Minister of Education, Culture and Employment Charles Dent said Friday the programs are aimed at filling 50 per cent of Nunavut civil service jobs, including half of management positions, with Inuit by the time the territories separate in 1999.
The federal government will contribute $39.8 million to the training programs over the next four years. The Nunavut implementation committee will add another $1.6 million this year.
The funding will fuel the Nunavut Unified Human Resources Development Strategy, a co-operative effort of the Nunavut Implementation Commission, Nunavut Implementation Training Committee, the federal and territorial governments and Nunavut Tunngavik Inc.
Dent said the ultimate goal is a civil service workforce that reflects Nunavut's population, which is 85 per cent Inuit.