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 numbers used by the Member were numbers that were in play when I was a university student. The numbers today are -- for a single person is $1,000 a month. With a spouse is $1,400 a month. With one dependent is $1,700 a month. Two dependents is $1,950 a month. And three dependents is $2,200 a month. And in addition to that, students can also elect to have a repayable loan portion as well. That's another $1,400 a month on top of that. Thank you.
Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. So, Mr. Speaker, it's not just us that's talking to our counterparts within the federal government. The mines themselves, I know of one in particular that is also doing their part to ensure that these opportunities are known to the federal government, and where and when we can, we support these conversations as well. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Debates of
, 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 82)
Thank you very much, Mr. Chair. Can the Member please repeat the question. Thank you.
Debates of
, 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 82)
Thank you, Mr. Chair. So, Mr. Chair, we had a sunset of an agreement, a federal agreement, that was funding the North Slave regional training partnership position. And then in addition, we have removed a certification administrator position that has been vacant for more than 20 months. Thank you.
Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. So, Mr. Speaker, we have developed a framework within education, culture and employment that holds post-secondary institutions accountable. It uses metrics. We've just started that in the life of this Assembly. That's information that would continue to flow, and certainly metrics like that, success metrics, would be used in research that would be used to develop a school funding formula as well down the road. Thank you Mr. Speaker.
Debates of
, 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 82)
Thank you very much, Mr. Chair. So, Mr. Chair, as a government, we've spent a lot of time talking about the funding that's going to Aurora College. This further supports that, and it's something that we are already in -- heavily investing in as a government. And in addition to that, the programs lead to further education as well within Aurora College and so act as kind of a laddering program within Aurora College to their nursing program, their business administration, and then in the future their social worker program and their education program as well, so continuing to work to invest in...
Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the Government of the Northwest Territories continues to support our diamond mines in conversations with potential stakeholders for assets. The diamond mines also are pursuing potential new uses of their assets themselves as well. That's everything from working with -- or sorry, ensuring that Indigenous governments understand what potential opportunities there are right down to their staff. So, for example, they have things like boats that are on site and ensuring that they are working kind of through their own stakeholder priority list as they...
Debates of
, 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 82)
Thank you very much, Mr. Chair. So if the Member is referring to the employability training for the literacy council funding that is rolling out right now through literacy council, the first four community deliveries will happen in Hay River, Fort Resolution, Lutselk'e, and Fort Providence. Those are the first four communities that are being targeted. And then from there, of course, Mr. Speaker, there's additional literacy funding from the Department of Education, Culture and Employment that operates on an application basis, and that funding goes to other communities as well. Thank you.
Debates of
, 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 82)
Thank you very much, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, we have recently signed an agreement with the federal government to increase our funding to this area. Thank you.
Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. So, Mr. Speaker, the post-secondary institution funding formula, specifically for Aurora College, is something that would flow from the legislation. The legislation itself would have information about what is expected of the institution and funding that would potentially come from that. And so that is work that would follow the legislation that needs to be developed first. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
