Adult learning in Westman gets $750K boost

Adult learning and literacy centres in Westman are set to receive a $750,000 increase in provincial funding for the 2026-27 school year, Advanced Education and Training Minister Renée Cable told the Sun.

The funding is part of the additional $2.5 million in provincial funding for adult learning and literacy programs across Manitoba announced by the minister in Winnipeg on Tuesday morning.

Cable said the province is making a “record investment” in adult education after years of stagnant funding.

“Under the previous government, there was zero investment for like 10 years in adult education,” Cable said after Tuesday’s announcement.

“A good portion of the $2.5 million, almost $750,000, will specifically be in the Westman area.”

The Westman recipients include Assiniboine College ($367,430), the Brandon Literacy Council Inc. ($166,104 for its Adult Learning Centre and Adult Literacy Program), the Brandon Friendship Centre ($16,859) and Samaritan House Training Centre ($20,364).

As well, adult education programs in Swan River and Morden will receive $90,525 and $68,022, respectively, while the Turtle Mountain Adult Education Centre will get $20,169 and the Virden Adult Literacy Centre will get $7,888.

Cable said the investments are designed not only to stabilize programming, but also to help more Manitobans gain the skills needed for employment or post-secondary education.

“There are a lot of big jobs coming, and we need people ready to work,” she said in an interview, referencing growing economic activity in the Westman region. “What we’re investing in is having even more people either upskill their literacy and numeracy or complete Grade 12 or Grade 12 equivalency.”

Cable said the funding allocations were made in close consultation with service providers, many of whom emphasized the need for better wages for educators in the adult-learning sector.

“One of the things they said is that they need funds to pay their teachers,” she said. “A good chunk of the money will be going to bring up the salaries for the folks who are providing education in the adult space, and to ensure that there’s less turnover and that the students get the best possible education.”

She said that some organizations are also looking to expand programming capacity. The Brandon Literacy Council, for example, hopes to strengthen educational opportunities for learners at the Brandon Correctional Centre, the minister said.

BLC executive director Debbie Stevens said the impact of literacy programs on students goes beyond academics.

“It increases their self-esteem,” she told the Sun. “They feel that they can contribute back to their families and to the community by furthering their education at a time when they’re choosing to do it.”

Stevens said BLC is a place where adults can come and study for free.

“The government pays for our expenses. We employ Manitoba-certified teachers to assist adults in getting a mature student high school diploma,” she said.

The Brandon Literacy Council’s Adult Learning Centre served 102 learners between July 1, 2025 and May 12, 2026. During that time, the centre recorded six graduates and 90 course completions.

Stevens said the latest provincial investment will help the organization maintain operations and better meet growing demand.

“It means that we can keep our doors open, basically,” she said. “It also means that we can offer comparable wages to our staff,” Stevens said. “We can also hire additional staff so that we can meet the needs of numerous learners.”

Founded more than three decades ago, the council began as a grassroots initiative focused on adult literacy before expanding into accredited adult learning programming.

Stevens said many residents in the Westman region still do not realize the service exists.

Anya McNabb, Assiniboine’s communications and marketing director, said the college awaits final details on the additional funding.

“We look forward to working with the province to continue to strengthen adult education through our Centre for Adult Learning,” she told the Sun.

BSD Supt. Mathew Gustafson said the funding announcement is a positive development for the broader education system and community.

“Initiatives that are focused on increasing literacy levels and adult learning are an important part of and a welcome addition that complements the public system,” Gustafson told the Sun. “We know that the impact of adult learning and literacy programs will support people in our community.”

Cable also acknowledged the work of adult education advocates, including researcher Jim Silver, for continuing to push the issue forward.

“There are many people who fall off the path from kindergarten to Grade 12 for a variety of reasons, and we need to make sure that we have a net to catch them,” she said.

According to the province, the latest increase brings Manitoba’s total adult learning and literacy budget to $24.9 million.

“I’d love to encourage any Manitoban who is thinking about upskilling, reskilling, going back to school, just to let them know that the doors are open, and that as a government we want to support that,” Cable said.

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