Winnipeg language program helping newcomers forced to close following federal funding cuts

A Winnipeg language program that offers English courses for newcomers in Manitoba says they are devastated, following the federal government’s decision to cut funding, forcing them to permanently close their doors in February.

“It’s very sad to understand this school will disappear, because many newcomers need to contribute to the community,” said Jose Tellez Sanchez, Student, Enhanced English Skills for Employment.

“This course is kind of magic for people, really helpful and it’s an amazing thing. I think without it, it would be much harder to be integrated to the community,” said Anna Korsun, Student, Enhanced English Skills for Employment.

For over 25 years, the Enhanced English Skills for Employment program has supported anywhere from 700-1000 highly educated newcomers annually, who are often relegated to survival jobs due to language barriers.

“When we close the doors to classes like this people languish, they don’t have an opportunity to engage in the workplace that they have the skills for, and Canada misses out,” said Louise Giesbrecht, Executive Director, Enhanced English Skills for Employment.

Giesbrecht received a letter last week stating that the federal funding, of about 650-thousand-dollars annually, is being pulled.

“The initial thoughts are just shock and sadness and then fear, and the fear is for the many people who have come here from so many different countries, been invited here by our government to participate because of the skills that they have, and the fear that those individuals aren’t going to be able to participate the way they should,” said Giesbrecht.

Giesbrecht says this funding is not just being pulled from EESE, but all stage two schools in Canada by September 2026 and says they’ve lost all hope that the federal government will reverse this decision.

“We have no hope there, our next steps are to look at what other funding pots could we go after,” said Giesbrecht.

EESE has applied for partial funding through the province, but Giesbrecht says even if they do receive this, it wouldn’t be a long-term fix as it would be one-year at a time and only cover a small-portion of what’s needed to continue classes.