on developing training program

By Trevor Wright Northern News Services Nunavut

The Government of Nunavut (GN) is seeking to train more Inuit in construction over the course of its Nunavut 3,000 plan to address Nunavut’s housing crisis.

As part of this plan, the Government of Nunavut is cooperating with the Inuit-owned NCC Development Limited (NCCD) to train up to 80 Inuit in construction over the course of this year.

This plan, outlined by Finance Minister Lorne Kusugak during the Nunavut Budget Address on Feb. 23 has a goal to “create lasting capacity and a sustainable supply chain of housing for the future.”

The GN’s Department of Family Services is the department working with NCCD on construction training.

The recruitment of trainees in Nunavut’s various communities will coincide with scheduled housing construction in communities to help leverage investments in housing to create training opportunities.

For 2023-24, this means NCCD will be look- ing to recruit trainees in Arctic Bay, Iqaluit, Arviat, Baker Lake, Rankin Inlet, Cambridge Bay, Gjoa Haven and Taloyoak. NCCD expects to recruit eight to 12 trainees in each community.

Each trainee will go through an initial boot camp of sorts to ensure basic skills and knowledge to work safely on housing construction projects. This initial training will be from May to June this year and will be done in the community itself whenever possible.

Family services will be working with NCCD to identify those who would be suited for an apprenticeship once training is done.

“Those that are not suited for, or do not choose the apprenticeship route will then be guided through a structured on-the-job training program that will result in them earning certification as a building trades technician,” wrote Tony Canny, communications specialist with Family Services.

Through this certification, the GN hopes this will help stop the practice of contractors only hiring Inuit for helper or general labour positions. The NCCD expects to continue employing some of these trainees in their home communities to maintain NCCD properties.

“DFS will be placing tutors in each of the project communities to work with trainees on improving their math, science and English skills, should they choose to do so,” Canny added.

Some of the instructors are expected to come from Nunavut Arctic College – adult educators or trade instructors – while other instructor positions will be contracted from other northern and southern organizations. The on-the-job training portion is expected to start July 2023.

ᓴᔅᓕ ᕗᐊᑦ ᐱᖃᑦᑕᖅᑐᖅ ᒪᒃᑖᕐᒥᒃ ᓕᕖᓂᐊ ᐳᕋᐅᓐᒥᒃ. ᕗᕋᐅᓐ ᖁᔭᓐᓇᒦᖅᑐᒻᒪᕆᐅᓚᐅᖅᐳᖅ ᐃᑯᕐᕋᖅ ᓂᕿᓂᒃ ᓄᐊᑦᑎᕕᒻᒧᑦ, ᐃᖃᓗᓕᕆᕕᒻᒧᑦ ᐊᒻᒪ ᓂᕿᓕᕆᕕᒻᒧᑦ ᐊᒻᒪ ᐊᑭᓕᖅᓱᖅᑕᐅᒐᑎᒃ ᐃᑲᔪᖃᑦᑕᖅᑐᓄᑦ, ᐅᖃᖅᑐᑎᒃ ᒪᒪᖅᑐᒻᒪᕆᐅᓚᐅᕐᒪᑕ.

Chesley Ford retrieves some maktaaq with Levinia Brown. Brown gave a big thank you to the Ikurraq Food Bank, fish and meat plant and all the volunteers, saying it was a wonderful gift of delicacies. Stewart Burnett/NNSL photo