Skip to main content

The University College of the North and post-secondary education in northern Manitoba

Wednesday May 9, I asked the Minister of Education and Training, in Estimates about education in northern Manitoba and the use of the internet and other means of learning in the north. 

Mr. Gerrard: There was a dream at one point that  the University College of the North might provide that window of opportunity for northern communities [A one-window shop for access to education for northerners that uses the internet in a major way to help people get education in their own communities], but it doesn't seem to have happened the way that it could have done.
      I wonder if the minister would comment.
Mr. Wishart: I appreciate the questions and certainly, we know that there are some challenges at University College of the North in terms of–their enrolment numbers haven't shown the growth that I think we all hoped would take place.
      And we have a new board in place and a new president in place who has very strong connections with some of the industries in the North, and so we're looking for opportunities to build that, particularly on the college's side. That was actually–and the college's review–perhaps the member's had a chance to have a look at that–has demonstrated that there is some real challenges in the numbers, particularly in the North when it comes to number of students that we're getting into the college's program.
      That was one of the things, I think, that we learned from the whole college's review–is that, as a province, we haven't been gaining ground as quickly as many other provinces on the percentage of our population that have a college education. So that points out areas that we would like to work with.
      Much of the shortfall was very regional in nature, in particular with rural and remote being the challenged areas. So we know that we need to look at that and try and make sure that services or college opportunities are more widely distributed in the–in  rural communities, whether they be southern or whether they be northern, because, frankly, there were some gaps in the southern ones too, which is not–not for the same reasons. I suspect it's not a remoteness issue as much as it's a service-delivery issue there.
      So we're looking for opportunities to do that, and I am certainly committed to doing that.
      We want to growth–grow our preparedness in terms of a well‑trained workforce. It's what we need in the province of Manitoba. It's one of the things that we need not only for our own success ongoing, because if we have the baby boom aging out, we've got to replace an awful lot of people just on that, but we know that we want to be able to attract good private industry to invest in Manitoba.
      So, I know the member would like to ask some more.
Mr. Gerrard: It is–seemed to me that there is an opportunity to have courses which are partly over the Internet and partly bring students into centres like Thompson or, you know, Flin Flon for the mining academy or what have you and that we're not blending or integrating the opportunities very well.
      And I think that the minister could do a significant benefit to people in the North by looking at more flexible opportunities in which you blend Internet base for part of the course and hands-on learning for the other parts of the course.
      I think that we really have an opportunity to do a much better job than we are doing at the moment, and I hope the minister takes that opportunity because, you know, so far, you know, we haven't done nearly as well as I think we might be able to do.
Mr. Wishart: Well, I appreciate the member's question. Certainly, we're prepared to look at that. And sort of the mixed delivery model is–
Mr. Chairperson: The hour being 5 p.m., committee rise.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Comparison between Manitoba and South Dakota shows dramatic impact of Physical Distancing

Manitoba implemented physical distancing measures in mid-March.  South Dakota has still not made physical distancing mandatory.   The result is a dramatic difference in the incidence of covid-19 viral infections between the two jurisdictions.   This graph shows the number of people with Covid-19 infections from March 27 to April 14.  Manitoba ( red line )  started leveling off about April 4 and has seen only a small increase in Covid-19 infections since then.   South Dakota ( blue line )   has seen a dramatic increase in Covid-19 infections since April 4.  Those who are skeptical of the impact of physical distancing in Manitoba should look at this graph! Data are from the Johns Hopkins daily tabulations

Manitoba Liberal accomplishments

  Examples of Manitoba Liberal accomplishments in the last three years Ensured that 2,000 Manitoba fishers were able to earn a living in 2020   (To see the full story click on this link ). Introduced a bill that includes retired teachers on the Pension Investment Board which governs their pension investments. Introduced amendments to ensure school aged children are included in childcare and early childhood education plans moving forward. Called for improvements in the management of the COVID pandemic: ·          We called for attention to personal care homes even before there was a single case in a personal care home. ·            We called for a rapid response team to address outbreaks in personal care homes months before the PCs acted.  ·          We called for a science-based approach to preparing schools to   improve ventilation and humidity long before the PCs acted. Helped hundreds of individuals with issues during the pandemic including those on social assistance

We need a more precise and detailed provincial plan to address the coronoavirus - Covid-19

With increasing evidence that the coronavirus Covid-19 is spreading globally, it is important that Manitoba have a clear plan to deal with a number of critical issues.  Having a clear plan will reduce people's anxiety and allow people to better plan individually.  So far the Pallister government either has not fully planned for Covid-19, or it has not released its plan.  We put out a press release this morning calling for the release of such a clear plan by the province.  Manitoba Liberals: The Time for a Coronavirus Plan is Now WINNIPEG – With new coronavirus cases emerging in South Korea, Italy and elsewhere around the world, Manitoba Liberals say the Manitoba Government needs to show they are ready with a plan to ensure Manitobans stay as safe as possible in the likely case that the virus reaches Manitoba. The virus has been spreading around the world, with 82,000 cases and nearly 3,000 deaths. While it started in China, there have been recent outbreaks in South Kore