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 Department of Education, Culture and Employment works closely with ed leaders from across the territory to make sure that we are in touch, essentially, and understanding how this program is being met within communities and making sure that we're collecting data from schools on a regular basis. Anecdotally, I hear from parents, especially -- well, in Yellowknife here, that they want to see more access to clinicians. But I also know that part of this program is an effort to make sure that we're being preventative and that we're able to address...
Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. So, Mr. Speaker, ECE is currently reviewing BCE -- or sorry, BC's early literacy screening model as part of its quest to strengthen early identification here in the Northwest Territories as well. So some NWT education bodies, Mr. Speaker, have already instituted early screening with students, and it is certainly my goal to see that this is applied consistently across the Northwest Territories. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Debates of
, 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 81)
Thank you very much, Mr. Chair. So, Mr. Chair, there are some post-secondary institutions in the Northwest Territories that are pursuing micro-credentialing and that are looking at different kinds of micro-clusters for business that are happening in different regions and are also tapping into what leadership in different regions are wanting to see as micro-clusters for those businesses and pursuing plans of how they can work together on those. So yes. Thank you.
Debates of
, 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 81)
Thank you very much, Mr. Chair. So, Mr. Chair, well, thank you to the Member for highlighting that success. It's a number that definitely makes me excited. We started with about half of that when we started this Assembly, and we were, I believe, in -- had SNAP students in two regions. Now we've got twice as many SNAP students, and they're found in six areas or six communities in the Northwest Territories. And certainly the goal is to see SNAP students in every community in the Northwest Territories.
SNAP is heavily reliant on relationships. And so in order for us to have SNAP students, you need...
Thank you, Mr. Chair. So, Mr. Chair, this is an accounting one where we've moved it from the grants line item for this coming year down to the contributions line item. So it is now found just down at the bottom of that page on page 39. So it's the last line item before the totals.
Debates of
, 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 81)
Thank you very much, Mr. Chair. So, Mr. Chair, the Beaufort Delta Education Council delivers the northern distance learning on behalf of the whole territory. So that's where the program itself is based but it's accessible throughout the Northwest Territories. Thank you.
Debates of
, 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 81)
Thank you very much, Mr. Chair. So, Mr. Chair, certainly this is top of mind for the government as a whole, and whether it is Imperial and remediation work or it is, as the Member mentioned, potential for defence spending, the government and myself, as well in meetings that I am having, am pursuing timelines and workforce needs so that I can both share that with communities, ensuring I am sharing it with community education advisors, ensuring I am meeting with community leadership, and as well making sure that our education partners have that information as well from a post-secondary...
Debates of
, 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 81)
Thank you so much. So the school funding formula enhancements in here relate to materials and supplies. So there's forced growth under there. It's also assistive technologies for inclusive schooling. In addition to that, there is maintenance funding for YK1 and YCS schools here in Yellowknife as well, Mr. Chair. And there's also collective agreement funding through the NWTTTA. Thank you.
