Meaningful employment should exist in all communities throughout the NWT.

This work will be co-led by the Department of Education, Culture and Employment and the Department of Industry, Tourism and Investment, with support from the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation (NWTHC) and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources.

What we will do:

1. Increase seasonal, part-time, and full-time employment in small communities by 125 jobs

2. Prepare residents for current and future job and business development opportunities

3. Support small communities in developing skilled tradespeople

How we will do it:

1.a. Create a working group to review existing employment opportunities and develop new programs that prepare NWT residents from small communities for job opportunities

1.b. In collaboration with Indigenous governments, support new employment, including opportunities associated with established and candidate Protected Areas

1.c. Amend policies to allow appropriate home business opportunities within NWTHC-owned units

2.a. Develop new mentorship programs to support emerging entrepreneurs

2.b. Introduce a new program to fund and support community-led makerspaces

3.a. NWTHC will leverage opportunities that encourage residents of small communities to learn a trade

How we will demonstrate progress:

1.a. Working group is established (Winter 2020)

1.b. 30 new jobs (Fall 2020); 30 new jobs (Fall 2021); 30 new jobs (Fall 2022); and 35 new jobs (Fall 2023)

1.c. Tenants in NWTHC units have access to home business opportunities (Summer 2020)

2.a. Mentorship program in place (Fall 2022) 

2.b. Makerspace Program developed (Fall 2021)

2.c. Three Makerspaces implemented in communities (Fall 2023)

3.a. Number of journeypersons and apprentices in small communities identified and increased by 15%