NUNAVUT
A new Nunavut Inuit Training Corporation has been created to increase the number of Inuit in government positions.

Judas Shappa, who trained at the Operating Engineers Training Institute of Ontario, now works at the Baffinland Iron Mine Corporation's iron ore mine at Mary River. - photo courtesy Ron Elliott

The new organization, which has been given $175 million in funding, was created due to the terms of an agreement to terminate a $1 billion lawsuit Nunavut Tunngavik Inc. (NTI) launched against the

Government of Canada.

The corporation, a joint initiative between NTI and the Government of Nunavut, was officially incorporated Oct. 9 and was announced near the close of NTI's annual general meeting at Apex near Iqaluit on Oct. 22.

"Through the creation of the Nunavut Inuit Training Corporation, NTI made a huge commitment toward implementation of NLCA Article 23, which calls for Inuit to be employed by government at a representational level," said NTI president Cathy Towtongie. "This means Inuit should hold at least 85 per cent of government positions. The new corporation will provide NTI with the means to prepare Inuit to achieve this target."

NTI committed to spend $175 million of the settlement compensation to create the training corporation, which will provide Inuit with training opportunities to enter the government workforce, and to obtain higher level positions in that workforce.

Premier Peter Taptuna took part in the joint announcement and said, "the GN is committed to improving Inuit employment and helping Inuit gain the skills they need to obtain meaningful employment in the territory and across the country."

The Nunavut Inuit Training Corporation's board of directors includes Towtongie, NTI vice-president James Eetoolook, Kitikmeot Inuit Association president Stanley Anablak, Kivalliq Inuit Association president David Ningeongan, Qikiqtani Inuit Association president PJ Akeeagok, Taptuna and Education Minister Paul Quassa.

The need to improve Inuit employment is reflected in labour statistics gathered by Statistics Canada.

In the last Statistics Canada report on the territory's labour force, the number of Inuit in the labour force rose from 10,700 in September 2014 to 11,400 in September of this year, an increase of 500 Inuit. However, the number of Inuit employed only rose by 200 persons.

The number of Inuit who participated in the labour force fell from 8,000 to 7,800.

This led to the unemployment rate for the Inuit population in Nunavut rising from 19.4 per cent in September of last year to 22.7 per cent for the same month this year, a change of 3.3 per cent.

Both the participation and employment rates of Nunavut's Inuit population are much lower than its non-Inuit population.

In that same Statistics Canada report, the participation rate of the territory's Inuit population is 59.5 per cent. By comparison, the non-Inuit population has a participation rate of 86.7 per cent.

The difference in employment rate between the two groups is even greater.

Only 46 per cent of Nunavut's Inuit population is employed compared to 84.6 per cent of its non-Inuit population.

- with files from Michele LeTourneau