9°c Light rain showers
15°c Mainly sunny
Winnipeg Free Press - PRINT EDITION
Teaching positions available elsewhere
Slim pickings here for education graduates
Recruitment consultants Errol and Donna Harris (right) speak with Stacey Matsumoto (far left) and Joelynn Tyschinski at Education Exposition 2010 at the University of Manitoba on Monday. (WAYNE.GLOWACKI@FREEPRESS.MB.CA )
The good news for graduating education students: there are lots of teaching jobs.
The bad news: they may not be around here.
Saskatoon, lots of jobs there. Same with the Yukon.
And schools in China and Egypt offer the incentive of teaching the Manitoba curriculum, having familiar principals, and letting Manitoba teachers rack up seniority just as if they were teaching in Manitoba schools.
The annual Education Exposition job fair at the University of Manitoba was missing some regulars Monday.
Winnipeg School Division held its own recruiting session last month. There was no sign of Frontier or Brandon school divisions, no Edmonton or Calgary, and no Ontario employers -- Toronto, the Durham Region megaburbs, and northwestern Ontario came for many years. This year, only Saskatoon and the Yukon came looking for 150 and 100 teachers, respectively.
Manitoba divisions aren't offering contracts yet, graduating students said. Divisions don't know how many teachers will retire, and with tough budget decisions for trustees, don't know how many openings they'll be allowed to fill.
"We're not going to add positions. You'll be lucky to hold what you have, based on the (provincial) funding announcement," said Tim Mendel, superintendent of Altona-based Border Land School Division.
"It's sounding like they're hiring less teachers this year," said U of M education student Heidi Dirks, a history and geography specialist who went to Fort Richmond Collegiate. "It's an unknown -- school divisions don't know how many teachers they'll need."
Stacey Matsumoto, an education student and graduate of River East Collegiate, said Seven Oaks S.D. is looking for 30 to 60 teachers. It's the only city division with growing enrolment.
"In the grand scheme of things, with U of M, U of W (Winnipeg) and Brandon University, that's not a lot," said Matsumoto, an early years specialist.
"The job market is tougher now. I'm ready and willing to go anywhere," said Sanford Collegiate grad and prospective teacher Jaelynn Tyschinski, another early years specialist.
Errol Harris, a consultant and former principal at both Murdoch MacKay Collegiate and Transcona Collegiate, was looking for about three dozen teachers for schools in Cairo, Beijing, and Guangzhou, China.
They're part of a growing group of schools -- including ones in Turkey, Ghana and Thailand -- developed over the last decade, who use Manitoba-certified teachers to teach the Manitoba curriculum.
The salaries are lower, but so are the costs of living, said Harris. He has retired Sturgeon Creek Collegiate principal Rick Strongman running the school in Cairo, while last year's Sisler High vice-principal, Darrell Stewart, is principal in Guangzhou.
"Our primary groups are young people and recent retirees," said Harris. "Minimum two-bedroom apartments are provided at no cost. Each year of experience counts on the salary grid here in Manitoba."
Superintendent Kelly Barkman of Morris-based Red River Valley S.D. said the financial downturn has prompted older teachers to delay retirement to replenish their savings.
"We had far fewer retiring last year. People are hanging onto their jobs longer," he said.
Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition February 2, 2010 B2
More Local
- Back to Top
- Return to Local
More Local
(1 of 12 articles for today)
Firefighters pull man from submerged vehicle
7:41 AM 0Rescue divers pulled a man from a vehicle partially submerged in a retention pond in Fort Richmond this morning.
Police say ...
Poll
Most Popular Local
- Rainfall warning issued for southern Manitoba
- Mourners line up to pay respects to Elijah Harper
- Power restored to Linden Woods after goose collides with lines
- The end of the credit card?
- Male facing charges after gun fired in Exchange District
- Police identify slaying victims
- Apple trick on Ellen falls short for city woman
- North End proud
- Couple faces new charges of sexual assault
- Gentle, humble native leader who made history lies in state
- Charleswood deaths being investigated as domestic incident
- Man charged, victims identified in double homicide
- '2 minutes after I read the winning numbers, I retired': Winnipeg lotto winner
- Sex charges for ex-club boss
- Aboriginal leader Elijah Harper dies
- 'Responsible Winnipeg' ads appear on sign run by mayor-owned Goldeyes' baseball park
- Woman killed in head-on crash in southwestern Manitoba
- Police identify slaying victims
- Restaurant Dubrovnik demolished
- Headingley grass fire destroys dealership's cars
- Hundreds pitch in to dig out houses damaged, destroyed by Ochre Beach ice floe
- A child-custody catastrophe
- Charleswood deaths being investigated as domestic incident
- Man charged, victims identified in double homicide
- Co-worker 'sick' today? Maybe it's the $17M flu
- '2 minutes after I read the winning numbers, I retired': Winnipeg lotto winner
- Parents, community relieved and elated as missing boy found safe
- No threat from bag found at Winnipeg Square
- Man missing since 2009 found safe
- Earls on Main going, but new one coming
- Power restored to Linden Woods after goose collides with lines
- Accomplished Paralympian wins seat in B.C. legislature
- Elijah Harper: The humble man who said no
- Rainfall warning issued for southern Manitoba
- Police identify slaying victims
- Male facing charges after gun fired in Exchange District
- WAG's 100 Masters exhibit drawing more than art aficionados
- Tuxedo residents allege nightmare neighbour
- Was it a dust-up or an assault?
- Overdose deaths among youth require action
- Province introduces changes to rules governing landlords, renters
- Crushing blow for amateur sport
- Aboriginal leader Elijah Harper dies
- Fishing for fashion
- An uncommon phenomenon
- Woman killed in head-on crash in southwestern Manitoba
- Sex charges for ex-club boss
- Newly minted MD a beacon for kids in youth program
- Power restored to Linden Woods after goose collides with lines
- March of the new penguins
- Hundreds pitch in to dig out houses damaged, destroyed by Ochre Beach ice floe
- Mental-health patients get own ER
- A child-custody catastrophe
- Black market in moose thrives
- An uncommon phenomenon
- Steen invests $1M in family entertainment centre
- Earls on Main going, but new one coming
- Province introduces changes to rules governing landlords, renters
- Crushing blow for amateur sport
- Boost same-sex curricula: union
Ads by Google
You can comment on most stories on winnipegfreepress.com. You can also agree or disagree with other comments. All you need to do is register and/or login and you can join the conversation and give your feedback.
Have Your Say
New to commenting? Check out our Frequently Asked Questions.
The Winnipeg Free Press does not necessarily endorse any of the views posted. By submitting your comment, you agree to our Terms and Conditions. These terms were revised effective April 16, 2010.