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. Chair. So, Mr. Chair, the OCAP and UCAP are approved under the SFA regulations as there is a post-secondary component to it, and those are offered through Aurora College. Thank you.
Debates of
, 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 82)
Thank you very much, Mr. Chair. So, Mr. Chair, in the back of the Aurora College mandate agreement, there's an implementation plan that has dates associated with it, and we are on track according to that plan. Thank you.
Debates of
, 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 82)
Thank you very much, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, we endeavour to make sure that we are seeing more funding flow out of education, culture and employment for workforce development training dollars rather than through income assistance and want to make sure that if we have residents of this territory who want to work and are looking for opportunities that we're working closely with businesses, Indigenous development corporations, and residents themselves to support them, to find opportunities within the territory, and then also even working, for example, with opportunities within Nunavut. So there are...
Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. So, Mr. Speaker, when we travel, whether it's individually or all together as a group or with Council of Leaders, we are certainly making sure that we are explaining the realities of life in the Northwest Territories, the treaties that we honour here in the Northwest Territories, the work that we do together, and the needs of residents of this territory as well. Thank you.
Debates of
, 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 82)
Thank you very much, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, it's important to note that our client navigators do not have a social work background, that they are already very busy in their current roles working to understand the finances of Northerners and to ensure that they are being responsive to the financial need of Northerners. Before, when Productive Choices was used by education, culture and employment, it was incredibly administratively burdensome and so understanding the workload that already exists for client navigators, we need to make sure that whatever program that we bring into play for the...
Debates of
, 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 82)
I would like to pass to the deputy minister.
Debates of
, 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 82)
Thank you very much, Mr. Chair. So the loan limit for students incorporates any form of loan that they have. So if they have a remissible loan and a repayable loan, it's all found within that $90,000 limit. And as they pay it down, it allows them to continue to incur more loan funding under that amount. Thank you.
Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. So, Mr. Speaker, when I met with all of the chairs of the district education councils across the Northwest Territories, I endeavoured to pass along to them that if there were emergencies that came up, because often this is what school boards end up using their surplus dollars for, that we would stay in close contact together in order to explore what it was that they endeavoured to need the funding for. Surpluses are borne out of carryovers from unused funds that are distributed to education bodies through the school funding formula. And so what we want...
Debates of
, 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 82)
Thank you very much, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, we have a client navigator that is responsible for each of the communities. So some communities do not have their own dedicated client navigator, but each community would still have access to a client navigator that serves their community. Thank you.
Debates of
, 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 82)
Thank you very much, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, I don't have that level of detail yet or those decisions from the Aurora College board of governors, but as soon as that information is shared with me, I'd be more than happy when appropriate to share it with Members of AOC as well. Thank you.
