Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today I want to speak about skilled trades safety certifications. This is a topic I hear about frequently from my constituents and employers. The skilled trades and construction work come under a number of safety hazards that could be seriously harmful. Employers like local construction companies look for and often require specific safety certifications to hire employees. Generally, training for safety certifications provides knowledge of basic procedures and processes to ensure that an individual can competently and safely perform a work duty or activity. For example, fall protection training teaches proper use of equipment to keep a person safe while working at heights. This is important in my region as more and more communities are building homes and have construction projects they are working on. I understand why employees need safety certifications. I do not understand why safety certificates need to be renewed as quickly as one, two, or three years.
Mr. Speaker, in small communities, safety training and employment opportunities are few and far between. The lack of safety training available either through Aurora College or employer training is a barrier to residents in the small communities from becoming certified or renewing certification. This means that people cannot access training and therefore do not have the safety certification requirements for employment.
Mr. Speaker, I know that different safety certifications are directed in different ways, including by legislation, regulation, sometimes by industry, or even by company. What role does the Workers' Safety and Compensation Commission have in ensuring that these safety certification expiry dates reflect the unique northern context that I just outlined, that people in small communities do not have the same access to training through Aurora College or other training institutes or employee training and many people do not have the financial resources to travel and enroll in a program on their own.
Mr. Speaker, people want to retain their safety certificates and be employed. WSCC needs to review safety certifications within the unique context of the Northwest Territories and the small communities and use its discretion to increase the length of time that a safety certificate is valid. I will have questions for the Minister responsible for the Workers' Safety and Compensation Commission at the appropriate time. Mahsi.
Thank you, Member for Deh Cho. Members' statements. Member for Great Slave.
