EdinburghNLP/nunavut-hansard-plusplus huggingface dataset:
There are opportunities for parental engagement, so it actually asks parents, “Do you notice your child learning more in this area compared to before?” Assessments are built in, even in the early childhood programming.
I guess, more importantly, it really brings together the preschool ECE providers as well as kindergarten so that they can start to network and have that dialogue.
We will showcase the Arviat Society this evening. They have a best practice that they’re going to be showing us, their strategy on how they do early childhood education outside the school with the Department of Education. We’re really excited for them to showcase that for us tonight.
All members are invited to the feast so that they can meet both the early childhood educators and kindergarten teachers, which is Saturday night at six o’clock. (interpretation) Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Thanks for that update.
That was actually the last question I had for that branch.
Early Childhood Services.
Total Operations and Maintenance, to be Voted. $3,595,000.
Turn to page G-10.
Adult Learning Services.
In July of 2012, the government announced that a new Department of Family Services would be created.
In October of 2012, the government stated that the creation of the new department would bring together resources, such as the services and offices of social services, income support, social advocacy, anti-poverty, and homelessness.
The emphasis was placed on strengthening services for families, children, and youth.
However, the government’s draft 2013-14 business plan indicates that career development services, including the FANS program, Special Professions Program, and Skills Canada, will also be transferred to the new Department of Family Services from the Department of Education.
Why do these career development programs and services better support the mandate of the Department of Family Services instead of the mandate of the Department of Education?
Hon. Eva Aariak (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Chairman. (interpretation ends) It has a direct tie-in with income support and of course, self-reliance initiatives.
I didn’t fully understand the response because you would think that the Department of Education would take on the role of looking after the education-related issues that touch upon young people who would have been involved with the FANS program.
Can you expand a little more so that I can have more information that I would be able to explain back to my constituents?
Minister Aariak, please rephrase your response.
The Income Support Division will be transferred to the newly-minted Department of Family Services.
The program has its own funding and it includes the support for recipients to receive counselling towards employment. That’s why it is in this category.
With respect to the FANS program, it will also be transferred to the new department under social services programs. The services related to people’s assistance will now all be in the family services department.
However, the administration and legislation branches will remain with the Department of Education.
I hope that clarifies the situation.
One of the programs specifically related to adult education that has been transferred to the newly created Department of Family Services is the FANS program.
However, your department will retain administrative and governance oversight for the FANS program as well as the apprenticeship programs. How will your officials work with Family Services departmental officials to ensure that there is no disruption in the delivery these programs and services?
I want to reassure the member that there will be no service delivery interruption for clients. The departments of Education and Family Services are committed to working together to share resources and memorandums of understanding will be delivered for information sharing.
So there is a very close working relationship with the new department and the Department of Education. At this point, the transfer is in progress.
Page 85 of your draft business plan includes a number of priorities that focus on the FANS program, including initiating policy direction in processing outstanding loans.
Will those employees who are actually delivering the FANS program be taking direction from the Department of Education officials on these matters?
We will be working with them very closely.
To the member’s previous question in terms of working together with the new department, there is a transition planning meeting scheduled for the last week of March to continue that.
I would also like to ask the minister if she will commit to tabling those memorandums of understanding for the members as well as the public. (interpretation) Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Yes, we will definitely table them.
Chairman (interpretation): Thank you, Minister Aariak. (interpretation ends) Yes, very much.
I appreciate your guidance.
There will be definitely less questions to ask when we are provided those; however, I have a couple more here.
During our last sitting on November 5, 2012, you tabled FANS Progress Report. The report notes that 21 percent of the students funded under FANS are attending programs that do not fall under the definition of post-secondary education.
If FANS funding will only be provided to students in approved post-secondary programs, what funding support will be made available for students in non-post-secondary programs and how will continuing students be informed of this change?
Hon. Eva Aariak (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Chairman. (interpretation ends) Students attending non-post-secondary education programs may be financially supported through funding available through the Building Essential Skills program administered by the three regional offices of the Department of Family Services.
This depends upon the specific client eligibility criteria.
The Building Essential Skills program is supported through the three distinct funding sources, depending on the individual’s eligibility, for instance, a Canada-Nunavut labour market development agreement or a Canada-Nunavut labour market agreement or Government of Nunavut training funds, adult learning and training supports.
The designation of programs in this way was not intended to exclude any group of learners, but establishes the appropriate funding mechanism that will support all levels of learners in our territory. This is consistent with the FANS program audit.
I believe this particular branch is here to ensure that our population that is not able to find nine-to-five jobs in their respective communities will have some opportunity to find productive choices in the system.
That’s my understanding, Mr. Chairman.
(interpretation) Additionally, under the wording “career development,” in the days of the GNWT, officials would visit our communities periodically.
To illustrate the point, I will use Cambridge Bay government officials as an example. If you wanted to search for employment, which was within career development, the officials would provide information on various programs.
The official from Cambridge Bay would identify the Kitikmeot Inuit Association programs or a program under the Department of Economic Development as an alternative.
Do officials still visit the communities here in Nunavut to provide these types of services to the residents?
The reason why I ask is also to ensure our unemployed residents can be offered productive choices and they could receive assistance that is meaningful to them.
Yes, that is still the case. We have career development officers who are able to offer these services to our residents.
Mr. Ningark (interpretation): I thank the hon. minister.
Again I state that the people residing in our smaller communities have a difficult time in finding employment due to the lack of opportunities available. When they go for their appointments, I know they are asked the same question repeatedly, “Are you looking for a job?”
In the case of our smaller communities, you have no other answer but, “Yes, I am looking for a job, but I cannot find one.”
As per my previous comment, are they also assisted under the productive choices program? They can’t find work within their communities, although they could possibly find employment opportunities within Nunavut if they were given assistance to be able to take advantage of them.
I don’t know if I understood the question properly. The officials who people approach when looking for employment are the career development officers and they offer this service to them. Other than that aspect, if I didn’t get part of the question answered, our colleague can clarify the part that wasn’t answered.
I wonder if the member could clarify his wording.
In this particular branch, Adult Learning Services, I remember back about 40 years ago, perhaps before you were born, Mr. Chairman…
…when everything else was federal programs, we had the opportunity to go to what we call vocational training. We even had an officer in some larger centres where the person was there for the placement of a student.
It was up to you to come as the person if you wanted to go for training elsewhere.
There was no income support, but now we have income support.
Once you turn 18, it’s up to you to go and see a social worker, but some day you get tired of waiting there and you would like to have more choices and you want to be able to work somewhere in the office recognized by the system where you can get help to get better training, further education, and so on.
That’s what I call productive choices. Going to the income support office is necessary where employment is very low and where the turnover of jobs being had is very low.
So I’m wondering if this particular branch is able to help people who don’t have the opportunity to look for opportunities within the system.
That’s what I call productive choices, being part of productive choices in the community. It is pride we’re talking about. In many cases, our young people have no choice in their community to be able to find employment or further learning.
I’m wondering if this branch is there to help those people or that population.
Chairman (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Ningark. (interpretation ends) Thank you for that kind complement.
I realize the difficulty of finding different career options or jobs in some communities, especially the smaller ones.
Career development officers and adult education centres can, perhaps, help in those areas.
More questions can be answered with the new family services department because the family services function is moving to Family Services.
I thank the hon. minister, but I do believe that this branch would be there to give some directions to people instead of a flat no.
Hon. Eva Aariak (interpretation): I would like the member to rephrase his question.
I will be frank. I believe that this particular branch can and should give direction to people who are looking for vocational training or jobs or further education that are not able to get that opportunity in their respective communities. I believe this branch would at least give direction on where to go.
Thank you for the clarification from the member.
The branch used to be under the Department of Education. Now it is moving to the new Family Services. The program and the service will be under that to help those people that the member is referring to.
Chairman (interpretation): Thank you, Minister Aariak. (interpretation ends) On G-10.
I want to ask questions. There were questions already asked about the FANS program. I know that the minister had committed to working with other departments and whatnot and assuring that no students would fall through the cracks in terms of their funding.
I just specifically wanted to ask about one program that, in my mind, is an excellent program and does excellent training, and that’s the Nunavut Sivuniksavut Program. My understanding of the way the rules will be now for funding for FANS, it has to be an approved program of more than one year. Students who apply for the Nunavut Sivuniksavut Program, it is a two-year program, but there are two separate years of programming where they have to apply.
The question, just so there’s no confusion: are students who will be attending Nunavut Sivuniksavut be able to receive FANS funding if they apply right now and are trying to go to school in September?
The Department of Education and Nunavut Sivuniksavut are working together to determine if the NS program meets the criteria of a post-secondary education program at this point.
Under the post-secondary education designation policy, which is based on existing national standards and protocols, programs delivered outside of the territory are assessed as being post-secondary education by the parent jurisdiction where the program is physically located.
The NS program is delivered outside Nunavut.
Therefore, the post-secondary education status of its program is determined by the Ontario Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities. The department recognizes the appropriate centre of authority in the other provinces and territories in terms of designation. Regardless of the outcome of the designation assessment, eligible students attending Nunavut Sivuniksavut will be funded.
Thank you for that good news.
Under the priorities for 2013-14 on page 85 of the business plan for the department, one of the priorities is to “Begin implementation of the Adult Mature Graduation Diploma in cooperation with program delivery institutions.” My first question is in terms of… . So there is no confusion out there, we have talked about the PASS program.
Is the PASS program the same as the Adult Mature Graduation Diploma? Are they two separate ideas?
They’re the same.
So if I was an adult student and was going back, as mentioned earlier in the other department or the other branch, I would apply through one of the PASS coordinators or talk to someone at Arctic College.
A course would be offered at Nunavut Arctic College, maybe some distance education would occur, then I would, upon completion… .
You said there were a number of students who had maybe one credit left to do, which was an English credit. When they actually graduate with that one English credit, would it be a grade 12… ? I want to get rid of the confusion.
Is it an Adult Mature Graduation Diploma they would receive getting that one credit through PASS or would it be equivalent to the grade 12 graduation diploma if they had never left school?
They would get a grade 12 certification, which the Department of Education issues.
It is kind of confusing because I know there are different qualifications.
There are 100 credits and certain credits have to fit in to different slots.
So that does help with the understanding for me and hopefully some of the listening public.
With that and the answers that I received, what’s happening with what we have currently in place? There is the GED program. Will we still be offering a GED program or will individuals wanting to work towards grade 12 be told to go into the PASS program?
The GED program will be phased out as we incorporate PASS.
We are on the page G-10.
Total Operations and Maintenance, to be Voted. $2,032,000.
Let us now return to page G-3.
Department Summary. Education.
Total Operations and Maintenance, to be Voted. $183,589,000.
Are we agreed that we have concluded the review of the main estimates for the Department of Education?
Madam Minister, as we conclude this review, perhaps you have closing remarks. Madam Minister.
I also thank my colleagues for posing some excellent questions related to education. It displays the importance of not asking from a personal level but from that of your constituents to disseminate this information to the public. We recognize that.
Education is quite critical now but more so in the future. We have to ensure collaboration continues between MLAs and residents of our communities, especially the parents of our students. We have to continue to try to improve the system.
I can’t forget my tireless officials and employees within the Department of Education who do their utmost to try to improve the system. I thank them for that.
They have a seemingly thankless job with an endless list of duties, especially related to curriculum development and strategic planning, along with implementation of said work. I would be remiss without mentioning these two individuals sitting next to me, Kathy and the comptroller on my right. Her name escapes me.
I am gratified by their assistance this afternoon.
I thank you and have a good evening.
We shall, indeed, have a good day.
I also thank you.
At this time, as we proceed to the next item, Sergeant-at-Arms, please escort the witnesses out.
Further, we will need to replenish our meeting material. Therefore, we shall have a brief five-minute break.
Thank you. Please don’t wander off as we are just going to change the meeting paperwork.
>>Committee recessed at 11:12 and resumed at 11:17
Bill 49 – Appropriation (Operations & Maintenance) Act, 2013-2014 – Executive and Intergovernmental Affairs – Consideration in Committee
We will proceed with our meeting.
I would now like to ask the Minister of Executive and Intergovernmental Affairs, Ms. Aariak, to go to the witness table so she can start with her opening remarks.
Minister Aariak, I recognize your new hat as Minister for Executive and Intergovernmental Affairs. If you have opening remarks, Minister Aariak.
I thank you all.
I’m going to be reading my comments in English and I’m sure they will be translated accordingly.
(interpretation ends) I am pleased to have this opportunity to present the 2013-16 business plan and 2013-14 main estimates for the Department of Executive and Intergovernmental Affairs.
I will have with me Deputy Minister of Executive and Intergovernmental Affairs Dan Vandermeulen and David Pealow, Director of Corporate Services. Mr. Chairman, I will also have Joe Adla Kunuk.
Joe is currently Deputy Minister of Human Resources and is here to help answer any questions you may have on decentralization, Inuit employment, and training and development.
All three topics are being transferred to the executive on April 1, 2013.
Much of 2012-13 was taken up with a reorganization of a few key government departments.
Effective April 1, 2013, there will be a Department of Family Services composed of:
Social Services from Health and Social Services,
Social Advocacy from Executive and Intergovernmental Affairs,
Anti-Poverty from Economic Development and Transportation,
Income Security and Career Development from Education, and
Homelessness from the Nunavut Housing Corporation.
Bringing all of these services together into one department is a significant step towards our Tamapta priority of “Help those at risk in our communities.”
The restructuring of the departments of Finance, Human Resources, and Executive and Intergovernmental Affairs are major steps to the Tamapta priority of “Strengthen the public service.”
Human Resources is being integrated into Finance, except for Training and Development, which will be integrated into Executive and Intergovernmental Affairs. The integration of Finance and Human Resources will strengthen both our human resource and financial management systems.
When the reorganization is complete, the Department of Executive and Intergovernmental Affairs will be quite different. It will have gone from two deputy ministers to one and from two ADMs to one.
The department will have four branches: Strategic Planning, Sivumuaqatigiit, Intergovernmental Affairs, and Directorate.
Strategic Planning provides support to cabinet and overall coordination of the business planning functions and work of the public service, including the implementation of the priorities set under Tamapta: Building Our Future Together.
In particular, it assures appropriate consultation and quality of submissions to cabinet.
The Nunavut Bureau of Statistics based in Pangnirtung ensures that government and Nunavummiut have current and accurate information on Nunavut and its communities.
Sivumuaqatigiit is the refocused Training and Development Branch transferred from Human Resources. Sivumuaqatigiit, supported by EIA’s central coordinating role, will continue to offer general programs to all Government of Nunavut employees and will focus on supporting Inuit and community-based employment through training and development.
In other words, we will use training and development to support our goal of maintaining at least 60 percent of the public service outside the capital. We will also use training and development to support Inuit employment and achieve our obligations under Article 23 of the Nunavut Land Claims Agreement.
Intergovernmental Affairs coordinates Nunavut’s intergovernmental, international, and circumpolar relations. In support of the Minister responsible for Aboriginal Affairs, it addresses aboriginal issues.
A special circumpolar focus for 2013-15 will be on Nunavut’s participation in the Arctic Council. The branch ensures that our responsibilities under the Nunavut Land Claims Agreement are implemented. Supporting the implementation, the branch is responsible for the protocol with Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated and has regular consultation meetings with NTI officials.
Work by officials supports the meetings between me, as Premier, and the President of Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated in accordance with Aajiiqatigiinniq.
The Devolution Division supports the Government of Nunavut’s chief negotiator in the negotiation with Canada and Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated for the transfer of authority over Crown lands and non-renewable resources in Nunavut
The Directorate supports the offices of the Commissioner, Premier, ministers, and deputy ministers.
The Directorate includes three offices which support open and accessible government in Nunavut.
The ATIPP office ensures compliance with the Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act and supports openness of governmental to requests for information from Nunavummiut.
In addition to ensuring that Nunavummiut are informed about the activities of their government, Communications supports the “Solution Box” on our website and is reconfiguring Government of Nunavut websites to be more accessible by Nunavummiut.
There are government liaison officers in the majority of Nunavut’s communities. As first point of contact in the communities, GLOs are busy helping Nunavummiut to be more informed of and to access government services.
The department’s main estimates total for 2013-14 is $26,907,000. This amount is composed of $16,981,000 for compensation and benefits and $9,926,000 for other operations and maintenance costs.
This is an increase of $863,000 over the main estimates of 2012-13. This is largely attributable to increases from the collective agreement and annual compensation adjustments for staff.
I welcome your comments and look forward to answering your questions on the EIA business plan for 2013-16 and main estimates for 2013-14. (interpretation) Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Does the committee agree to bring in the Premier’s witnesses?
Premier, for the record, please introduce your officials.
On my right is Daniel Vandermeulen, Deputy Minister for the Department of Executive and Intergovernmental Affairs, and on my left is David Pealow, Director of Corporate Affairs.
Mr. Elliott: Yes, Mr. Chairman.
Would you like me to begin?
I am pleased to provide opening comments on behalf of the Standing Committee on Oversight of Government Operations and Public Accounts on its review of the proposed 2013-14 main estimates and 2013-16 business plan of the Department of Executive and Intergovernmental Affairs.
The department’s new organizational structure, proposed 2013-14 main estimates, and proposed 2013-16 business plan reflect the transfer of certain functions and personnel from the Department of Human Resources, which is scheduled to be dissolved as of April 1, 2013, as well as the transfer of the Social Advocacy Office to the new Department of Family Services and the transfer of the Energy Secretariat and Sustainable Development function to the Department of Economic Development and Transportation.
The standing committee notes that the department’s proposed 2013-14 operations and maintenance budget of $26,907,000 is 3.3 percent higher than the department’s restated 2012-13 main estimates.