March 10, 2011
Premier Announces New Funding to Expand, Modernize Technical Vocational Learning
The highly successful Technical Vocation Initiative (TVI) will be invigorated with over $6.4 million in new funding to help give students the tools and skills they need to meet the growing demand for workers who posses technical vocational skills, Premier Greg Selinger announced today.
“Our government realizes that business and industry are rapidly changing and technology is an economic driver and a vital part of Manitoba’s future,” Selinger said. “The potential for success in the high-tech sector is limitless, and, with every new innovation and high-tech invention, the demand for skilled workers will continue to outstrip the supply of available workers.
“With the economic recovery underway, the need for skilled labour will become even more pressing. Today, we are investing over $6.4 million to help prepare our students to meet those demands and challenges.”
The premier said the four-year program initiative will build on the success already achieved through TVI and expand to new focus areas including:
- increasing technical-vocational education opportunities and access to northern and remote communities;
- ensuring a sustainability focus including green technologies, and alternative and renewable energy sources that will focus on programming in energy-efficient and sustainable technologies with emphasis on geothermal, biomass, solar and wind; and
- continuing to work closely with education and industry partners to ensure curriculum will be directly related to world-class, cutting-edge resources for students and professional staff.
In addition, targeted equipment upgrades will be made to ensure students are working with the most current, state-of-the art equipment, the premier noted.
“TVI has improved high-school technical-vocation programming through the development of new standards that meet industry requirements. Our high-school, college and university students are able to study robotics, aeronautical design and video-game development and design because they have the access to industry grade technology and equipment,” said Selinger.
According to recent studies, it is predicted that over the next 10 years, 75 per cent of jobs will require technical post-secondary education other than a university degree. And in the next two decades, 40 per cent of new jobs will be in skilled trades and technology. In 1998, that number was less than 20 per cent.
“Since TVI’s inception in 2004, we have seen an astounding 324 per cent enrolment increase in the High School Apprenticeship Option. That tells me that we are on the right track. We are developing and supporting programs and initiatives that keep our youth interested, in school and with a keen eye on their future careers,” Selinger said.
- 30 -