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Summer Camps Connecting Rural Youth to Careers in the Skilled Trades: Premier Selinger

PORTAGE LA PRAIRIE—Hundreds of Manitoba youth are gaining awareness and exposure to the skilled trades through the Manitoba government’s new Building for Tomorrow summer program, Premier Greg Selinger said here today as part of the Skills and Jobs Tour.

“This summer, many of our children have new opportunities to have fun while learning about a potential future career in various trades including construction and transportation, trade and technology, hospitality and the culinary arts,” said Premier Selinger.  “Our government is focused on helping families and youth in exploring the many paths to good jobs and rewarding careers right here in Manitoba, and starting that conversation while kids are still in school.”

The province is supporting more than a dozen new camps during the summer delivered by a variety of business, community and educational partners.  Today the premier visited  Red River College’s Portage la Prairie campus, which is offering two one-week programs, introducing a total of 32 Aboriginal youth from grades 6 to 8 to various skilled trades.

Other camps happening this summer include:

• University College of the North offering 80 Aboriginal youth in grades 7 to 9 in Flin Flon with the basic skills needed for a successful career in the skilled trades;
• Career Trek Inc., in partnership with the Manitoba Construction Sector Council and Winnipeg Technical College, providing 24 Grade 9 youth exposure to the carpentry trade;
• Assiniboine Community College offering 15 grades 6 to 8 participants introductory experiences in carpentry or culinary arts; and
• Winnipeg Aboriginal Sport and Recreation Association Inc., in partnership with Red River College, offering 15 Aboriginal youth in grades 9 and 10 with an opportunity to experience different trades with a special focus on the culinary trades, learning about the apprenticeship training model and participants will receive certified food-handler training and workplace hazard information system training.

“As Manitoba continues to make record investments in infrastructure, there is an ongoing need to ensure Manitobans have the skills they need to take advantage of the jobs and opportunities these investments will create.  The new student apprenticeship work experience program supports this by creating new opportunities for students to gain experience with the Manitoba government toward an apprenticeship in the trades such as carpentry, plumbing, electrical, mechanics and landscaping,” said Premier Selinger.