Province changes entrance requirements to remove barriers, boost paramedic training numbers

Manitoba is aiming to bolster its paramedic ranks by introducing a direct-entry pathway for high school students and others seeking to become emergency first responders.

Fourteen seats within the primary care paramedic program at Red River College Polytechnic are now reserved for direct-entry students.

Those spots feature an augmented education curriculum to include prerequisite courses such as anatomy and physiology, so students do not have to attend other forms of post-secondary education before beginning paramedicine training, Education Minister Renée Cable announced Wednesday.

“It really allows people to find their way in faster,” Cable said. “One of the things that we recognized very early is that we need to break down as many barriers as possible for entry.”

The move reverses a decision made by the former Progressive Conservative government, imposing a requirement for primary care paramedics to complete a six-credit anatomy and physiology course. Some post-secondary institutions later reported a drop in registrations, as a result.

The province will write a letter offering employment to every person in the program, Health Minister Uzoma Asagwara said.

Union leaders representing Manitoba paramedics have long raised alarm over the impact that high vacancy numbers, burnout and violent incidents on the job are having on the profession.

Before winning the October 2023 election, the NDP pledged to address the issue by adding 200 new emergency medical responders within its first term.

Premier Wab Kinew said the 14 direct-entry seats are net-new additions at RRC, and will raise the class capacity within its paramedic program to 40 students.

In a news release, the province touted the move as “taking major steps to strengthen emergency medical services across the province by expanding training opportunities for paramedics.”

However, Manitoba Association of Health Care Professionals president Jason Linklater disputed that claim.

“I want to provide a bit of clarity on that part of the announcement. There are no new seats there. They had 40 seats at Red River, and they still have 40 seats,” Linklater said.

“The difference now is that they are removing prerequisites and building those into the program. I do think (Wednesday’s announcement) glosses over the problem…. What’s needed is capacity and targeted supports.”

Linklater, whose union represents all paramedics outside of Winnipeg and Brandon, said vacancies among paramedics remain widespread in rural areas, which have an estimated shortfall of 200 positions, according to union data.

Earlier this month, the Manitoba Government and General Employees’ Union — which represents paramedics in Winnipeg— said 47 positions were vacant in Winnipeg as of Jan. 1.

That union called the addition of the direct-entry pathway “encouraging” in a statement, but said it is “only the first step in addressing the staffing crisis.”

“Adding training seats isn’t enough on its own,” MGEU president Kyle Ross said. “More needs to be done to address the day-to-day challenges these workers face.”

Meanwhile, “hiring has stalled” as the ranks of paramedics are depleted by burnout and attrition, Linklater said.

He said the province has added just one net-new paramedic in 2025 — bringing the total of net-new hires to 34 since the NDP was elected.

“The work to turn around the damage done to health care… doesn’t get fixed overnight. It takes time, it takes teamwork, it takes sustained effort,” Asagwara said when asked about the union data.

Linklater said there is “no way” the province will keep its pledge of hiring 200 new paramedics based on the current trajectory, but a provincial spokesperson said Manitoba has already met its goal.

The spokesperson said 276 primary care paramedics were hired in Manitoba between October 2023 and September of this year. In that time 45 have been terminated or they resigned, leaving a net gain of 231.

In the same period, 91 dual-trained firefighter-paramedics were hired and 40 left, leaving a net gain of 51, the spokesperson said.

Linklater noted the province provided no new funding to RRC Polytech in support of the direct-entry program.

A provincial spokesperson confirmed that to be true, saying the expansion is being supported with existing resources.

The province said it has also added 16 direct-entry seats at the University College of the North in Thompson.

tyler.searle@freepress.mb.ca