Design work is beginning on Manitoba’s first dedicated French-language culinary arts training centre. The Winnipeg-based facility, operated by Division scolaire franco-manitobaine (DSFM), will create new opportunities for francophone high school students to pursue hands-on career training in their language.
The Manitoba government has committed $3.8 million toward the property purchase and initial design work for the renovation.
“Education can change the course of a person’s life. By expanding French-language adult education in St. Boniface, we’re creating more opportunities for Manitobans to gain the skills and training they need to succeed,” said Advanced Education and Training Minister Renée Cable. “Whether someone is finishing high school, preparing for a new career or building on their education, they deserve access to learning in the language of their choice.”
The new space will allow DSFM to expand its adult learning capacity by relocating from its current location at Collège Louis-Riel and to increase programming to serve more francophone adult learners to complete high school courses, develop new skills and prepare for in-demand careers in Manitoba’s economy.
“The expansion of our specialized trades offerings, particularly through our partnerships with RRC Polytech, the United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Notre-Dame-de-Lourdes Lithography, as well as the addition of new trades, demonstrate our commitment to providing diverse apprenticeship pathways grounded in the realities of the job market,” added Bernard Lesage, president, Commission scolaire franco-manitobaine. “This same vision guides our capital projects, whether it involves building a new school in Brandon, creating new daycare spaces or the acquisitions of Voix des Prairies and DSFM-Saint-Boniface. Together, these initiatives help build a solid future for our students and for Manitoba’s francophone community.”
The relocation and expansion of DSFM’s adult education centre is supported through the Canada-Manitoba Agreement on Minority-Language Education and Second Official-Language Instruction.
