Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In my Member's statement today, I talked about some challenges and certainly some opportunities we could all do to help with the trades and development of workers here in the Northwest Territories, including our economy. Mr. Speaker, I asked the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment what can she do to help with the Department of ECE, and in also further partnership with the Aurora College, to help recognize further trades, in particular, as I noted landscaping and horticulture, as well as the lather and interior mechanics systems, also known as drywall. Thank you.
Member from Yellowknife Centre. Minister of ECE.
Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we currently follow the national, what's called the NOT Code, so the trades that are identified under national standards, and so that's the system that we adhere to to make sure that we're being consistent with the whole country. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Those two trades I had highlighted are red seal. Mr. Speaker, I'm asking the Minister what actions or initiatives could she take to help initiate the conversation to allow some type of access opportunity to this accreditation. Thank you.
Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker, and thank you for the clarification from the Member. And so what we'd be looking for there is really demand. So there's a number of different trades that are available across the country, a number of different trades programming that is available to students in the Northwest Territories, and if we had the demand from students and from people wanting to seek that kind of particular -- oh my goodness, I've lost the word that I'm looking for, Mr. Speaker, I'm sorry. Certification. Thank you. If we had the demand for it, then we would be able to pursue that through Aurora College. But really it is student-initiated demand to make sure that we're filling classrooms as best we can. Thank you.
Thank you, Minister of Education, Culture and Employment. Final supplementary. Member from Yellowknife Centre.
Mr. Speaker, I can appreciate what the Minister's response was in the last one. So I mean, I can't specifically criticize demand or opportunity, but that said, she can also facilitate through the process. And the simple example I'd say is that when an electrician goes for their second year and it's not available at an Aurora College, they can then be referred to down south and it's a bit of a process. In other words, if it doesn't fit we can find a way. Mr. Speaker, can the Minister find a way to help access other programs as noted are available in Ontario, Alberta, BC, etc.? Thank you.
Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. So the Member is absolutely right. When programs are not offered here, then often our students will go down to Alberta, for example at NAIT. So quite often, we end up with students who are doing their first and second year here in the Northwest Territories, and then their third and fourth year are being facilitated at other institutions. Predominantly, they end up going down to Alberta. I will also say the chair and board of governors of Aurora College is looking at other ways of increasing their trades offerings and making sure that they're increasing access to students across the Northwest Territories, and I really look forward to seeing the evolution of those programs as they come. Thank you.
Thank you, Minister of Education, Culture and Employment. Oral questions. Member from Range Lake.
