Manitoba women in trades receive bursaries to become vocational teachers

Ten Manitoba women known as leaders in the trades are receiving bursaries from the provincial government so they can become qualified vocational teachers.

The journeypeople are receiving a combined total of $55,000 in bursaries to complete the technical vocational teacher education diploma program at Red River College.

This initiative aims to train women who are leaders in their trades to share their knowledge with future generations.

"If we want to continue to have one of the strongest economies in the nation, we need women in all trades to do well," Jobs and the Economy Minister Kevin Chief told reporters in Winnipegon Wednesday.

"We have to make sure that all women and young women get a tap on the shoulder with a strong message 'There's no job you can't get' and make sure they recognize that they can be our future construction workers, our future welders, our future mechanics, and that's what this program isabout."

The women who are receiving the bursaries include an automotive service technician, a cabinet maker, a construction electrician, a chef, a heavy-duty equipment technician, an industrial mechanic, a motor-vehicle body repairer (metal and paint) and three welders.

Five of the recipients are completing an accelerated one-year program at the college, while the other five are completing the program part-time, according to the province.

The initiative is a response to recommendations made by the Apprenticeship and Certification Board following a forum in 2014 called Building Bridges: Increasing Women in the Trades.