A significant portion of last week’s $3.5 million funding announcement by the governments of Canada and Manitoba to extend the Skills for Success Program, will provide additional support to Red River College Polytechnic’s Nurse Re-Entry program. The Skills for Success Program supports foundational training and adult literacy to ensure Manitobans have the skills required to succeed in a changing economy. Through the project, Manitoba Advanced Education and Training has earmarked more than $2.2 million for the College to continue its role as one of the largest trainers for healthcare professionals in the province.

“This funding will allow RRC Polytech to build upon its proud reputation for training and upskilling frontline care providers by adding to the number of available and prepared nurses in the province,” said Debbie O’Donnell Weigelt, Dean, School of Health Sciences and Community Services at RRC Polytech. “The College is so grateful for our partners in government and across the sector who continue to work together to address the ever-evolving needs of Manitobans.”

RRC Polytech’s Nurse Re-Entry program assists previously registered nurses educated in Canada and internationally to return to active practice. The 14-month training program, delivered primarily in person, is designed to specifically address knowledge gaps in nursing theory, skills and practice standards so that registered nurses can meet current entry level competencies in Manitoba. The final term includes a clinical site practicum to consolidate learning and provide practical experience under present working conditions. The program also serves previously and currently registered nurses for the purpose of professional development.

The Skills for Success Program, launched in 2021, will also support the renewal of Adult Learning and Literacy’s Manitoba Stages Framework content, which guides instruction for adult learners with diverse goals.

The Skills for Success Program provides funding to organizations, employers, provinces and territories to develop assessment and training tools and test, replicate and scale training approaches, with a focus on groups under-represented in the workplace.

Manitoba’s Skills for Success projects will run until March 2024 and will help address Manitoba’s long-term training needs for individuals, including under-represented groups such as youth, newcomers, Indigenous Peoples and people with disabilities.

For more info or to apply to the Nurse Re-Entry program, please visit RRC.ca.

For more information on the Government of Canada’s Skills for Success program, visit  https://canada.ca/en/services/jobs/training/initiatives/skills-success.html. 

For more information on the wide range of labour market services available to Manitobans, visit  https://www.gov.mb.ca/wd/ites/index.html.