Federal government provides funding for Manitoba job skills training for underrepresented groups

Winnipeg – The Canadian government announced it will provide $3.8 million in Workplace Education Manitoba through its Skills for Success program begun in 2021 to help meet the training needs of underrepresented groups in the labour market.

WEM’s Workplace Connections project will help 120 people become certified Skills for Success practitioners. As practitioners, they will design and deliver employer-focused skills training, tailored to the specific needs of 60 different workplaces, predominantly in manufacturing. About 500 workers across Canada, including in Manitoba, will benefit from this training, Employment and Social Development Canada said in a news release.

Launched in May 2021, the Skills for Success program focuses on nine foundational and transferable skills that Canadians need to participate, adapt and thrive in learning, work and life. They include foundational skills like writing, reading and numeracy, and socio-emotional skills – the human skills required for effective social interaction, such as collaboration, communication, problem solving, adaptability, and creativity and innovation.

The Skills for Success program is helping address Canada’s immediate and long-term training needs, particularly for underrepresented groups in the labour market, including Indigenous Peoples, persons with disabilities and racialized Canadians. The government estimates that projects funded by the Skills for Success program will contribute to 90,000 job training opportunities.

The federal government previously committed to create 500,000 new training and work opportunities for Canadians.