'Education is one of those issues that's very emotional. It affects people directly and it's often very hard to look at it through a cold analytical lens,' says new Education Minister Patrick Rouble.

The Southern Lakes MLA was handed the portfolio by Premier Dennis Fentie in a swearing-in ceremony on Oct. 28.

A former substitute teacher, adult educator and a holder of a master's degree focused on education administration, Rouble says his background has prepared him for the challenges ahead in the Department of Education.

'I come from a background of teachers,' he adds. 'My mother was a teacher. My aunt was a college professor. My uncle was a high school principal. Teaching is one of those things that gets into your blood.'

Education is an area of government that has a huge impact on people's daily lives, says Rouble, but it also has long-term impacts for society.

'Education isn't one of those things that's static. It's constantly evolving and constantly changing to meet the needs of the community and the needs of the individuals.'

The Yukon Party government has really been working on education reform during its first mandate, says Rouble. It will remain committed to finding out what exactly needs to be addressed in the current education system to best meet the needs of all Yukoners, he adds.

The implementation of full-day kindergarten and the independent learning centre are examples of the steps that have been taken to reform the system, changing the definition of education and ensuring the system is responsive to changing needs, he says.

'When we open up something, we find there are many ways of addressing something and making it better. Sometimes it requires legislative changes and sometimes it's changes to policy and practice.'

This next five-year mandate will be about fine-tuning the system to best satisfy the needs of the territory overall, says Rouble.

The economy must also be looked to in determining the needs of the education system, he says.

The government must ensure people are trained to be able to respond to the opportunities available in the given economic situation, says the minister, pointing to health care, teaching, first nations governance and the arts as examples.

'We're also recognizing we need to have a greater focus on trades and technology.'

During the general election, the Yukon Party announced it would be implementing a comprehensive skills and trade training strategy to meet the challenges of the territory's growing economy.

The initiative will include increasing skills and trades training at Yukon College, working in the private sector to increase the enrolment of the Yukon Apprenticeship Program, a marketing campaign to encourage skilled workers to the territory and encouraging vocational skills as an alternate path of education at the high school level.

'That's an issue that we'll be able to fairly immediately look at satisfying some of the needs of the territory and providing individuals with new career paths and providing new opportunities for growth and development.'

Yukoners need to be made more aware of how exciting a a career in the trades can be, says Rouble. 'They can have a really rewarding and satisfying career in that type of industry.'

Rouble hopes to see a real awakening in Yukoners about the importance and value of education during his tenure as minister.

But some times talking about education can prove challenging for a community, says Rouble.

'When we talk about education, often we're talking about where your son or daughter is going to go to school and who they're going to hang out with and how far they've got to walk and where the bus is. Because it's so closely tied to your family, you can often get very emotional.'

The government will continue to look at needs of the territory in building new schools or doing improvements on others, he says, but there will be limiting factors, including the confines of a budget.

'We all need to ensure that we have the right schools and the right facilities to serve Yukoners and what Yukoners consider priorities.'

Meaningful requirements, the quality of education and the concerns of all stakeholders, including teachers, students, communities and first nation governments must be examined, he says.

Rouble also acknowledges some first nations are discussing drawing down education, but says though he respects that power given in self-government agreements, he doesn't necessarily think it is the best option.

'Certainly from my perspective, we're all better if we work collectively to address the needs of the Yukon.

'We'll provide a much better product for all our students now and in the future if we work collaboratively and cohesively rather than trying to work independently.'

Working with Yukon College and working to develop a vision for post-secondary education in the territory and addressing literacy needs will also be among Rouble's priorities while serving as minister.

'I'm really excited that I can use some of my other skills, abilities and background in my role as Education minister.'

Rouble was first elected in the November 2002 election and served as deputy speaker and the chair for the Workers' Compensation Act review.

Having previously worked for dana Naye Ventures, he has owned and operated several businesses and has a strong belief in education and personal development.

'I'm a big proponent of life-long learning and opening as many doors as you can.

'At no time in life is it time to stop learning. There's always opportunities to learn more and to apply it.'

He says his previous term in the legislative assembly will place him in a strong position for his first term as a minister.

'The experience gained from the last four years was just tremendous.'

Rouble says he now has a better understanding of the needs of a community and also how the government works in striving to reach goals.

'What I'd really like to see is people awakening to the excitement and the opportunities education provides,' he says.