Last week, the Economic Development, Investment and Trade Minister Cliff Cullen announced a $516, 000 investment for Regional Connections to address the workforce shortage in the Pembina Valley.
In a Press Release, Minister Cullen stated, "Our government’s investment will enable Regional Connections to provide project-based employment services so unemployed and underemployed Manitobans living in the Pembina Valley can receive short-term skills development and on-the-job training to find and maintain purposeful employment."
Regional Connections Employment Program Coordinator Jessica Lopez explained how the money will be used.
"About half of this funding is really to support and to continue programs in Regional Connections that are already well established and have a great track record, but also we're happy to see that now we have more capacity to do more work. We just launched a new program called the "Gateway to Work Experience for Newcomers," or GWEN, and so part of that funding will go to that."
Two new programs are closely linked as the Employer-Driven Curriculum Development Project supports the GWEN project. According to the press release, the GWEN project aims to fill positions in the welding, manufacturing and hospitality sectors in the Pembina Valley. Lopez said these programs are designed to address the larger gaps in employable or transferable skills some newcomers, especially refugees may have when coming to Canada.
While Regional Connections is a settlement service, providing support for newcomers to Canada, Lopez said their employment services are the exception to that rule.
"The employment program really is for everybody, not just for newcomers to Canada or newcomers to Manitoba, but we work with everybody who is at least 18 years old. If you are unemployed or an underemployed job seeker, if you're someone who is just looking for support in terms of resume and cover letters, and you're looking to switch careers or looking for maybe a skills upgrade or training or language training, even to help you get ahead in the workplace, then come to us."
The goal is for these projects to serve nearly 400 underemployed or unemployed Manitobans from the Pembina Valley. Lopez emphasized the staff at Regional Connections are focused on removing the barriers people face when trying to find a job, or a job in their area of experience, adding, many newcomers are skilled and very educated people but need support to navigate the system.
"Sometimes when you are out there looking for work, and you're not familiar with the culture and the employment landscape, and you don't know people, it's really, really hard to find employment, especially if you're not fluent in English yet, and other barriers as well could come into play. Here at Regional Connections, through this funding, we're able to give them the confidence and support they need to find success in the workplace."
