February 7, 2011 - Today is the first day of Apprenticeship and Occupational Certification Week and the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment, Jackson Lafferty, highlighted the success of the programs in the NWT.
 

Mr. Speaker, support for apprentices is a key part of the Government of the Northwest Territories plan to maximize opportunities for NWT residents and contributes to achieving this Assembly’s goals of healthy, educated people and a diversified economy. The Department of Education, Culture and Employment, along with our partners and apprentices, celebrate the success of Northwest Territories apprentices and journeypersons during Northwest Territories Apprenticeship and Occupational Certification Week, February 7th  to 11th.

The Department supports training and certification in fifty-three designated trades, of which, thirty are eligible for Inter-provincial Red Seal endorsement. In addition, the Department supports certification in twenty-five designated occupations.

Currently there are four hundred and twenty one apprentices in the Northwest Territories, and more than half are Aboriginal. We invest over one million dollars in apprenticeship technical training, and another million dollars in job wage subsidies each year, available to employers of Northwest Territories apprentices.

For the 2009-2010 academic year, the Department issued one hundred and ten Certificates of Qualification, sixty nine with Interprovincial Red Seal Endorsements, to journeypersons. We also issued nine Certificates of Competence for people in designated occupations.

During February and March, each regional Education, Culture and Employment Service Centre hosts Apprenticeship and Occupational Certification Award ceremonies recognizing the academic achievement of apprentices.

Forty-one apprentices will receive Top Mark Awards for achieving the highest marks in their respective trade or occupation during the 2009-2010 academic year.

Mr. Speaker, I invite you, and other Members of this House, to join me in congratulating all Northwest Territories apprentices and certified journeypersons. I also want to take this opportunity to thank and recognize our many partners in apprenticeship training, skilled trades and occupational certification. In particular, we acknowledge the employers who participate in the program, and without whom the program could not exist.

Masi, Mr. Speaker.
 

For more information, contact:

Press Secretary
Office of the Premier/Cabinet
Government of the Northwest Territories
Phone: (867) 669-2302