Darrell Greer
Northern News Services

RANKIN INLET (Sep 22/99) - Adult-orientated classes delivered across the Kivalliq Region are on hold as Nunavut Arctic College continues to wait for funding approval through the new Aboriginal Training Fund.

Bob Berthiaume, campus director in Rankin Inlet, says the college has two sources of funding, the Nunavut Government and third-party funders such as Kivalliq Partners in Development.

He says government funding enables the operation of the Community Learning Centre in Rankin and provides the necessary support for adult-orientated upgrading and an adult educator.

"Third-party funding sponsors programs for delivery," says Berthiaume.

"At this moment, there is no funding approved for the proposals submitted for adult-orientated programs in the region, such as workplace literacy, adult lifeskills, etc."

Berthiaume says there was $200,000 granted to Rankin last year and $500,000 for the entire region.

So far this year, the region has received $0.

"Student training will be delayed. Hopefully, some programs will start in January, enabling us to give half a year's instruction rather than the full year. This affects the entire Kivalliq Region.

"We're hoping to hear something soon. The longer the delay, the greater the implications for students arriving at campus."

A total of 179 students were served in Rankin last year, with more than 150 coming through third-party funding.

Although the situation is quickly becoming critical, Berthiaume says it hasn't reached the point where students have been permanently affected -- yet!

"If we receive the go-ahead by the end of September to mid-October, it will not be impossible to carry on the deliveries successfully.

"We could still pick up the training requirements, but, if we don't hear anything by November or December, that will be a different story."

Kivalliq Partners in Development spokesperson, Jessie Kaludjak, says the final paperwork on the old funding agreement which expired March 31, 1999, was sent to HRDC about two weeks ago.

"A five-year agreement, The Aboriginal Training Fund, was signed and approved on May 26," said Kaludjak.

"We have a number of proposals sent to us under the program. Once the funding arrives, our board will meet to decide which proposals meet the criteria and then we'll notify the recipients."

Mary Jane Adams is HRDC's acting director for Nunavut and says work is ongoing on the funding process.

"My understanding is that it's a case of completing paperwork on the old agreement and then work will begin on the new agreement," says Adams.

"We haven't run into any snags or difficulties with the process as far as I know.

"We have to close out the old agreement before new funding can begin."