Mahsi, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, I'm very passionate about training people in the small communities regarding the heating systems as we don't have trades people within the communities, and most times they're quite a distance away. My Member's statement alluded to training for all small communities’ settlement maintainers, especially in the area of maintaining and performing basic servicing on furnaces and boilers. These will still be performed under the direction of a journeyman heating technician or operating engineer who could be stationed in the larger centre.
Can the Minister commit to ensuring our small community settlement maintainers get the required training to perform basic servicing functions to heating systems? Mahsi.
Thank you, Member. Is this for Housing NWT? Or who is it Minister of Infrastructure?
Okay. Minister of Infrastructure.
Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, the Department of Infrastructure currently has 13 settlement maintainer positions. And I'd just like the Member to know that of the 13, 100 percent are Indigenous. So that's very, very good news for the positions.
These employees are critical to functioning our assets in remote communities. The settlement maintainers, they do have a preventative maintenance, and they complete daily checks on our schools, our health centres, and our office buildings. They also respond to concerns and problems with heating systems, air handling units, washrooms, windows, and more. So, Madam Speaker, they do have the training to be able to do these positions. Thank you.
Mahsi, Madam Speaker, and mahsi to the Minister for describing their functions. What is happening is that they don't have any training program for settlement maintainers as the housing maintainers had a program before. They did the carpentry, the plumbing, and all the basic electrical, plus you sat in front of a furnace and boiler system for about six weeks until you really understood and could wire the systems, because that's what I'm after, is that type of training. These are much needed in our small communities to add value to the positions. And like I said, we don't have any ticketed heating specialists in our communities. So once they people are in that training program and understand the heating system, we got Aurora College, which is empty all the time, for this kind of a program. We need to better utilize that, because we're doing it for the housing maintainers and that's why I'm pushing for the settlement maintainers to get much needed training. I don't know why the Infrastructure department does not understand that. I wonder if the Minister can comment on that. Mahsi.
Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, we understand that. You know, all of our settlement maintainers have a journey person certificate in one of the building or mechanical trades and certification as a small system operator. You know, these are required to have training and knowledge in the National Building Code, plumbing, electrical, and fire code. So they do have the training. Thank you, Madam Speaker.
Thank you. Final supplementary. Member for Deh Cho.
Mahsi, Madam Speaker, I think I've only asked two questions. Madam Speaker, I hear what the Minister is saying, I just don't understand why she's saying they have the required training. And I know that they don't have the required training to be able to perform basic servicing functions that they would have got from training in the Aurora College oil heat technician seminars that they have every spring. They have them for third year plumbers, plus they're open to housing maintainers, and they should be open to settlement maintainers to attend this training so they better understand what they're dealing with, because right now they don't. I'm wondering if the Minister can commit to providing that training this coming spring? Mahsi.
Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, employees are able to request additional training from their supervisor at any time, and we encourage supervisors to support that when the operational requirements allow. Madam Speaker, we also support settlement maintainers that want to further their education, including programs that are offered through the Aurora College. We also offer mentorship with our journey person staff in the regional centres. Thank you, Madam Speaker.
Thank you, Minister. Final supplementary. Member for Deh Cho.
Mahsi, Madam Speaker. I hear the Minister, but I think the answers are coming from her staff or from within the department, because, you know, I'd really implore this Minister to seriously commit to providing the training that I've been requesting to all settlement maintainers up and down the valley, and many are in isolated communities where we don't have the specialists, and those are the people that are much needed in our communities that can help others too. And I really implore that she provides that training starting in the spring coming up, to settlement maintainers, to the heating systems training that's on for six weeks every spring at the Aurora College, to utilize the building, utilize the services. Mahsi.
Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, the Department of Infrastructure supports the development of all its employees. Employees are supported through many GNWT programs, including the Indigenous Management Development and Training Program. We also support them in any training that they request.
At this time, we do not have plans for a settlement maintainer program within the Department of Infrastructure but I will have my staff reach out to the Department of Housing NWT to be able to learn more about this program the Member's speaking about and see what opportunity may exist. Thank you, Madam Speaker.
Thank you, Minister. Oral questions. Member for Great Slave.
