Industry demands spur colleges to expand programs

Winnipeg’s colleges are getting ready for September with new programs and more career options for those looking for a stable, good job.

Bill Riches, president of Herzing College, says his Portage Avenue college has new programs and a new student lounge ready for the fall.

“One of the most exciting things we’ve done is build a new student lounge with leather furniture, big TV and a pool table,” says Riches.

“We did that because the students were saying they wanted more space to hang out before and after classes.”

Herzing now offers two new programs. They are community service worker and EAL, which stands for English as Another Language.

The objective of the community service worker program is to prepare students for employment in hospitals, halfway houses, detoxification centres, residential care facilities, rehabilitation centres, outpatient clinics and provide personal or vocational counselling.

These graduates will likely work closely with social workers and professional counsellors.

“They typically hire with life experience and now it’s people with formal training,” adds Riches, who has been with Herzing for more than 20 years.

“These new programs are very exciting for us.”

A demand for skilled workers also spurred Winnipeg Technical College to add new programs.

In June, the South End college announced a new five-month carpentry program that will be delivered in the St. James area. It combines lessons in the classroom with practical experience at construction sites.

“This will benefit students by providing increased access to training opportunities as well as benefiting the Manitoba construction industry in addressing the need for skilled workers,” says Brent Kurz, the Winnipeg Technical College’s director of communications and planning.

The new program is in response to a growing demand from the construction sector.

According to the Canadian Construction Sector Council, building activities and employment in most trades will continue to grow after 2009.

The council estimates that from 2007 to 2014, more than 4,000 workers (roughly 18 per cent of actual workers) will retire.

For more information, call Herzing College at 775-8175 and Winnipeg Technical College at 989-6500.