Manitoba Public Insurance (MPI) is expanding its Driver Z high school education program with condensed summer courses aimed at rural communities like Portage la Prairie. The initiative, which compresses 12 weeks of training into five, aims to address high demand and limited capacity outside Winnipeg.
Condensed courses prioritize rural participation
Tara Seel, MPI’s media and public relations lead, says the program’s summer rollout targets students aged 15½ and older. Last year’s pilot offered 72 seats, but 204 are available this year.
“We’re offering these condensed programs during July and August when students aren’t in school,” she notes.
Seel adds that registrants must complete coursework without missing sessions.
“You can’t miss any of the classes without exception,” she says. “It’s quite a demanding course, but it reduces the overall time commitment.”
Pre-registration steps critical for smooth enrollment
Prospective students must register as MPI customers and purchase the Driver Z program before May 28.
“Go to your local service center or broker with a parent and ID to sign up as a customer,” Seel continues.
Completing these steps early avoids delays on registration day, when phone lines and centers face high traffic.
The Portage la Prairie course runs from July 2 to 29, blending virtual lessons with in-car training. Seel directs families to MPI’s website for detailed schedules but stresses the condensed format’s intensity.
“There are online components outside scheduled hours, but it’s all within a smaller timeframe.”
Safety campaigns coincide with program expansion
While MPI focuses on expanding Driver Z, Seel mentions concurrent initiatives like Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month and “Move Over, Slow Down” campaigns. The agency continues recruiting driving instructors to further scale the program.
“We’d love to offer this even more widely,” Seel says. “But it depends on having enough trained instructors.”
For now, the summer rollout remains a key step in addressing rural demand.
Seel stresses the first two steps of registering as an MPI customer before May 28 and visit a local broker with a parent and ID to sign up. Registrations must be completed in advance to make things far less stressful in your efforts to register.