YELLOWKNIFE (March 24, 2015) – Figures released today show that the Government of the Northwest Territories (GNWT) has successfully filled 108 of 128 positions decentralized during the 2013-14 and 2014-15 fiscal years. Another 22 positions scheduled to be established during the next two fiscal years are currently vacant.

“Increasing employment opportunities where they are needed most by decentralizing positions is a priority for this government,” said Minister of Finance J. Michael Miltenberger. “New jobs in communities will improve services to those communities and strengthen their economies. These positions will make our government more effective and efficient by providing more services closer to the people who need them.”

The initiative to increase employment opportunities in communities outside of Yellowknife includes measures to transfer existing positions, as well as to establish new positions. Decentralization is being phased-in to allow the GNWT to consider opportunities to establish positions outside Yellowknife as part of implementing devolution.

The phased approach also helps the GNWT ensure that impacts on current staff are minimized. Of the 150 positions already identified for decentralization, 122 were vacant when the decision to transfer or establish them was made. These numbers were confirmed in a document tabled during the most recent sitting of the Legislative Assembly.

The GNWT will continue to look for opportunities to establish positions in NWT communities by systematically reviewing its programs and services to identify any that can be located in other communities. All proposals for new positions will be systematically reviewed to determine whether or not they can be located in another community as part of ongoing business planning.

Media inquiries:
Roya Grinsted
Communications Officer
Government of the NWT
Tel: 867-669-2308
Email: roya_grinsted@gov.nt.ca
Backgrounder

Of the 150 positions identified as part of the decentralization initiative in a report tabled in the Legislative Assembly on March 9, 2015:

122 were vacant at the time they were approved to be decentralized.

128 of the 150 decentralized positions relate to fiscal 2014-15 or previous year, of these 128:
108 of these positions are staffed (84.4%)
20 of the positions are vacant (15.6%)

22 of the 150 decentralized positions were approved to be decentralized in future years:
15 positions in 2015-16
7 positions in 2016-17
As such, all 22 of these positions are currently vacant