Mr. Speaker, the Department of Health and Social Services is committed to enabling seniors to age in place with dignity as close to home as possible. With an aging population and an increase in the complexity of health care needs, the demand for personal support workers is growing.
Mr. Speaker, personal support workers are essential to the Northwest Territories health and social services system, especially in more remote communities. They are professional care providers equipped with the training and expertise needed to work in critical programs like home and community care, long-term care, extended care, and supportive living. Today, I am happy to announce that Health Canada and the Government of the Northwest Territories have amended their Aging with Dignity Bilateral Agreement to include a focus on recruitment and retention measures for personal support workers in the Northwest Territories.
This amendment will provide an additional $5.3 million over five years, from 2024 to 2029, to strengthen and support the growth of the personal support workers workforce here in the territory. This funding will allow us to support these workers in two critical ways:
By hiring an educator within each health and social services Authority to provide ongoing training and support; and,
By enhancing education programs offered by Aurora College so that we can increase the number of qualified workers and meet labour market demands across the Northwest Territories.
Mr. Speaker, as the only provider of a standardized and structured personal support worker certificate program in the territory, the Aurora College plays a key role in training personal support workers who can use their expertise to help residents age in place and remain in their home communities while delivering quality care based on best practices.
By enabling more training and support, we are working collaboratively to improve the recruitment and retention of personal support workers and provide the high-quality and culturally-sensitive care that residents of the Northwest Territories need and deserve. These efforts not only strengthen our health care workforce; they safeguard the quality of care for vulnerable people, promoting a more resilient and equitable health care system for Northerners, including Indigenous and underserved populations across the territory.
Mr. Speaker, as a proud graduate of Aurora College's nursing program myself, I see the immense value in teaching and training Northerners to care for their fellow community members.
I would like to thank the health and social services authority and the Aurora College for their ongoing efforts to support personal support workers in the Northwest Territories. This agreement represents a significant investment in the health and wellness of Northerners now and for years to come.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
