Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment Minister of Education, Culture and Employment
The Honourable Caitlin Cleveland was first elected in the 19th Assembly as the MLA for Kam Lake in 2019, and has served as the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment, and Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment since 2023 after being acclaimed to the 20th Assembly.
In addition to owning and operating a northern business for over 20 years, Minister Cleveland worked in a variety of communications and policy roles in both the public and private sectors before entering politics.
Between 2019 to 2023, she chaired the Standing Committee on Social Development, fulfilling a goal to be a part of the discussions and decisions affecting social programs in the Northwest Territories. Her noteworthy work on the Committee included guiding the considerable review and input into recommendations on housing in the NWT, suicide prevention, and improvements to caring for children in care and building supported families.
Within the scope of her portfolios, Minister Cleveland is focused on helping children grow into successful NWT residents that recognize opportunities and develop successful careers that contribute to a growing economy. She advocates for new approaches to sector diversification and innovation, and ensures the North is welcoming both skilled foreign workers and investment in the critical mineral resources across the territory. She persistently explores solutions for efficient and equitable access to programs and services, upholding a shared vision of an NWT where people are supported in the ways they wish to live, work, and grow.
Minister Cleveland is a lifelong resident of Yellowknife where she lives with her husband and their three children.
Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, there are currently 17 designated trainers across the Northwest Territories. Specifically, there are two in the Sahtu region, four in the Tlicho region, one in the Deh Cho region, one in the Beaufort Delta, and nine in the North Slave region. Thank you.
Debates of
, 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 97)
Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like to recognize Kam Lake residents, and my neighbours, Carole Tetlow and Randy Cleveland and thank Randy for insisting Carol let him take him out for dinner or take her out for dinner over 50 years ago, because otherwise I wouldn't be here. Thank you.
Mr. Speaker, I wish to table the following document: Education Accountability Framework Deh Cho Divisional Education Council Annual Report for the 2024-2025 School Year. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, no need for the Member to read between the lines. Like I said, ECE is proactive but certainly can only be in so many places at once. Mr. Speaker, to the Member's recent question, yes, ECE is currently reviewing apprenticeship programs to ensure that they are more accessible. And this, of course, includes reviewing consent forms to make sure that ECE has the permission to be able to provide this information to employers. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, a very timely question, a very important question right now. Certainly, Mr. Speaker, last year there were additional entry pathways into the trades that were opened up by education, culture and employment. In addition, we continue to grow the SNAP program, or the Schools North Apprenticeship Program. We've more than doubled our SNAP students and tripled the communities that SNAP students are found in. In addition, Mr. Speaker, the department is currently reviewing the apprenticeship trades and occupational certification regulations. And in addition to that...
Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the Member recognizing that there are multiple Northerners who have extensive experience in the trades but don't carry any formal credentials. Mr. Speaker, the Department of Education, Culture and Employment does have a process called the Designated Trainer Process, and this is where individuals who are not certified journeypersons or Red Seal holders can be assessed and recognizing as having sufficient knowledge and can then act as trainers and mentors for apprentices within the field. Thank you.
Mr. Speaker, the Northwest Territories is at a pivotal moment. Significant investments are being made across our territory in critical minerals, infrastructure, and economic development and we stand to see immense benefits over the coming years. Meeting this moment is about workforce readiness, where each Northerner can participate fully in the economy, using skills, abilities, and resources to maximize what is possible. My focus for the remainder of this Legislative Assembly is clear: Ensuring northern businesses, residents, and communities fully benefit from emerging opportunities with the...
Thank you very much, Mr. Chair. Yeah, lake at the other end of town. Certainly, Mr. Chair, I feel like, as well, this is a transparency piece. I will not be supporting this motion here. I do appreciate being able to see the activities of MLAs have in the past and have residents raise this to me as well. I do think there are many different ways to evaluate and be able to have conversations around effectiveness but access to that information is certainly key, you know, and effectiveness is certainly up for discussion. Some Members, you know, based on the number of emails they send, the number of...
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. So, Mr. Speaker, short answer, yes. Longer answer is that this is already something that employers can do. So if employers want to be able to take on a third apprentice, they can actually speak with the director of ATOC in order to seek a special waiver to be able to increase the number of apprentices that they have within their workplace. Thank you.
Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the answer quite simply is yes, that career development navigators do on-site visits. That being said, Mr. Speaker, the priority is certainly making sure that we're supporting more potential apprentices, more persons, more students to get involved into the trades. And so making sure that we are processing applications is certainly a top priority in supporting students in the trades. Thank you.
