The province has agreed a working group of industry and social enterprise organizations is necessary to help ensure job training programs are aligned with the labour shortages and needs of the construction industry.
The commitment is an outcome of a May 15 meeting with Advance Education and Training Minister Sarah Guillemard and Economic Development Industry & Trade Minister Jeff Wharton regarding the need to see job training programs, many of which are funded provincially, align with the skills and jobs in demand in the construction industry. The meeting was attended by the MHCA, Winnipeg Construction Association, Build Inc., Manitoba Building Trades, Manitoba Construction Sector Council and Purpose Construction.
“Aligning the training and education programs with the market realities is the best way of ensuring those who are seeking to enter the job market have the skills and entry-level knowledge that set them up not just for a job but meaningful, lasting careers,” MHCA President and CEO Chris Lorenc said.
The coalition of organizations joined to ask the ministers to set up a working group to scope out the way such an alignment can happen. The meeting was in response to the City of Winnipeg’s social procurement plan, which will see all procurement of goods and services include requirements of hiring individuals from defined equity groups.
Equity groups include Indigenous, racially diverse, LGBTQ2S+, women and those struggling to enter the job market.
Guillemard asked the group to come back to her department with the specific terms of reference for such a working group, including representatives, objectives and final outcomes.
