EDUCATION, TRAINING AND YOUTH DEVELOPMENT
Commitment 2.3.3 – We will develop legislation that outlines a quality assurance system on the basis of which post-secondary institutions will be recognized/authorized in the NWT.
In Canada, regulation of post-secondary institutions is a provincial/territorial responsibility. As such, the GNWT manages the recognition of post-secondary institutions.
Post-secondary institutions and education stakeholders from around the world, including prospective students and employers, rely on jurisdictions having a formal recognition process and quality assurance system that meets de facto national and internal norms. Such a process ensures consistency among post-secondary institutions and the programs they offer.
The proposed post-secondary education legislation being developed by the Department of Education, Culture and Employment (ECE) will replace the Education Act as the over-arching legislation for the creation of all types of post-secondary institutions (milestone 2).
The primary objectives of this new legislation will be to create a process of recognition that ensures the effective governance and quality assurance of post-secondary institutions and their programs in alignment with national and international best practices. While the legislative proposal is being developed, ECE will continue to work with key stakeholders to ensure they remain sustainable and strong.
Aurora College, the Dechinta Centre for Research and Learning, and the College Nordique Francophone (CNF) are expected to benefit from having a clearer and transparent quality assurance structure. Within this structure, they will be better positioned to align their efforts and fill key gaps in the education and training opportunities.
ECE recognizes the cultural, social, economic and geographic contexts which define post-secondary learning needs in the NWT, and is working to ensure that the new legislative framework will benefit all residents and institutions of the NWT, now and into the future.
A draft Discussion Paper on the proposed post-secondary legislative framework is being developed and will be shared with education stakeholders through a process of stakeholder engagement (milestone 1). Stakeholder feedback, as well as the results of the Aurora College Foundational Review, will inform the legislative proposal being developed.
The Dechinta Centre for Research Learning is a private non-profit corporation that has not been recognized as a college, a university or a post-secondary institution in the NWT. The ECE continues to support Dechinta’s program development.
CNF is also a private non-profit corporation that has not been recognized as a college, a university or a post-secondary institution in the NWT. ECE continues to support CNF program development.
ECE remains committed to presenting a new post-secondary legislative framework and will consult Aurora College and other NWT post-secondary institutions. The legislative work will be informed by the results of the Aurora College Foundational Review, and timelines have been adjusted accordingly.
Related Mandate Commitments:
Commitment 1.1.5: We will get more 18-24 year olds into the labour market by removing barriers to employment, using a better mix of improved educational attainment and skill development, while matching skills with employer needs through improved career development supports.
Commitment 2.3.1 - We will take steps to close the skills gap, by conducting a Foundational Review of Aurora College followed by a renewed strategic plan and updates to the Aurora College Act where indicated by the Foundational Review, improving outcomes from our Community Learning Centres, strengthening the apprenticeship program, and improving our career development services.