development so that we can better support those who are translating now, even if they don't have the professional certifications, and to get input into ways that we can attract new interpreter-translators and expand the field.
Those are some of the things that are happening. I have to commend the Member that it was his very friendly badgering that I think moved some of these things forward. This is an example of Members of this House working together to move things forward and make progress. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
[Translation] Regarding the training, it's very important to us. I want to ask another question. [Translation ends] [Microphone turned off]... I am involved in that. I am teaching a non-language speaker, so basically, I am a teacher to this student. It's my daughter that I am teaching, and it is very rewarding to be a part of that. The Minister has indicated that in the committee's statement that I'm walking the talk. This needs to happen. I am encouraging a lot more people to get involved. Maro Sundberg is involved in that, as well, which is great.
Mr. Speaker, the second question I do have is based on partnership. Could the Minister tell us precisely what external partnerships he assigned for the training and certification of interpreters and translators? Could he update us on the partnerships that are currently involved in this process?
I don't have that level of detail with me right now, but, for example, the mentorship-apprenticeship program is in partnership with Indigenous governments, and I said we are partnering with the University of Victoria and, hopefully, with Aurora College, to develop a program that we can deliver throughout the North. I can get that information for the Member.
I am very interested in the in-house training, and I am glad that the Minister is gathering, over the video-teleconferencing, those experts at the community level in March. I would like to know, because this will be in-house training, more specifically, have there been any dedicated extra funds for in-house translator-interpreter training in pursuit of those goals that I mentioned earlier?
Again, I don't have those specific numbers. I am not sure how this is being funded. Perhaps it's out of the current budget that there have been some savings on travel, for example, so maybe that is what is funding this. I am not quite sure, but I can find that out and let the Member know.
Thank you, Minister. Final supplementary. Member for Monfwi.
Masi, Mr. Speaker. Yes, if the Minister can provide that detailed information, that will be very helpful. My last question obviously is: What would be the process? Okay, there is a gathering in March, and obviously, there is a process in place. Can the Minister describe, because I am very interested in in-house training that is going to be happening, but at the same time, there is Aurora College that is involved, as well. It has been involved in the past. Can the Minister describe how Aurora College has been enlisted to ensure that we have a sufficient number of professional interpreters and also translators in the system in the Northwest Territories? Could the Minister provide that if he has it now or provide that later, as well? Mr. Speaker, masi.
I can provide that information to the Member along with the other information I committed to. I just want to note that Aurora College will be becoming arm's length in the next couple of years, and we can no longer say, "This is what we are going to do at the college." In the future, the university I see has a very strong language aspect to it. To me, it would be one of the highlights, one of the selling points of the university, so I foresee very strong partnerships going forward. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister. Oral questions. Member for Nunakput.
