A new program at Red River College will be providing essential language and construction skills to those who have recently arrived in Canada.

A new, four-month Pathway Program to Construction Skills has started at Red River College (RRC), with the second intake in September. The program focuses on language skills, safety training and basic construction skills for the areas of drywalling, masonry and flat-top roofing. Once the program is completed, students will get a paid month-long work placement to refine their skills.

"We had discussions with the provincial government," said Paul Vogt, president of RRC. "They were looking at trying to create programming that would get refugees into the workforce as quickly as possible."

The new program was developed in partnerships with many construction companies across Winnipeg. Education and Training Minister Ian Wishart noted in a release that this was a community response to the refugees entering our province.

"There are many rewarding career paths in the Manitoba construction industry and we look forward to working with RRC to bridge the gap between training and employment for newcomer refugees," said Ron Hambley, president of the Winnipeg Construction Association in a release. "This partnership allows our industry to address skilled labour shortages while helping build a future for new members of our community."

Vogt says that RRC is working closely with the network of people who are involved with settling newcomers. He says if you are supporting refugees and know of good candidates to contact RRC directly.

"We develop really close relationships with employers," Vogt said about developing the program. "We've developed English language training [already] . . . the employer response was very enthusiastic."