Local teacher shortage inspires University of Winnipeg program

The University of Winnipeg’s teacher education program in Portage la Prairie is drawing strong interest as its first cohort gets underway, with university staff praising the community response.

Kirk Dowson, manager of the Access Education Programs in the Faculty of Education at the University of Winnipeg, says the demand for distance education programs has exceeded expectations.

“The response has been incredible. I had no idea there was such a demand for distance education training programs,” notes Dowson. “I always kind of suspected people would be drawn to it, but when I did that first information session back in October, there were 105 people there."

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Dowson says a follow-up session in February also saw strong attendance.

“I did another one for this coming academic year in February, and there were roughly 43 more that showed up,” he adds. “So very popular,” he remarks.

Responding to community needs

Dowson notes the program was developed in close collaboration with local leaders, including those with the Portage la Prairie School Division, and the Portage Community Revitalization Corporation.

“There's such a huge teacher shortage in rural areas right now,” notes Dowson.

The university has adapted the program to meet local needs, offering a hybrid model of live-streamed classes and in-person instruction when faculty are available.

“If there were enough people available in Portage and we could find faculty, we could certainly send somebody out,” he adds. “We've done that. We're doing that right now with one of the classes the group is taking, and I'm teaching another course in the spring term that I'll do in person."

Support for students

Dowson highlights the university’s efforts to provide dedicated support for participants.

“We do academic planning for everybody. We plan all of their courses. We put the courses on,” he notes. “Right in our program, academic advising, counselling, we have a knowledge keeper on staff, plus some other admin staff to handle general questions and things like that."

Students also have access to staff through phone or video conferencing, ensuring they can get help while completing courses remotely.

Strong enrolment and future plans

The program’s first sessions quickly converted interest into enrolment.

“There were 105 people at that initial meeting, and I believe it was 40 or 45 applications for admission,” says Dowson. “40 applications, I think 27 people registered for courses. To me, that's a huge turnaround number."

Dowson expects another 20 applicants for the next intake.

“I expect there's going to be another 20 or so applying to start in September,” he remarks.

He also points to the program’s role in encouraging local teacher retention.

“One of the things that Mari [Kozar] had mentioned to me is she said this is a community-building effort,” Dowson continues. “They want people, from the community working in the community. That makes complete sense to me."

The University of Winnipeg is monitoring the program’s success closely and considering similar models for other rural communities, aiming to provide accessible teacher training while supporting local workforce development.