Thank you. I will go to the Minister.
Thank you so much. So, Mr. Chair, none of our post-secondary partners have brought to me a need for legislative change for them to be able to offer micro-credentialing. We have a process that was born out of the last Assembly where we accredit programs to make sure that the piece of paper that they get is valuable not just in the Northwest Territories but also outside the borders of the territory as well. That's incredibly important when students are giving their time and dollars and pursuing post-secondary education. So we accredit under the existing Post-Secondary Education Act, but no further changes that are needed have been brought to my attention. Thank you.
Thank you. I will go back to the Member from Range Lake.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. And thank you to the Minister for the response. So I know I am skipping ahead, but not every institution in the Northwest Territories has the benefit of a guaranteed 30-plus million dollars a year. Most, all of them have to test the market for their course offerings and compete for students across the country, across the world in some cases. So the idea of a micro-credentialed course is if you're a smaller college with less capacity -- and that's every one of the Northwest Territories except for Aurora College -- then you may need to build up programs rather than just offering them all at once. So a micro-credentialed course allows limited offerings to test the market for what's possible and more -- and just as important, to synergize with other programs. So, for example, you could enter into an agreement with Aurora College to say a portion of your business diploma can be done through -- can include micro-credentialed courses from other institutions that will support that core service or that core program delivery, and then they can build on that once they bring more students into their programs, more dollars into their institutions, and more capacity. Because right now, a lot of the funding is contribution funding which means educators in these colleges are having to write grant applications rather than focus on teaching. So that's why this is important. Hopefully, I've stated that clearly. But when the Minister says that she has not heard this concern, is that the Minister saying personally or the department has not heard this concern? Thank you.
Thank you. I will go to the Minister.
Thank you very much, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, this concern has not been brought to my attention, but I am more than happy to pass to the deputy minister.
Okay, thank you. I will go to the deputy minister.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. It has not been brought to my attention either. Thank you.
Okay, thank you. I will go to the Member from Range Lake.
Thank you. Well, it's been brought to my attention so that's interesting. I will have to go back to the institution I was having conversations with and see if there's -- why it hasn't moved along.
Will the Minister be willing to proactively approach institutions about micro-credentials and see if there's interest? Like I said, this will help expand our market offerings for -- or build up the capacity of private institutions to support our public institution and build a network of -- well, build a knowledge economy. So will the Minister proactively pursue this idea of micro-credentials with other -- with private post-secondary institutions in the Northwest Territories? Thank you.
Okay, thank you. I will go to the Minister.
Thank you very much, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, over the course of the last month I've met with three different post-secondary institutions from the NWT, and I am keen to continue those relationships. Thank you.
Thank you. I will go to the Member from Range Lake.
Okay. Well, maybe over the course of those meetings, the Minister could raise this directly rather than waiting for them to raise it. I think they've got a lot on their minds when it comes to in the case of -- well, when it comes to all of them. Like, core funding needs are huge, and that's probably top of mind rather than the other stuff. So, anyway, I will leave that with the Minister.
And there's also a situation where Aurora College has signed off on kind of an agreement to work with all the institutions -- sorry, all of them have entered into an MOU to collaboratively develop programs and support each other to grow the knowledge economy in the Northwest Territories. Primarily, most of these institutions are based in the North Slave, so that's where the kind of epicentre of it is growing outwards. But, of course, that could include Inuvik and Fort Smith as the infrastructure is there. But, apparently, that MOU hasn't been acted on, so can the Minister -- again, this is an area of policy development. It would be helpful if the departmental officials were also keeping an eye on this and helping coordinate post-secondary activities across the board and ensuring that there's collaboration and everyone has the capacity to meet each other. Like I said, everyone's -- even Aurora College has its own capacity challenges. So can the department step in, help coordinate those efforts so we can collaboratively build the knowledge economy between all these parties? Thank you.
Okay, thank you. I will go to the Minister.
Thank you very much, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, absolutely, yes, I've previously made a commitment to bring everyone that is involved in the post-secondary landscape in the Northwest Territories together so that they can collaborate on multiple faces of things that they would like to pursue together. Thank you.
Okay, thank you. I will go back to the Member from Range Lake.
Thank you. Can the Minister also look into the status of the MOU and just see when the last meeting was done, what was accomplished, all that kind of stuff. I think, although it's between independent parties, having that conversation might spark a discussion that could lead to some growth around these issues like micro-credentials or ways to collaborate. So can the Minister look in specifically to that MOU? Thank you.
Okay, thank you. I will go to the Minister.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Yes.
Okay, thank you. I will go back to the Member from Range Lake.
Thank you to the Minister. No further questions.
Thank you. Next on my list I've got is the Member from Monfwi.
Okay. Implementation of Indigenous language action plan, that's in the business plan. I just want to ask the Minister -- I mean, well, I am kind of quite surprised Dechinta University has been around for quite some time and they're not flourishing, you know. And I think it would have been good because lately we've been talking about language, the Indigenous language, and I went to the opening of the language symposium in Behchoko and they talked about the importance of our language, preserving and speaking it, and a lot of them are saying that it needs to start from the house, from your -- you know, our house, our home. It needs to come from the home, so -- and I think Dechinta University -- I do support them because I know that they provide a lot of good. I know some of our students, some of our young people went through that before moving on to a major post-secondary, and then some of them are doing good. And I think they should have been doing more and knowing that they've been around longer than some of the recent post-secondary in Yellowknife here.
So with reference to implement Indigenous language action plan, so there's two things that you identify, the revitalizations and provide access to public services in the NWT. And there's another one that you mentioned, to achieve change in relationship action plan. So I just wanted to ask the Minister who were involved -- like, to achieve this, I would like to ask the Minister who were involved to advocate in developing the action plan for the revitalization of the Indigenous language. It's outlined in your business plan. Thank you.
Okay, thank you. I will go to the Minister.
Thank you very much, Mr. Chair. So, Mr. Chair, the action plan was developed extensively, I believe, in the 18th Assembly and would have been developed with -- by engaging with multiple stakeholders across the NWT. I can let the Member know that Indigenous language revitalization is something that we, in the 20th Assembly, talk about consistently at our bilaterals with all Indigenous governments, and this remains a top priority, again, in this Assembly. Even though the Indigenous languages action plan has sunset this year, we are renewing the approach in collaboration with Indigenous governments and doing extensive engagement over the next couple of years on this, and we're making sure that this is a very holistic approach.
One of the things that we hear about consistently when we're working, you know, for example with our official languages board, is concern around duplication of efforts because a lot of the funding that goes out right now from the GNWT goes directly to Indigenous governments, and one of the things that I hear often is that sometimes the official languages advocates or the languages advocates in communities want to ensure that the programs that are offered are offered really, you know, on the ground in the community with the people who are the language champions in communities. And so making sure that we're involving absolutely everyone in that approach is going to be our focus this year and next, for sure. Thank you.
Thank you. I will go to the Member from Monfwi.
Thank you. I know that -- well, times have changed from the 18th and many years passed, so the stats, it's not the same from that time to now. So yes, it would be nice to revisit. Because I know this has been talked about, part of the revitalizations. And I know that because of the residential school, a lot of our students -- a lot of our older generations, they don't speak the language, and that has been a problem for many years. It's been identified. So not just now, but when we go out to the communities, a lot of people have been saying the interpreters/translators program, and we've said it quite a few times here too as well. And it's not in here, part of the -- in the revitalizations, you know. Because with the interpreter/translators, they do transcribe. So that's very important, you know, to speak and write in the language. That's part of preserving it. And that's good for the elementary school children too, you know. And I think, you know, like, that is good for the school and it's also -- and I know this is where the Dechinta -- it's -- when I look at Dechinta University, it's an Indigenous, and it's Indigenous focus. And across Canada, there's quite a few Indigenous post-secondary, and I think, you know -- I don't want to miss an opportunity here where Dechinta University can maybe do more within their programs by providing interpreters/translators program with a cultural and language. I think they should be given the opportunity. So I am not too sure if it's in your action plan but, you know, from 2018 to now, it's, like, it's -- times have changed. So it would be nice to identify that in there.
Interpreter/translators, it's not in the budget. I know we've been saying that, you know, there's pilot projects starting, you know, like, pilot projects for early learning and child care. Now we've ran it for four years. Now I think we need to move on to the next one. The most important is in preserving the Indigenous language. And you -- I know that was -- in the early 1990s, the interpreters/translators program was offered in Fort Smith at Aurora College. So that was under pilot project. So I just wanted to know, the Minister, if that program will be brought back or to do a, you know -- not do a pilot project, but maybe make it part of the Aurora College and/or Dechinta University's to offer that program. It's indefinite, you know. Like, it's -- make it part of the post-secondary program, not just a pilot project or pilot program. I would like to see that. So if there's any plan in place that the Minister is looking at or bringing some of those program back from the from the 1990s. Thank you.
Okay, thank you. I will go to the Minister.
Thank you very much, Mr. Chair. So, Mr. Chair, I absolutely agree with the Member that we're in a very different world than we were in 2018, and that it's important that the programs that we're offering and how we're offering them evolve with the times. And so, really, we're with the Member on that one. We are working on a renewed approach in collaboration with Indigenous governments and communities on this, which is critically important.
This budget also has continuation of the mentor apprenticeship program, which every year we see increases in the number of pairs that are coming forward in order to participate in that program.
We're also seeing increases as well year over year of the Indigenous languages scholarships that education, culture and employment is awarding to students across the territory.
And for a pilot program -- and, Mr. Chair, if I've got the wrong one, I hope the Member will let me know. But we had the Indigenous languages instructor training program that was originally a pilot program in our schools, and in this budget you do also see a substantial increase to that funding line item, recognizing how critically important our Indigenous language teachers are in our school. So you do see an increase of forced growth here for that as well.
In addition -- and it's not found in this budget, it's actually found in the Legislative Assembly budget, myself and the Speaker work quite closely together given -- I agree with the Member that we need our interpreters/translators. They're sitting around here in the room right now looking at all of us and translating for us and reminding us to speak slowly and clearly, which we very much appreciate. And, you know, the Speaker and I have an opportunity to sit down and have lunch every single sitting of the Assembly with our interpreters and translators, and they've been so generous with their time during those meetings and also their lived experience, both, you know, growing up in the North with their own experience, with their language, and their experience as interpreters and translators as well.
And so one of the things that is found in the Legislative Assembly budget is a program that also responds to that because we want to ensure that we're building up the next generation of interpreters and translators because the accessibility of what we do in this House through Indigenous languages is so critically important, both to the revitalization of language and the preservation of language and accessibility of information. So mahsi. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Okay, thank you. Is there any further questions before I move on? Seeing none, please turn to page 35.
Education, Culture and Employment, corporate management, $14,166,000. Does committee agree?
Agreed.
Thank you. Moving on to early learning, beginning on page 37 with information items on page 39, 41. Are there any questions?
I will go to the Member from Great Slave.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. In the early learning key activity, I note most of our ELCC items are heavily dependent on federal funding, and I am curious if the Minister can explain if there is consideration, planning, etcetera, to increasing funding internally to support ELCC and daycares. Thank you.
Thank you. To the Minister.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. So, Mr. Chair, absolutely, this line item is very heavily supported by the federal government with the introduction of the average $10-a-day Canada-wide Early Learning and Child Care Agreement. Those agreements were distributed across the country to which people signed on to. One of the things that we as jurisdictions have noted across the country is the funding does not meet the need of jurisdictions across Canada and, really, in order to make sure that we are sustainable with our early learning and child care, we either need to become more flexible or we need to fund it more. Thank you.
Okay, thank you. I will go to the Member from Great Slave.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, when the Minister says make funding more flexible, what is she considering. Thank you.
Okay, thank you. I will go to the Minister.
Thank you very much, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, this is a federal program, and the agreement and parameters of that agreement are defined by the federal government. Thank you.
Thank you. I will go to the Member from Great Slave.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. And I recognize that. Thank you to the Minister. But if she had her druthers, Mr. Chair, what is she advocating for specifically in the northern context? Thank you.
Okay, thank you. I will go to the Minister.
Thank you very much, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, I had the opportunity to just recently be at a federal-territorial-provincial table with my counterparts, and it was very clear that a lot of the flexibilities that they are looking for don't really apply to the territorial jurisdictions. Our jurisdictions are a little bit different, and one of the challenges that we end up having is that when programs are population-based without a substantial foundation or base funding underneath that, they don't necessarily speak very well to the realities of the territories which have a higher cost of living, higher cost of doing business. And so we have specifically asked for flexibility in dealing with northern territories and also recognizing a need for equitable funding. Thank you.
Okay, thank you. I will go to the Member from Great Slave.
Yeah, thank you, Mr. Chair. And if the equitable funding that the Minister seeks is not in place for -- not this coming year, but years to come beyond 2026-2027, what kind of shortfall are we looking at as a territory? Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you. To the Minister.
Thank you very much, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, based on the enrolment numbers that we have today, because as you know, this program fluctuates with the number of children that are involved in it, but as it sits today we would be looking at a shortfall of approximately $10 million a year.
Okay, thank you. I will go to the Member from Great Slave.
Yeah, thank you, Mr. Chair. No, I appreciate the Minister being forthright about that. And what I would say is I think there is a lot of support in this House to make sure that this particular function is adequately funded no matter which way you slice it. And that's more of a comment than a question. I will stop there. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
