The NWT government has set out interim steps it’s taking to replace community learning centres after Aurora College’s board decided to close them down.
The college decided in January to close 19 centres in smaller communities across the territory, saying they were no longer cost-effective to run.
That decision received significant pushback from Indigenous and community leaders – as well as from MLAs, with the GNWT appearing to be taken by surprise at the announcement.
Throughout, the college has maintained it is trying to “better meet the needs” of adult learners in communities across the NWT, who primarily rely on the college for academic upgrading and bridging courses that help them into jobs. Aurora College says online course delivery is now a better option than maintaining physical buildings and staffing in many locations.
For months, the GNWT had said it was working on something to fill the gap that critics still perceived would be left when the community learning centres closed at the end of June. Dozens of positions were lost through those closures, which some community leaders said meant an added impact on small communities as people and their families left to find work elsewhere.
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In a news release on Friday, the GNWT set out measures that it said were a “critical path … to support access to quality education and employment programs,” particularly for adult learners.
Even so, the minister responsible said the measures are only an interim solution until communities can take more control over programming.
The GNWT said it would “continue engagement with Indigenous governments and communities to determine the future use of former CLC facilities” left vacant by the closures. No specific arrangements for any of the centres were confirmed.
The territory did, though, have a few developments to report on other fronts.
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What’s new this week
A key action, the GNWT said, will be partnering with an as yet unnamed northern group for employment readiness training in communities.
That will feature a four-week classroom program and a two-week “supported employment model,” the territory said, with a training allowance, childcare funding and other supports.
Exactly when and how that will launch was not made clear, other than being given a “fall 2025” rollout date in communities.
Meanwhile, territory said a request for proposals will be issued to find an operator for the Yellowknife Literacy Outreach Centre.
Previously, Yellowknife North MLA Shauna Morgan had said Aurora College was pulling out of its partnership with Inclusion NWT, the charity with which the college jointly runs the outreach centre.
The centre, open since 1997, offers community-based literacy programming. For example, its programs can help people learn the basic skills they need to find work or figure out how to use computers.
In 2023, Canada’s premiers said the centre “offers a gateway to lifelong learning that is open to everyone” as they gave it a literacy award. This week’s announcement suggests the GNWT intends to find a way to keep the centre running.
More broadly, the GNWT said Aurora College would run a “modernized approach” to its Adult Literacy and Basic Education program. The college has indicated it will move toward more online learning with fewer in-person instructor hours.
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The GNWT said it is also “reviewing ways to streamline the Adult Literacy and Basic Education program to better meet learners’ needs,” adding it would use data to monitor and evaluate the program’s delivery.
The territorial government suggested it will also look for other solutions, such as seeking expressions of interest for literacy outreach in Inuvik and Fort Smith, and supporting “alternative high school program options” through school bodies.
What’s the timeline?
The actions the GNWT outlined are to a significant extent ongoing. There appeared to be few, if any major changes beyond those already set out earlier this year.
The territory said its plans so far amounted to a “critical path” that would preserve “continued access to quality programs that enhance education and employment opportunities.”
More: The GNWT’s “critical path” document and timeline
After Aurora College argued too few people used its community learning centres and it could save money by delivering programming online or at its three main campuses, education minister Caitlin Cleveland said she “heard loud and clear from Indigenous governments, communities, non-profit organizations and my colleagues [that] hands-on community-based learning is essential.”
In Friday’s news release, Cleveland was quoted as saying the GNWT would “ensure northerners have access to quality education and employment programs from their home communities.”
“This is an interim solution while we work directly with communities to design solutions that address gaps and are autonomous with the learning goals of community members,” she added.
“Access to community-based learning is essential – not just for individual success, but for the health and strength of our communities, and determining what that looks like requires a collaborative approach.”
