Nunavut government lags in Inuit employment plans: NTI

Nunavut Tunngavik Inc. board members meet in Iqaluit Sept. 1. While NTI continues to roll out it’s Makigiaqta training body, the land claim organization is criticizing the Nunavut government for lagging behind in its Inuit employment plans. (PHOTO BY STEVE DUCHARME)

Cathy Towtongie, president of Nunavut Tunngavik Inc., says the Government of Nunavut’s lack of progress in implementing its Inuit employment plans is “disappointing.”

“We have indicated that there’s slow progress on a revised and fully compliant Inuit employment plan. It’s disappointing. We need to see more progress,” Towtongie told Nunatsiaq News at the conclusion of NTI’s board of directors meeting at Iqaluit’s Frobisher Inn, Sept. 1.

Inuit employment plans, or IEPs, are frameworks for government agencies to be compliant under Article 23 of the Nunavut Land Claims Agreement, which requires working towards a representative level of Inuit employment in government, according to the Inuit proportion of the population — which currently stands at about 85 per cent.

Now, NTI is supposed to be help train more Inuit through a huge pot of money they just received from Ottawa.

NTI received $255.5 million through an out-of-court settlement with the Government of Canada in 2015 for alleged breaches of the NLCA, including Article 23.

NTI invested $80.5 million of that settlement, while the remaining $175 million was put towards establishing the Makigiaqta Inuit Training Corp.

The new corporation is supposed to pay for training initiatives to prepare Inuit for government work and other skilled positions.

In January, NTI announced a seven-member board for the new training body consisting of: NTI President Cathy Towtongie, NTI vice president James Eetoolook and regional Inuit organization presidents P.J. Akeeagok, David Ningeongan and Stanley Anablak.

Premier Peter Taptuna and Education Minister Paul Quassa represent the GN on the board.

The board last met in early July, Towtongie said, where its members approved a work plan for 2016-17 and received a strategic plan put together by an advisory council.

Towtongie says she expects an update from the Government of Canada on its labour force survey in October — a task Ottawa agreed to under the settlement terms — which will allow Makigiaqta Corp. to figure out it’s next steps.

The federal government has filed its proposed IEPs with NTI, along with completion plans, according to Towtongie. But the GN has yet to do so.

“So far from the GN we haven’t seen any IEP in place for individuals in their departments. NTI has provided detailed comments at this time on federal draft [Inuit] employment plans and we have provided a revised [IEP] template [to the GN],” Towtongie said.

“The GN did not set target times for completion, but the federal government has.”

NTI is pressuring the GN to do so, Towtongie confirmed, and expects an update by mid-September.

“At this time we need a whole plan in place,” she said.

Towtongie also confirmed that NTI will work with the Nunavut Association of Municipalities towards implementing similar IEPs at the hamlet level, along with establishing a relationship between Makigiaqta Corp. and Nunavut Arctic College.

NTI board members concluded their meeting Sept. 1 and will reconvene again for their annual general meeting in Rankin Inlet, scheduled from Oct. 18 to Oct. 20.