Tom Beaulieu

Does the department, in looking at working this area of career and employment development, use the NWT Vital Statistics to determine where greater amounts of effort have to be put? I’ll give you an example: if we have communities with employment rates of approximately 70 to 80 percent, I’m suggesting that there doesn’t really need to be a strategy or anything, and obviously the economic wheel is moving fine on its own and the process is getting through without any difficulty. With employment rates in the 30 and 40 percent, as is common in the small communities, I’m wondering if the department...

Maybe just to put a little context to what I’m referring to, I know that some students are coming out of the college and graduating. Even sometimes in between year one and year two, they’re running into tough situations in the practicum or in the early stages and are not able to handle the varying types of management that is out there. So if the Minister is going to have a discussion with the Board of Governors, then that’s the context I am referring to. Something that is going to prepare them for the various types of management that they will encourage as they come out I think is essential...

Just shifting gears a bit into the career and employment development. I noticed a fairly substantial increase. I think that’s very positive. Maybe a 30 percent increase in the budget here. I’m pleased to hear that. Is that increase due to employment programs in the small communities or is this increase something else?

Maybe I’ll ask the Minister if they could provide some details pertaining to Fort Resolution. My understanding is the majority of the people in public housing remained as clients with the client services officer. My understanding is the volume of the work per client may have gone down, but the actual client load... It’s based on client load, as the deputy indicated. I don’t think they have the information here, but I’d like to ask the Minister if he could provide me with that information. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Does the department refuse any requests from private business or other departments to bring apprentices on? For example, the local housing organizations.

So no positions were cut in communities that we refer to as small communities. I could take that as correct. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Can the Minister do that for the 2011-2012 school year? The beginning of the 2011-2012 school year?

I’m curious as to where those positions were cut. Thank you.

Mr. Chairman, maybe I should clarify. I’m trying to figure out if it was small communities, regional centres or Yellowknife. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

I’d like to thank the Minister for that answer. I thought that the building was going to be decommissioned. There is a critical need for tradespeople and opportunities for the people in Lutselk’e to be employed at the mines. Does the Minister think that if there’s not enough money in the budget for the local district authority that the Department of Education would be able to assist in the operation and maintenance and custodial services to provide in the old community learning centre to be used as a shop?

I wouldn’t advocate for income assistance to be increased to make it easier for people to stay on income support, but in the cases of need and cases where we want people to work their way off the system I think that increasing the earned income threshold would be a positive move towards getting people off of income support.

My third question is on the seniors’ home heating subsidy. My issue is a little bit different. It’s more of asking the department to review the adult children supporting aged and disabled family members, whether they be grandparents or parents. Right now the alternative is...