June 28, 2023
Manitoba Government Invests in New Manufacturing Training Institute
– – –New Institute of Advanced Manufacturing and Mechatronics at Red River College Polytechnic Positions Manitoba Manufacturers for Growth, Innovation: Ministers
Manitoba manufacturers will soon have a new talent pool of skilled workers trained in the advanced technologies needed to fill in-demand jobs and grow Manitoba’s second largest industry, Advanced Education and Training Minister Sarah Guillemard and Economic Development, Investment and Trade Minister Jeff Wharton announced today.
The Manitoba government is providing $4.86 million over the next three years to help establish the new Price Institute of Advanced Manufacturing and Mechatronics at Red River College Polytechnic, which will support companies by ensuring Manitoba’s manufacturing workforce is knowledgeable and proficient in the technologies revolutionizing operations across the sector.
“As we work to integrate more and more digital technologies into manufacturing products and processes, there’s a complementary need for highly-trained and skilled workers to ensure the sector’s success,” said Guillemard. “The Manitoba government is pleased to provide ongoing support for Red River College Polytechnic’s new Price Institute of Advanced Manufacturing and Mechatronics to deliver the sophisticated training needed by Manitoba’s manufacturing workforce.”
Designed in consultation with industry, the Price Institute will train and upskill both new graduates and post-graduates as well as existing manufacturing employees. It will provide two new post-graduate diplomas in mechatronics and advanced manufacturing, which full-time students will be able to complete over two, full-time 15-week terms or over two years of part-time study.
The institute will also offer industry-specific micro-credential courses to provide rapid, targeted training of existing employees, as well as give manufacturers opportunities to work with RRC Polytech in applied research to evaluate and integrate new digital technologies into their operations.
“The Price Institute of Advanced Manufacturing and Mechatronics will build momentum in Manitoba’s manufacturing sector, allowing RRC Polytech to bridge critical skills and labour gaps, spur applied research activities within the sector’s many small-to medium-enterprise employers, and foster an innovation ecosystem where industry-education partnerships shift technological disruption from threats to opportunities,” said Fred Meier, president and CEO, Red River College Polytechnic. “The Manitoba government’s investment in the Price Institute, along with a visionary commitment from Dr. Gerry Price and Barb Price and support from the Government of Canada, will support RRC Polytech to usher in a new era of opportunity for one of Manitoba’s most-valued sectors.”
Manufacturing is Manitoba’s second largest source of private-sector employment, employing approximately 68,000 people or 10 per cent of the provincial workforce. The industry contributes approximately $6 billion to Manitoba’s gross domestic product, representing approximately 10 per cent of Manitoba’s total economic output.
In 2022, Manitoba’s manufacturing unemployment rate was 1.9 per cent, well below the provincial rate of 4.6 per cent.
“Manufacturing is integral to Manitoba’s economy, with 7,900 job openings expected over the next five years,” said Wharton. “Equipping workers with the skills for these in-demand jobs will ensure a steady workforce to keep pace with our economic growth, and allow manufacturers to adopt the technologies essential to building and sustaining their businesses.”
For more information, visit www.rrc.ca/priceinstitute.
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