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This article was published 01/05/2014 (3326 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

University College of the North is working with the University of Manitoba to launch a new bachelor of midwifery program for 2015, Education and Advanced Learning Minister James Allum said Wednesday.

But details are scarce. UCN has graduated only one student from its midwifery program and has suspended the intake of new students while concentrating on graduating those already in the program.

Meanwhile, the province has begun recruiting foreign midwives and midwives from other jurisdictions in Canada.

Wednesday’s announcement did not indicate where students would enrol in the fall of 2015, at which of the two universities, which campus or campuses, and within which faculties.

Officials could not be reached.

“This program has been built from the ground up right here in Manitoba, and by partnering with the U of M, UCN will continue to provide positive educational opportunities for those wishing to become midwives, which will grow the midwifery workforce in the province,” Allum stated in a news release. “We know more and more moms are seeking the care of a midwife, and by training more, we’ll be helping families get better access to this specialized care.”

The new program is being designed collaboratively between the UCN and the U of M and will include a four-year bachelor of midwifery degree, the province said in a statement.

“Once the new program is up and running, enrolment is expected to exceed the current 10-seat capacity. Applicants who have already applied to UCN but have not been accepted will be contacted first with admission information on the new program when it’s available,” Allum said.

“UCN is committed to developing a strong program, and over the next year, we are pleased to be working with the U of M to launch this new program in the fall of 2015 to help train more midwives in the province,” Jim Scott, the UCN’s director of communications, said in the news release.

There are 54 midwife positions in Manitoba, with about half in rural and northern Manitoba.