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Mr. Speaker, the Northwest Territories is at a pivotal moment. Significant investments are being made across our territory in critical minerals, infrastructure, and economic development and we stand to see immense benefits over the coming years. Meeting this moment is about workforce readiness, where each Northerner can participate fully in the economy, using our skills, abilities and resources to maximize what is possible.

My focus for the remainder of this Legislative Assembly is clear: ensuring northern businesses, residents and communities fully benefit from emerging opportunities, with the economic benefits of new investment staying in the Northwest Territories.

Mr. Speaker, to fully realize the potential before us, we must ensure that the NWT workforce and business sector are ready.

For decades we have built a steady foundation through established programs and funding to support business, entrepreneurship and labour market development; and, we continue to build and improve on this foundation. Businesses that want to grow or pivot have access to advisors and funding for strategic investment, research and development, and financing options. People looking to entrepreneurship, who want to start something from scratch to meet the coming needs, have access to advisors to help guide them, as well as funding to help with start up costs and product development.

For residents who want to develop new skills, further their education, or train in a new career path, we continue to build on the success of the Skills Development Program, Schools North Apprenticeship Program (SNAP), and Student Financial Assistance.

Mr. Speaker, we are making progress to expand and build on these vital programs. We have increased pathways to trades education. There are more communities in the NWT with SNAP students than ever before, in fact, we have tripled the number of students in SNAP across the NWT. A few months ago, we signed an agreement with the federal government, giving us an additional $1.5 million for our labour market programs, supporting both employees and businesses. We are in early discussions with Canada on increased funding and support for apprenticeships and trades, as part of the recently announced Team Canada Strong $6 billion federal investment.

So, Mr. Speaker, we are not starting from zero. What comes next is how we collaborate and work together: the territorial government, Indigenous governments, employers, communities, and the education and training ecosystem, to improve pathways to employment and entrepreneurship.   

Mr. Speaker, all Northerners have a role to play in ensuring we grab hold of this generational opportunity. Success is not guaranteed, it must be stressed that each and every one of us has to act now to be prepared to meet this moment. Businesses and residents must understand the key role they play in our ability to fully maximize every opportunity before us,  but they cannot act if it is too difficult to access the supports they need.

We are working to streamline access to business programs and ensure they are strategically focused and easier to navigate. This includes advancing a more coordinated, single-window approach, so residents and businesses can find the supports they need, when they need them. This will especially help cumbersome application processes, not only for entrepreneurs and employers, but also for trades students.

We will be improving access to programs through tools like the Business Benefits Finder, which will advance regional pilot projects that support innovation and economic preparedness. It also includes ensuring that our programs are fair, transparent, and coordinated across government, so residents and businesses experience a consistent and accessible support system.

Mr. Speaker, while increasing accessibility and awareness is vital to this work, I must also stress that we are not forgetting a critically important audience: our youth. We cannot ensure workforce readiness without them, as they are our future.

We must ensure that young Northerners see a future for themselves in the Northwest Territories economy. This includes showing what careers are possible and needed, while building on pathways to entrepreneurship, including the access to the foundational skills, training, and experience they need to pursue these opportunities. The government is also working to simplify application processes for trades students to remove barriers to access the skills training that Northerners want and employers need.

Mr. Speaker, success in meeting the moment before us also requires strategic focus on the long-term gains.

That is why the government created a new Associate Deputy Minister, Economic Strategy and Policy position: to provide dedicated leadership and coordination toward a more unified economic and investment strategy for the Northwest Territories.

Mr. Speaker, workforce readiness is about supporting the growth of strong, resilient Northerners. It builds strong, healthy communities across the Northwest Territories and ensures we have the people and capacity needed to be partners in projecting Arctic sovereignty.  By working together across government and with our partners, we are positioning the Northwest Territories to make the most of this moment, building long-term prosperity for our residents.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.