May 7, 2015
Budget 2015 Invests in Skills Training for Students in Dauphin and Surrounding Communities
– – –Expansion, Renovation, New Equipment at Area Schools will Create More Opportunities for Students to Train for Good Jobs in Manitoba: Premier Selinger
DAUPHIN—Students at MacKenzie Middle School can look forward to a major expansion and renovation to the school’s industrial arts and wood working shop, thanks to the Manitoba government’s Skill Build Shops fund, Premier Greg Selinger announced here today.
“Our government is investing in projects that will give students more opportunities to learn and develop the skills they need to get good jobs available right here in Manitoba,” said Premier Selinger. “With these improvements to MacKenzie Middle School, students will gain foundational technical skills and be better prepared for the apprenticeship or accredited training opportunities when they move to high school and beyond.”
MacKenzie Middle School is a grade 7 to 8 school with English, French immersion and Ukrainian programs for 247 students. As part of the capital project, 3,273-sq.-ft. of industrial arts space will be renovated, including new exhaust and ventilation, shops, millwork, a new paint booth and new equipment.
“The renovation of this beautiful old building affords us the opportunity to move forward with our goal to create a middle school environment with modern amenities for our grade 6 to 8 student population within the city of Dauphin,” said Della Perih, board chair, Mountain View School Division.
The Manitoba government is also investing more than $47,000 in new equipment for the automotive and carpentry programs at Dauphin Regional Comprehensive Secondary School (DRCSS) through the Skills Strategy Equipment Enhancement Fund, Premier Selinger added.
He noted this funding will support the apprenticeship certified programming by purchasing:
- a new, industry-standard Challenger 4 post-hoist system complete with a closed-front alignment package for the automotive shop; and
- state-of-the-art edge bander, spindle line boring machine and workbenches for the carpentry program to allow students to construct projects in a safe and efficient manner and expand into the area of cabinetry production.
The Manitoba government has launched a comprehensive skills strategy with targeted investments in schools to provide students with access to state-of-the-art equipment that will create a pathway to post-secondary education and good jobs, the premier said.
This includes:
- a $30-million Skill Build Shops fund to build and expand trades and skills shops in high schools;
- a $2-million career development fund to ensure students leave high school with a good idea of where they want to go and how to get there, whether it is through a university, college, work placement or on-the-job training and apprenticeship; and
- a $1.5-million Skill Build Equipment fund to upgrade classrooms to an apprenticeship-accredited level and bring welding, electrical, carpentry and culinary arts equipment into schools.
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