N.W.T. gov't spent $32M on training workers, many of whom left

The N.W.T. government spent$32.3 million in five yearson continuing education and training, but only 56.6per cent of employees who benefitedstill work for the territorial government, and the governmentdoesn't know if or how much of the other half are even working in the territory now.

"That seems like a very large amount of money to spend on thoseindividuals,"saidBobBromley, the former MLA forWeledeh.

"I think it's time for a critical look to see if the taxpayer is getting a return on this investment."

Undercollective agreementswith the N.W.T.'s Department of Human Resources, government employees working in all departments can have part or all of their salaries paid while they attend university, college or a technical institute. The aim is for employees to gain skills and knowledgetheir departments think they lack, and for those employees to return to work for the government.

The government also offers employees a range ofin-house and farmed-out professional development and training, plus opportunities to attend conferences.

Between 2010 and 2014, the government spent:

• $3.7 million on salary allowancesfor people pursuing higher education under the education leave program.While some employees on education leave do not have their salaries covered, others are eligible to have 50, 60, 75 or 100 per cent of their salaries covered while they attend school;
• and $28.6 million on professional development and training.This can includethe costoftuition,travel,textbooks,conferences,workshops andcourse fees, as well asfees for membership in professional associations.

Here's the full year-by-year breakdown, as reported in the government's Public Service Annual Reports:

Not necessarily leaving N.W.T.

In all, 364 employees were funded under those categories.But only 206 of those people, or56.6per cent,were still working for the territorial government as of the end of October.

"Others may have gone on to work for other levels of government or other organizations within the territory- N.W.T. Department of Human Resources

The government said not all of those who left the territorial government necessarily left the N.W.T.

"Others may have gone on to work for other levels of government or other organizations within the territory, thus increasing the overall capacity of the N.W.T. workforce," saidJackie Bell,a spokeswoman for the Department of Human Resources.

The retention rate is considerably higher when youlook onlyat workers whose salaries are covered under the education leave program. Of 107 people in who got salaries while on education leave between 2010 and 2014, 82 (or 76per cent) remain with the government.

But spending on education leave salaries rose by 97 per cent between 2011 and 2014.

Employees need to sign leave of absence

Employees applying for education leave need to have performed their job to a "satisfactory" degree and need to have worked for the government for three years, though the latter requirement "may be waived in unusual circumstances," according to onecollective agreement.

"In any situation where you have a perk like that or a situation where somebody is getting a benefit," said WendyBisaro, the former MLA for Frame Lake, "there's always going to be one or two individualswho are going to want to take advantage of that benefit and sort of cut the corners and maybe get their financial advantage after having not worked here for very long and then just do the bare minimum in terms ofcommitmentback to the job after the educational leave is done."

"Then they leave the North or leave the job."

Applicants for education leave are endorsed by the deputy minister of their department or the president or CEO of their agency,and have to "sign and abide by the terms and conditions of the leave of absence agreement with the employer."

The CBC requested a sample leave of absence agreement as well as a list of the schools and programsemployees have attended but the government did not provide those details.

"We do not release the personal information of employees," Bell said.

Both the Department of Industry, Tourism and Investment and the N.W.T. Arts Council disclose, by name, many recipients of government grants and contributions.

Collective agreementdue for renewalamidst fiscal crunch

A web page about education leave said that employees must return to work for the government for at least one year per year of study. Summer government employment between school years counts toward that.

For employees funded for training or professional development, there's an obligation "to return after leave towork for the public service in the Northwest Territories for a period equivalent to the leave," per the government's collective agreement with the Union of Northern Workers.

The U.N.W.'s collective agreement with the government has provided for education leave since the 1980s.

That agreement is up for renewal at the end of March.

Cabinet ministers have repeatedly said that in the coming years, government spending will have to reflect a projected decline in government revenues.

"Our human resources costs are the single biggest costs in the government," Finance Minister Michael Miltenberger said in September.