Kerry McCluskey
Northern News Services

Iqaluit (Mar 04/02) - A valuable new resource for youth in Nunavut should hit the stands this spring.

Ed McKenna, the director of the community economic development and trade division at the Department of Sustainable Development, said the Nunavut Job Corps Directory is at the translators and should be ready by the end of March.

Co-ordinated by the department, the directory provides detailed contact information concerning educational programs and funding sources available to Nunavut youth within the territory and the rest of Canada.

Once translated, a hard copy will be sent to every hamlet in Nunavut.

It will also be available online.

The idea is that youth or people who work with youth will use the directory to develop projects that spark their interest.

However, what is lacking is an actual warm body who travels to communities to help Nunavummiut write proposals.

By travelling to hamlets and working with youth groups and other interested parties, the former co-ordinator of the Job Corps assisted Nunavummiut in acquiring several hundred thousand youth-related dollars during her one-year term.

Funding for the Job Corps has since dried up and unless it is renewed, all that will be left of the corps is the directory.

McKenna said he is unsure if the needed finances will be included in DSD's next budget.

"We need to have someone familiar with the directory who can talk to the communities," said McKenna. "That's important and invaluable ... somebody needs to help connect the dots and link them to funders."

Sustainable Development Minister Olayuk Akesuk said the Job Corps and the directory are effective, and said he is trying to convince his colleagues to allocate more money in the upcoming budget.

"It's one priority of our department," said Akesuk. "I'm still working on getting the funding."