The NWT government is expanding an employment readiness program for smaller communities in partnership with the NWT Literacy Council.
The territory says the program “helps fill the gap left by the closure of Aurora College’s community learning centres,” all of which shut down at the end of June.
The college has maintained that a move to more online-based learning is necessary, financially prudent and meets the needs of residents across the territory.
However, the closures – which appeared to take the GNWT by surprise when announced at the start of 2025 – have had critics. The NWT Literacy Council, for example, has said digital learning does not work for everyone.
On Friday, the GNWT said the literacy council will partner with it in delivering new employment readiness training for people in Hay River, Fort Resolution, Fort Smith and Fort Providence in the coming weeks.
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More communities will be lined up for the 2026-27 financial year.
The training was piloted last year with 60 participants, the GNWT and literacy council said in a joint statement.
It involves five weeks of classroom-based instruction on the likes of résumé writing, communication, digital and financial literacy, teamwork and workplace expectations.
That is followed by two weeks of “real-world experience through job placements, volunteer opportunities or community projects” alongside opportunities for on-the-land learning. Supports like childcare and a training allowance are provided, as are wage subsidies for employers to support participants.
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“This new initiative is about meeting people where they’re at in their communities,” education minister Caitlin Cleveland told the legislature on Friday.
“Over the next 18 months, we anticipate delivering this training in 10 different communities.”
Cleveland said 71 percent of participants in the program’s first stage went on to secure employment or pursue further education.
“This is not a pilot. It is a proven model,” the minister said.
“This agreement is about more than training. It’s about empowerment. It’s about ensuring northerners have access to new opportunities and building stronger communities through education, employment and partnership.”
