EdinburghNLP/nunavut-hansard-plusplus huggingface dataset:
When I asked for examples, so for example, like these people took training in this category for how much? It seems like the staff who don’t speak Inuktitut, their Inuktitut doesn’t seem to be improving. It is not their priority to speak Inuktitut.
Only if it will be beneficial to their job performance, then they’re given the additional $1,200 bilingual bonus.
Can the minister elaborate more under training and development indicating that these training programs were delivered? So that’s what I’d like to see; to see if we really need this ongoing training.
The training that has taken place; (interpretation ends) access level one, advanced writing skills, agenda minute taking, art and craft of policy making, career planning, communicating effectively, developing work plans and budgets, effective presentations, effective writing skills, Excel advanced, Excel level two, negotiating skills, oral and written briefings, Outlook and e-mail etiquette, PowerPoint level one, time management, Word level one, working in teams, budget tracking, MS Excel level 1, financial management module four, financial management module five, leadership and team building, office procedures, providing excellent customer service, retirement and pension planning, basic office procedures, MS Publisher, MS PowerPoint, Microsoft Excel level one.
(interpretation) Those are only some of the things that we have provided training for, but we will be able to provide you with a list of all the training that has taken place.
I would like to thank the deputy minister because that is very interesting to hear.
I don’t think all the employees get training.
Who identifies that these employees need this kind of training, or is it up to the individual? Is that person advised once they get their job that you will have to take this kind of training? Are they mainly for Inuit or are they for all the employees?
The training courses are open to all GN employees. Two of them for the beneficiaries are available, the Nunavut Public Service Studies Program and a management training program.
Sivuliqtiksat is an internship program for the beneficiaries.
But the other courses that I pointed out earlier, they are open to any GN employee. Some employees, if they indicate that they wish to train on the job, then they have a learning plan as to what courses they should be taking which deals with their employment.
Deputy minister, I would like more clarification; what I would like to find out further is: if they can provide the course only if there is a certain number of registered individuals, who provides the training, and where do they hire the instructors?
We mainly use Arctic College because we have a contract with the college to provide the training. The other one is with the Canada School of Public Service, which is from the federal government. We have an agreement with them so they provide the training.
Nunavut Public Service Studies Certificate is provided by Carleton University. We have an agreement with Kakivak for the other program. So that’s why we teach those courses.
Once they get an indication that these training programs are required, where are the courses provided? Are they in the regional centres or in the smaller communities? Where does most of the training occur?
The Nunavut Public Service Studies Program they can either take in Arviat, Cambridge Bay or Iqaluit.
The programs under the Kakivak agreement are based in Iqaluit. Some of those people come from the communities.
Different courses can be offered in most of the communities. Here in Iqaluit at headquarters and in Igloolik, Rankin and Cambridge Bay we have staff who deal with the training programs and who manage the programs.
One of the reasons I asked this is last fall, one of the government employees told me that that person wished to get further training.
I wonder if the staff know exactly what it is.
Maybe the managers or coordinators in different regions should be more informed of the programs because I was asked and I didn’t know anything about it. That person said that he wanted to get more training, but said that he might be turned down.
I don’t know why he said that.
As the minister stated earlier that the intranet is for all of the government employees, we are posting all of those training programs at the website indicating which community they will be at and they have registration forms if they wish to fill them out; it’s even in Inuktitut.
They can go on this website and fill out the registration form.
They have to get an approval from their supervisor.
Once it’s approved, if it’s sent to us, and if there is space, then that person can get more training.
It doesn’t take very long to fill the seats.
That way we find out that there is more demand to take this particular training, but they have to get an approval from their supervisor. That’s how we go about it.
Chairman (interpretation): Thank you. (interpretation ends) Mr. Curley.
Yes, I know that it’s going to be very helpful, this intranet is going to be assisting us and I would like to thank you for that.
If I could ask you another question in regard to the guideline and policy issues in order to make sure the staff in each region have the opportunity to take the training and development courses, perhaps if you can look towards the west.
So I was wondering if you can also make sure that the other regional centres have authority.
The regional headquarters have their own Human Resources staff that work on training and development courses and they have a budget for each region to be used for training and development.
Also at the headquarters level, we provide support and assistance. For example if a training program that had already occurred in Iqaluit, if we need to expand it we expand it through the regional centres.
Now, I would like to ask a question under Contract Services line item, $1,505,000.
Who is this geared towards; is it contract services, or is this in agreement with Carleton University? Is that where they get their money from; through contract services?
Perhaps the minister can elaborate further whom these contract services is geared towards.
The Contract Services line item includes the entire Public Service Certificate Program through the Arctic College and universities. The entire contract is included in the Contract Services line item.
Mr. Curley (interpretation): I am almost at the end of my questions.
My question, as I stated earlier, that according to the Public Service Act, the Inuktitut language is not mandatory. They only provide bilingual bonuses to the position if it services the Inuit people.
With that, this language training, whom is this geared toward for; is it for an Inuktitut Language Training Program, or a French Language Training Program?
This is for Inuktitut and Inuinnaqtun training programs. It is for first language - Inuktitut and Inuinnaqtun, and Inuktitut as a second language.
The reason why I wanted to get further elaboration is that the staff that wanted to take Inuktitut Language Training Program because they require the Inuktitut language and because they have contact with Inuktitut speaking people. What kind of guidelines do you have for this language training program?
Ms. Okpik (interpretation): This is done in different ways; as Inuktitut as a first language and Inuktitut as a second language. For example, in Cambridge Bay, Gjoa Haven, Iqaluit, Kugaaruk, Cape Dorset, Baker Lake, and Arctic Bay, in each region, they do language training for those. There are Inuktitut typing courses; it would be Inuktitut Phase One or Phase Two.
This is done in the Language Training Program.
I just noticed in the Training and Development Division within the department, I think there is one other division in there that drops half a PY. I am just wondering why there’s actually a drop in this position.
Has this been reallocated to a different division? Was there a redundant or not necessary position that was there before?
Chairman: Thank you, Mr. Tootoo. Minister Tapardjuk.
Hon. Louis Tapardjuk (interpretation): I don’t know where your question is coming from. Could you refer to the page please?
Mr. Tootoo: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Yes, sorry Mr. Chairman, Mr. Minister, I’m just looking at page D-26 of their business plan that has the breakdown. It’s called the Financial Summary, and it has, for each division, the dollars allocated to that division and the number of PYs.
Hon. Louis Tapardjuk (interpretation): Hold on, we’re searching. I’ll have my deputy minister respond to that question.
Deputy Minister, Ms. Okpik.
I’m sorry, I couldn’t find it right away, but one position was moved because of job evaluation. Even though the funding is with our department, this position was run by job evaluation. We transferred the funding for the job evaluation position.
Mr. Tootoo: I just have a quick question on this training and development funding that’s there. Is that strictly for the department to use for training and development of its staff, or is it funds that are accessed by other departments as well?
Hon. Louis Tapardjuk (interpretation): I’m sorry. It’s geared towards all Government of Nunavut staff, and more than once, we did some training and development for municipal staff if they were interested in taking part in the training courses.
This training and development is for all the departments of the Government of Nunavut, not just for Human Resources.
I wonder if the minister or his officials could kind of outline, say if a staff member sees a course or a training opportunity they would like to participate in, the process that’s used in accessing those funds.
Hon. Louis Tapardjuk (interpretation): I’ll have my deputy respond.
Ms. Okpik: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Training opportunities, as our minister announced, the new internet based e-calendar, all training opportunities are identified on the calendar and broken down by month.
In the calendar, there is a course outline and registration provided where Government of Nunavut employees can print the form off, get the necessary approval from their supervisor, submit the forms, depending on what region they are from. In the regions, they would fax that form to either the offices in Rankin Inlet, Cambridge Bay, Igloolik, and for courses here in Iqaluit, they would be forwarded here to Iqaluit.
When the applications are received, our training and development people contact them to inform them of space availability and give them the date. That’s the process that’s followed.
I thank the deputy for that response.
The training opportunities that she had indicated and this funds it, specifically it’s just tied to those ones that are on the electronic calendar, or if an individual sees something that’s not offered by the GN through the college or whoever else that if they see something else out there, could they apply for funding from here to participate in that as well?
Hon. Louis Tapardjuk (interpretation): The training programs vary and the department’s responsibilities vary also.
For that reason, if either one employee of a department wanted to take the training course, each department is responsible for the training course of their staff. So each department is responsible for the training of their staff, but our department is responsible for the whole of government.
Mr. Tootoo: That’s it.
Chairman (interpretation): Thank you. We are on page D-10.
Mr. Kilabuk: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. (interpretation) This is one question that I brought up sometime in the past, but I think it’s occurring, especially in the decentralized communities and there are quite a number of positions that haven’t made it to Pangnirtung yet.
But in regard to training and development, this is to provide advice, assistance, and support to departments in training and developing their staff.
It doesn’t apply only to positions that are already there or is this being used for new recruits?
In regard to training and development, this branch provides developing those staff.
I would like to thank the deputy for responding to my question.
The reason why I’m asking this question is the people in my riding are eager to apply for the positions that are opening. They are looking forward to filling the positions that move up to Pangnirtung and they hope to see more of the local people filling the majority of the employment opportunities.
In Pangnirtung, there are some people, if they get a little more training they would be able to fill the positions that are opening or apply for higher positions.
In order for them to qualify to fill those positions, they need a little bit more training, but it seems that we already know that positions are filled already.
I think the minister could consider working with the Decentralization Secretariat that they could consider training and development in filling up the positions that aren’t here yet.
My next question is under training and development.
I brought up the issue of the elders and youth who don’t have a specific position to help them out.
When this is outside of the Human Resources department and when it’s in the Department of Culture, Language, Elders and Youth, even if he is the minister of both; I would like to give support to the minister and I would also like to ask the minister to get a coordinator for the elders and youth.
I would also like to ask if the minister could move that position from Culture, Language, Elders and Youth to Human Resources.
We definitely will look into it, but then again, the monies are not identified here.
In regard to training and development I can commit to doing that in collaboration with Department of Education and Arctic College.
We will focus directly on the decentralized communities. We have to look at ways of making improvements and to give training to our employees.
I can commit to doing that.
We will look into the issues that Mr. Kilabuk brought. It is specific to Article 23.
If it’s not identified here then it is not going to be implemented.
In order to implement it we’ll have to identify the funds.
I just wanted to state my support, and this is my last comment.
Hon. Louis Tapardjuk (interpretation): We’ll definitely have to take it into consideration and we do have a lot of work to do in that field.
We’ll take it into consideration.
Chairman: We are on page D-10, Training and Development.
Total Operations and Maintenance. $4,659,000.
Chairman: Turn to page D-12.
I almost asked these questions under Training and Development.
Thank goodness I looked through the business plan. The area I wanted to ask about was actually in Employee Relations. It deals with, I think it’s under, I’m not sure which one it is, maybe the Workplace Wellness area where it talks about the priorities for 2006-07, providing training, CPR and first aid training to the rest of the remaining communities.
My question on this is: what does the department use for that? I know there are two basic first aid courses; St. John’s and Red Cross. I was just wondering if there was a difference.
Do they use both? What is the practice? Do they bring people in from outside to deliver these programs, or what’s the process that is followed there?
Hon. Louis Tapardjuk (interpretation): We use St. John’s to train all government employees, and this initiative has been supported by the Northwest Territories/Nunavut Workers’ Compensation Board, and I think they were the ones who specifically asked us to teach first aid courses.
Government employees are taught safety courses.
Is the minister stating then that they use, I think he said, St. John’s?
Whichever, whether it is St. John’s Ambulance First Aid and CPR, over Red Cross, is there any technical reason why they’re using one over the other, or is it just because the Workers’ Compensation Board said that that’s what they use and that’s what is being carried over from the Northwest Territories?
Ms. Okpik: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The Department of Human Resources has internal staff trained to instruct in first aid and CPR with the provisions under the St. John’s Ambulance Program.
This enables us to offer more programs, and it provides us with more cost effective programming because we do have staff internally that are certified under St. John’s.
I understand, too, one of the issues of the staff that they have to deliver these programs are usually done over...because they work as well too, they’re not necessarily all staff for the Department of Human Resources, but they’re people working in other government departments that have the ability to teach that program to others, and their availability is only in the evenings and on weekends.
Has the department looked at the private sector, where there are businesses set up in place, whether they be locally or somewhere within Nunavut to give them the opportunity to provide those training programs that could do it in one day or two days instead of doing it over a weekend, or doing it over a week of evenings for the employees.
Hon. Louis Tapardjuk (interpretation): Yes, we’ll consider this because it think it will make things a lot easier to the people who would like to take those courses, and who would prefer to have those as day training programs.
Just this winter, we were given a recognition plaque from St. John’s, and they thanked us for providing those training programs.
We will take your comments into consideration.
I know they are two different courses, but if there was a private individual able to offer courses as part of their business, would the department look at that, whether or not it’s either first St. John’s or Red Cross.
Basically, for all intents and purposes, it’s the same thing with a different name on it and you learn the same basic information.
Would they look at doing that and also look at, instead of the government taking away business from an entrepreneur within the territory, look at the approach of what this government is supposed doing of trying to develop the private sector and allow business people to take over in these areas?
Hon. Louis Tapardjuk (interpretation): Yes, of course. We could look into it and we will make a commitment to provide those courses.
We will look into it and possibly, well having an in-staff is more cost effective, but it’s worthwhile to consider all those comments that you have made.
My understanding of how these courses work, like say for a first-aid course: you pay so much per person in the course; you get the manual, the little book that tells you how to do it; and hardly any of the actual fee goes to the instructor.
I would hope that in the case where it’s an employee of the department that there are no fees that are getting paid to the instructor for delivering both programs, but in some cases, is it looked at if someone in the private sector can deliver the program more cost-effectively than the department because businesses get a cut rate from either the St. John’s or Red Cross on getting the manuals that you need for the course than the government would get.
They may be able to deliver the program more cost-effectively than the government itself.
So I encourage the minister to look into this and if that’s the case, if we can make our training dollars go further and support the private sector, I think that’s a win-win situation for everybody.
I would just ask for a commitment to the minister if he can look into that.
Yes, we can certainly look into this; if it would be more cost-effective.
After saying this, we hear from the Members of the Legislative Assembly and we hear members questioning that this company was contracted out; wasn’t there anybody in your department who was able to provide that kind of work.
Those are the things that we will have to look into and we can certainly look into seeing if it would be more cost effective in regard to first-aid.
I’m not sure if the minister would be aware of this or not or his officials. And I don’t know if this government has anything like a business interruption policy where, you know, if there is someone in the private sector that is delivering or providing a service that the government does not unfairly compete against them or take business away from them.
I’m just wondering if that’s something that this government does on a regular basis as far as when it looks at what work it’s going to do and what work it will let the private sector do.
Mr. Chairman (interpretation): Thank you. Mr. Tapardjuk.
Mr. Tapardjuk (interpretation): From what I know, maybe one of my staff can elaborate more, but I’m not sure which one would be more cost-effective as Minister of Human Resources.
I don’t know if they have gone through that, but maybe other departments have…but I don’t know with Human Resources if that has been the case.
We’re on D-12. Employee Relations.
Just a brief comment in regard to the employees that get compensated and benefits, maybe we don’t recognize enough for those long-term employees.
The reason I’m saying this is that we have to be proud of our children and of the people.
A lot of times people are forgotten; when they are between 35 and 55, they seem to be ignored, that age group.
When and if they can be recognized a bit sometimes, doesn’t matter when they are representing Pangnirtung, for those people who are in that age group are working, or are employed, or working at home.
I thank them; they help the communities a lot. They are not young people and they are not seniors but because they are not recognized enough and not provided enough from the government.
What I’d like to say to the minister is for those workers who work with the government, the communities should also be recognized for their hard work or if we work with them or not.
As long as they are from Nunavut, I wonder if they can be recognized because they constantly raise this issue. And we know they put in a lot of hard work but never seem to be appreciated.
Mr. Tapardjuk (interpretation): Yes, I can certainly check into this.
The government recognizes long-term employees only if they have been employed by the government and we are very proud of them, but there are people who work at the municipal services.
Yes, they are recognized for volunteering in the communities.
But my colleague’s question, if I can understand his question correctly, ages 35 to 55 within the communities; they work really hard, but never seem to be recognized. Is he asking as to if we can do some kind of recognition to them to show our appreciation?
Mr. Kilabuk (interpretation): Yes, that is my question from age 35.
For example, when we are recognizing the organizations, because they are excluded too much from the policies that we have, we can find different ways that we can try.
We certainly can try something new and after a while we’ll know if it will succeed. I just think that people in that age group would certainly appreciate that.
Mr. Minister, do you wish to respond, even though it is not a question?
I’m in agreement as to how we can pursue this. Maybe talk with the hamlet council as to how we can approach it the best way.
Chairman: Thank you, Minister. (interpretation) We are on page D-12.
Total Operations and Maintenance. $1,748,000.
Chairman (interpretation): Go back to page D-4.
Department Summary. Details of Expenditures.
Total Operations and Maintenance. $18,019,000.
Chairman: Are you agreed that the Department of Human Resources is concluded?
Chairman (interpretation): Thank you. Thank you, Minister and your staff. If you have any closing remarks you may do so.
Hon. Louis Tapardjuk (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I want to thank my colleagues for approving the budget. We are hopeful that it will be used properly.
The suggestions that were brought out, I will look into them. It will certainly benefit us. I will have those areas checked into, because they were being written.
So for that, thank you everyone. I also want to thank my senior officials.
I would now like to ask Minister Aglukkaq, the Minister for Health and Social Services, to make her opening remarks.
Bill 12 – Appropriation (Operations & Maintenance) Act, 2006-07 – Review in Committee – Health and Social Services
Thank you for the opportunity to present the 2006-07 Main Estimates and Business Plan for Department of Health and Social Services.
Later when I go to the witness table, I’ll introduce my staff.
The Department of Health and Social Services has made considerable improvements in its financial management operations: