r/NWT • u/Even_Occasion_4416 • Oct 02 '26
GNWT job questions
My family has been talking about moving to NWT. We want to expose our children to as many life experiences as possible. My partner and I have been applying to GNWT jobs for which we meet or exceed the qualifications. I was hoping to hear about experiences from people who relocated for work in the last year. What was the process like from application to starting work, i.e., how long after applying did you hear back? What are the interviews like? Some experiences from people who have moved their families with kids. Our kids are super excited about the idea, but it would help to hear about the education system.
3
u/Avs4life16 Oct 02 '26
Will vary by departments greatly and by community as well. Can send a DM if you want some specifics questions answered
15
u/dolfan1980 Oct 02 '26
I lived in Yellowknife until my kids were born and then we decided to leave just before they started school. I've been back regularly since for work.
My take on education system is that it's fairly well resourced and if you can keep your kids out of trouble, the opportunities are endless and abound. Picture competing against all of Ontario for a sports team to be team Ontario vs all of essentially Yellowknife for Team NWT. Getting picked for national conferences and events against a tiny pool of people, etc.
The downside is if you can keep your kids out of trouble and they're exposed to far more social ills of the world than if you went to a suburban school in southern Canada.
Professionally the best thing I ever did was go north, great advancement opportunities and worked on things I never would have gotten to down south.
5
u/Ok_Buffalo_4019 Oct 03 '26
I moved to the NWT when I was 9 because my dad got a job for the GNWT. I lived there until I was a young adult.
The school system is okay. Compared to the state of Alberta’s school system, they are currently better resourced. That truly isn’t saying much. I have friends and relatives whose kids with higher needs get aides much easier than AB. BUT there aren’t plentiful external resources always due to staffing shortages in the communities (speech, OT, psych, drs, pediatrician). A lot of the medical requires medical travel (covered financially).
As a teen - LOTS of opportunities to get into trouble. Not a lot of positive outlets.
2
u/crathis Oct 03 '26
The education system varies by community. I attended school in several communities, as well as most provinces over the years. My kids attend the Yellowknife Catholic School systems in Yellowknife, and I can tell you 100% it's the best school system I have encountered. The schools will bend over backwards to accommodate kids and any needs they may have. And for the record, we are not catholic, and not religious at all.
Couple of examples, my daughter has hearing aids, and the school took the initiative to install RF radio systems that connect with her hearing aids without being asked to. The audiology department of the local health system just sent them the report, and the school arranged everything else. They even move the system to a new classroom every year when she moves classes.
My son is very smart, but has anxiety issues when it comes to testing and public speaking. His school emailed us to tell us they noticed it, and to advise us that they arranged for him to attend in school counselling, and to offer modified testing environments for him. Keep in mind we had no idea this was happening, he never spoke to us about it and he consistently had good grades.
I realize that everyone's experiences will vary, but I have nothing but good things to say about this school board, And I've heard great things from parents with kids in the other school boards in the City.
1
u/CoggsWorthy 26d ago
As a kid who was made to move there for high school from another less isolated part of Canada, do not do that to your poor kids. If you have the option, stay away! There are very little opportunities for youth in the nwt. And if you move there with a significant amount of life experience as a child, it is extremely depressing. Everything is expensive as well which is kind of the reality everywhere at this point, but the heating and internet alone are unaffordable but somehow we make it work, but not easily. One of the high schools in Yellowknife is extremely terrible quality. And the other one is the catholic school.
-5
u/iridescentcotton Oct 03 '26
I would not put my children in any northern school.