A virtual town hall will be held on Tuesday, January 28th, to provide GNWT employees with an opportunity to ask questions and learn more about the proposed Indigenous Employment Policy, slated to be implemented on April 1.
The Standing Committee on Government Operations is taking input and comments on the new policy, which will replace the longstanding Affirmative Action Policy. Extensive consultations have already resulted in a What We Heard report.
A major feature of the new policy is to offer priority hiring first for applicants who are Indigenous persons connected to the Northwest Territories, and second for Indigenous Canadians generally.
This would eliminate the so-called P2 level of preferential hiring for “indigenous non-Aboriginal,” long-time NWT residents — a policy the GNWT admits could face a Charter challenge.
This new approach would ensure that all Indigenous persons will have priority hiring status over non-Indigenous people.
Minister of Finance Caroline Wawzonek stated the new policy is an important step in advancing reconciliation.
“By focusing on removing barriers and providing supports like mentorship programs and leadership training, we are working to create meaningful opportunities for Indigenous employees to grow and succeed,” she stated.
The Conference Board of Canada has noted while the GNWT is a major employer in the territory, more than half of its employees are relatively new to the North.
The group also noted Indigenous employees from the territory are under-represented in the government workforce, especially among positions requiring more specialized skills and a post-secondary education.
The GNWT stated Indigenous Aboriginal employees currently make up 29-per-cent of the GNWT workforce, compared to 49.6-per-cent of the NWT population.
Submissions can be sent to: Committees@ntassembly.ca by Saturday, February 15.
The GNWT notes submissions received are treated as public documents.
