The government and MPI will offer free driver education training in the north to low-income and unemployed adults.

The new program will be incorporated into existing job readiness training already underway in The Pas, Flin Flon and Thompson.   Participants will receive 16 hours of in-class instruction and 8 hours of in-car instruction with a professionally trained instructor.  

The program is expected to help close to 100 northern Manitobans get their driver's licence and help them access more employment opportunities.   Classes will begin on November 26th. 

In making the announcement yesterday in Flin Flon, Premier Greg Selinger said that having  a driver's licence can dramatically expand job opportunities.   This is especially so in northern Manitoba where driving longer distances to get to a job is often the case.

It's estimated that over 43 per cent of eligible drivers in Northern Manitoba don't have a licence.