New Careers

New Careers is a former education and training program in Manitoba, Canada. It was established in 1971 by the provincial government of Edward Schreyer.^[1]

The program claimed a 92-93% job success rate during the 1990s, the highest in the country.^[2] Follow-up research showed that 75% were still working three years later.^[3] Many of its graduates were from disadvantaged backgrounds, and several were from the province's aboriginal communities. George Hickes, the current Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba, has credited New Careers with turning his life around after a troubled youth.^[4]

New Careers was all but eliminated by the government of Gary Filmon in the mid-1990s.^[5] Education Minister Rosemary Vodrey imposed a 35% funding cutback on the organization in 1993,^[6] and her successor Clayton Manness halved the program in 1994.^[7] In 1995, Manness announced that all but four workers in the program would be laid off. Several opposition legislators criticized these decisions.^[8]

References

1. ^ Alice Krueger, "Axe falls on training program", Winnipeg Free Press, 7 March 1995.
2. ^ Paul Samyn, "Welfare jobs plan slashed", Winnipeg Free Press, 18 March 1994.
3. ^ Alice Krueger, "Axe falls on training program", Winnipeg Free Press, 7 March 1995.
4. ^ Donald Campbell, "MLA Hickes says program saved him", Winnipeg Free Press, 15 May 1993.
5. ^ Frances Russell, "Pawns in a power game", Winnipeg Free Press, 13 September 1995, A6.
6. ^ Donald Campbell, "Job-training program cut disclosed: New Careers slashed by $1.65 million", Winnipeg Free Press, 15 May 1993.
7. ^ Paul Samyn, "Welfare jobs plan slashed", Winnipeg Free Press, 18 March 1994.
8. ^ Alice Krueger, "Axe falls on training program", Winnipeg Free Press, 7 March 1995; Ruth Teichrob, "Killing a success" [editorial], Winnipeg Free Press, 12 March 1995.