Manitoba will build on its success in increasing apprenticeship and trades opportunities for more Manitobans and grow Manitoba’s skilled workforce through a new program called Skill Build.
The announcement was made by Education Minister Nancy Allan and Entrepreneurship, Training and Trade Minister Peter Bjornson, who also noted that Skill Build will upgrade and equip more industrial arts classrooms in rural Manitoba for apprenticeship training.
“We all know of the growing demand for skilled workers. Training in trades means access to better jobs and with the Skill Build program we’ll help more students get valuable hands-on learning opportunities and get ready to make the transition to trades training,” said Allan. “Bringing more technical vocational programming into our classrooms in rural communities will allow students to learn and contribute to their local community and economy.”
The minister announced the province will provide $200,000 over the next two years to rural and northern school divisions to upgrade their facilities and buy new equipment such as plasma cutters, small-engine diagnostic equipment and welding simulators.
“It’s never been easier to become an apprentice. With new tax incentives, we’re encouraging more businesses to hire apprentices and provide on-the-job training. We’re bringing training opportunities closer to rural and northern Manitobans and today we’re helping more high school students make the jump to good jobs in trades, as we move toward our target of adding 75,000 more workers to the labour force by 2020,” said Bjornson.
Students across Manitoba are getting new opportunities to begin training in the trades through the High School Apprenticeship Program and through integrating education and training programs with hands-on work experience, mentorships and career development programs, the ministers said. Enrolment in tech-voc programs has increased by 14 per cent in over the last six years, while participation in the high school apprenticeship program has also increased by over 325 per cent over the past four years as a direct result of the support and involvement of the Technical Vocational Initiative, they added.
The Skill Build program is a component of the Rural and Northern Apprenticeship Training Strategy that includes:
• a new business start program to help new rural journeypeople start their own businesses;
• further development of online initiatives allowing access to services such as applications, course registration and payment, and additional trades training courses;
• investment in mobile training labs in partnership with Red River College, allowing trades learning to reach more rural and northern communities; and
• additional apprentice hiring incentives for levels one and two apprentices, effectively doubling incentives for rural employers.
