The Manitoba Métis Federation will educate and employ up to 25 Ukrainian newcomers to work in the child care profession after receiving $1 million in funding from the provincial government.
Wayne Ewasko, Manitoba’s Minister of Education and Early Childhood Learning was in Dauphin, Aug. 1, to present the funds to Frances Chartrand, MMF Minister for Early Learning and Child Care.
Noting it is an exciting time for MMF, Chartrand said the initiative is part of a commitment MMF made to the Ukrainian Canadian Congress (UCC)
“We wanted to make sure that we could train 25 Ukrainian refugees in early learning,” she said. “So now we found out that they’re going to have a 140-space childcare centre in the city of Dauphin and the work force is so slim, not inly in the province of Manitoba, not only in the Parkland, but right across Canada. So there’s probably about 300 vacancies in the province of Manitoba. So it’s exciting times that we can help train and then they could learn about the Métis culture, learn the language and are able to sustain their homes and make sure that they can care for their families. So it’s exciting times for us.”
Chartrand said they reached out to local contacts to learn where refugees are located, adding there will be a community townhall in Winnipeg.
Classes, Chartrand said, will be held at the Métis Community Centre in Dauphin, as well as in Winnipeg, with both featuring a mix of Ukrainian refugees and Red River Métis citizens, with training to begin in October.
“So we’re doing intake right now. We met with the Ukrainian Canadian Congress and we’ve met with about 38 Ukrainian refugees in Winnipeg. So we’re doing a call out in the Parkland and the surrounding area and we’re going to try and get a class ready here,” Chartrand said.
The first four to six weeks, Chartrand said, will be teaching the refugees English and about Manitoba and Canada.
The following four to six weeks will be spent learning the Métis culture, followed by 18 months of learning the early learning childcare program.
“I think this is an exciting time and I’m so excited that our province is finally seeing and following our path, making sure that we could find employees to work throughout the province,” Chartrand said.
