HAY RIVER (August 20, 2013) – The Government of the Northwest Territories (GNWT) welcomes today’s announcement of $5.9 million in federal funding to support training that will enable NWT residents to take advantage of current and future employment and business opportunities in the NWT mining sector.

Funding for the Mine Training Society’s Mining the Future project was announced today by Prime Minister Stephen Harper. The Prime Minister was joined by Premier Bob McLeod and Minister of Education, Culture and Employment Jackson Lafferty.

YELLOWKNIFE (July 17, 2013) – The Northwest Territories (NWT) released the 2012 Alberta Achievement Tests (AAT), Functional Grade Levels (FGL), and attendance results today.

AATs are standardized tests that measure student performance in NWT curriculum in the areas of Language Arts and Mathematics.  Students in grades 3, 6 and 9 write the tests, which provide a snapshot of a student’s performance on one particular day.

YELLOWKNIFE (July 16, 2013) – Minister of Education, Culture and Employment Jackson Lafferty was asked by his ministerial colleagues to assume the lead role for improving Aboriginal education in Canada during the Council for Ministers of Education (CMEC) meeting held in Iqaluit this month.

YELLOWKNIFE (June 25, 2013) – The Museum Café at the Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre is now open for business.

YELLOWKNIFE (June 20, 2013) – On June 21, 2013 the Government of the Northwest Territories will officially recognize 414 traditional Gwich'in geographical, or place, names reflecting their land use across the Gwich’in Settlement Area of the NWT.

(June 19, 2013) - Keynote address to the Canadian Institute’s Arctic Logistics and Infrastructure Conference

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Thank you for the opportunity to speak with you today about meeting the challenges of the North’s labour force. We are committed to a vision of strong individuals, families and communities sharing the benefits and responsibilities of a unified, environmentally sustainable and prosperous Northwest Territories.

(June 12, 2013) - Firstly I’d like to thank the Tsuu T’ina Nation for inviting us onto their traditional land to participate in this year’s Dene Languages Conference . It is always a learning experience to go to other First Nations’ traditional areas to share common cultural interests.

YELLOWKNIFE (June 6, 2013) –  A renewed Early Childhood Development Framework from the Departments of Education, Culture and Employment and Health and Social Services will give NWT children the right start by focusing on the important early years from prenatal to age five.  The departments collaborated on renewing the original 2001 Framework, incorporating new research, emerging information, best practices and techniques that reflect the most effective approaches to early childhood development.

(June 5, 2013) - Mr. Speaker, this Assembly’s vision of healthy, educated people contributing to a strong and prosperous Northern society starts in early childhood, from prenatal to five years.  The Departments of Education, Culture and Employment and Health and Social Services have worked collaboratively to craft a renewed Early Childhood Development Framework based on best practices and national and international research.  We will be tabling this document later today.

(June 3, 2013) - Mr. Speaker, Elders play a vital role in integrating languages and culture into school programming and provide valuable skills and knowledge to our children and youth.