Province of Manitoba tabs $1.1M for 6 programs via First Job Fund

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This article was published 18/02/2025 (403 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The province is giving $1.1 million to several projects that provide Manitoba youth with the opportunity to gain their first job experience.

Business, Mining, Trade and Job Creation Minister Jamie Moses announced Tuesday the organizations receiving funds for the First Job Fund’s 2024-25 intake.

The fund provides up to $225,000 per project to registered non-profit or non-government organizations to implement programming for people, ages 15 to 29, “facing barriers to employment.”

Tech Manitoba was among the organizations on Tuesday’s list.

The tech industry association is using the $108,771 it received for its MentorLink program. The program supports eight Indigenous and newcomer students at University College of the North enrolled in a five-month IT support technician program and female Indigenous students enrolled in the Information Technology Readiness North Program.

Tech Manitoba cultivates relationships between students and employers, facilitates internships, creates mentorship opportunities, and assists students with building their resumés and preparing for job interviews.

One young person who went through the program just accepted full-time employment, according to Tech Manitoba CEO Kelly Fournel. It’s a cybersecurity job the young person desired and he can stay in his home community to do it.

MentorLink is “a source of joy” for Tech Manitoba staff, Fournel added, because it aligns with the association’s mission to help people in the tech industry.

“It’s bringing strategy to life but, more importantly, it’s reconciliation in action,” she said.

The Manitoba Aviation Council received funding for two programs: $224,708 to support its pilot career pathway program and $176,173 for its northern aviation operations program for 26 youth.

The pilot career pathway program is providing 13 youth a full ground-to-sky experience focusing on basic skills development, aviation operations training, work placement and flight experiences. Eight participants will graduate with a private pilot’s licence, marking the first step toward becoming a pilot.

The northern aviation operations program is for 26 youth residing in urban and remote northern communities. They receive a mix of in-class and hands-on training with the possibility of paid work experience as part of the program’s goal to teach participants about the challenges and opportunities in northern aviation.

“We are proud to be able to offer this opportunity to youth who might not otherwise have the ability to access the funds to take training as unique as this,” said Geri Clincke, training program manager at the Manitoba Aviation Council. “Overall, our job is to be the voice of industry, but it’s also to be the voice of people who want to be a part of our industry and this bridges the gap between both.”

The other organizations receiving funds are: Eagle Urban Transition Centre ($250,000 for a pre-apprenticeship program in heat and frost insulating for up to 16 Indigenous youth); Dexterra Community Initiatives ($222,092 to provide education, training and work opportunities to 29 Indigenous youth through a six-week summer program; and Immigrant and Refugee Community Organization of Manitoba ($94,857 to help four newcomer youth gain jobs and develop work experience).

“Young Manitobans deserve the opportunity to get the knowledge, skills and experience they need to secure good jobs in their home communities where they can play a role in shaping a bright future for their friends and family,” Moses said in a news release. “The First Jobs Fund drives opportunity by helping young people overcome barriers, gain meaningful workplace experience and contribute to a stronger, more inclusive economy.”

The fund was established in 2015.

aaron.epp@freepress.mb.ca