Inuit org announces name, board members for training corporation

Nunavut Premier Peter Taptuna is one of only two Government of Nunavut board members sitting on the seven-member board of the Makigiaqta Inuit Training Corp. (PHOTO BY STEVE DUCHARME)

Nunavut’s new Inuit training corporation has an official Inuit-language name and a seven-member board of directors, following inaugural meetings held earlier this week, Nunavut Tunngavik Inc. said Jan. 21 in a statement.

Dubbed the Makigiaqta Inuit Training Corp., the organization will manage a $175-million fund that the federal government gave NTI as part of an out-of-court settlement last year that ended a $1 billion lawsuit alleging numerous breaches of the Nunavut Land Claims Agreement, including breaches of the federal government’s Article 23 training and Inuit employment obligations.

The purpose of the corporation is to “provide training and skills acquisition programs to Nunavut Inuit for the purpose of enhancing the ability of Inuit to qualify for, obtain, retain or advance in employment,” NTI said.

The five board members named by NTI are: NTI President Cathy Towtongie, NTI vice president James Eetoolook, Qikiqtani Inuit Association President PJ Akeeagok, Kivalliq Inuit Association President David Ningeongan and Kitikmeot Inuit Association President Stanley Anablak.

The two board members named by the Government of Nunavut are Nunavut Premier Peter Taptuna and Education Minister Paul Quassa.

“Education and training are intrinsic to the ongoing and future success of Nunavut and its public service. The establishment of the Makigiaqta Inuit Training Corp. is a significant step towards realizing our self-reliance,” said Taptuna in the NTI release.

In its employment statistics for 2014, the GN reported that about 50 per cent of its employees are Inuit.

That’s a six per cent rise from the GN’s Inuit employment levels in 1999 — but still well short of the eventual goal set out in Article 23 of the NLCA: a proportion of Inuit employees that equals the proportion of Inuit in Nunavut’s population.

Right now, that would equal about 85 per cent of the GN workforce.

And the gap is even wider for beneficiaries in GN management positions: 24 per cent of middle management jobs and 21 per cent of senior management jobs.

In 2006, NTI launched its $1 billion dollar lawsuit against the Government of Canada.

The eventual settlement in 2015 resulted in a $255.5 million dollar payout by the federal government.

Of that, $175 million will go to the new Inuit training organization — now the Makigiaqta Inuit Training Corp.

Ottawa also agreed to spend an additional $50 million to pay for Inuit training programs over the next eight years.

Ottawa also agreed to pay for a new Nunavut Inuit labour force analysis that will be conducted in conjunction with NTI and the GN.

“By getting this corporation up and running, NTI believes we will make substantial progress toward increasing Inuit employment in Nunavut by helping Inuit obtain work and advance in all areas of the workforce, from administrative to professional designations,” Towtongie said in the release.

At the time of this article, NTI could not be reached to clarify how directors would be compensated for their work on the board, or what the next steps for the training corporation will be, such as who will manage and staff the corporation on a day-to-day basis, and how and when the training money will be doled out.