Employment Opportunities for Winnipeg’s Newcomer Women

Newcomer women skilled in hairstyling from their home countries struggle in Canada without recognized credentials, facing prohibitively expensive formal courses amid childcare demands and literacy barriers. This traps them in inconsistent cash work far below living wages. This initiative from Hairbru aims to change this, with a flexible, five-month on-the-job program, where participants train in salons, while earning minimum wage and building literacy, numeracy, financial skills, and more.

The program allows newcomer mothers to plan their schedule around their kids, and receive tool kits, boosting employability in salons, film, events, or freelance gigs. The program also partners with settlement groups to offer participants housing stability.

Northpine Foundation’s investment in this initiative will support this practical pathway to self-sustainability, offering meaningful, flexible work, confidence, and independence for newcomer women in Winnipeg.