Listen to this article
Estimated 4 minutes
The audio version of this article is generated by AI-based technology. Mispronunciations can occur. We are working with our partners to continually review and improve the results.
The Manitoba government says dozens of health-care workers have already been hired at a recruitment forum in Winnipeg, but some attendees say getting into the system remains difficult.
Health Minister Uzoma Asagwara said more than 60 job offers had been signed at the Make it in Manitoba hiring forum, held at the RBC Convention Centre, by mid-afternoon Wednesday.
The event brought together nurses and health-care aides with employers from across the province, offering on-the-spot interviews and opportunities to connect directly with hiring managers.
Asagwara called the turnout a success, with more than 260 people registered in advance and more than 130 additional walk-ins.
“I spoke directly with health-care workers who are really eager to work on the front lines … but just needed a little bit more guidance or that personal in-person connection,” Asagwara told reporters at the Manitoba Legislative Building.
Ekeoma Oguoma, an internationally educated nurse who recently completed a re-entry program and hospital placement in Winnipeg, said finding a job has been a struggle.
“Since we graduated, it’s been a bit difficult to get a job,” she said.
Oguoma said she has been encouraged to apply for positions but hasn’t seen many opportunities materialize and hasn’t been called for interviews.
Other attendees were more optimistic about the opportunities being presented.
KC Quitoriano, a nurse from the Philippines completing a bridging program at Red River College Polytechnic, said the event helped clarify next steps.
“This event really gave us the opportunities … what are the available supports and what are our options after we finish our program,” she said.
Quitoriano said she has received strong support through government programs aimed at helping internationally educated nurses transition into the Manitoba workforce.
Still, some workers said the challenge isn’t just getting hired — it’s finding stable, sustainable work.
Vida Iris Addo, a health-care aide who recently completed training in Winnipeg, said she is unemployed and went to the forum looking for any opportunity.
“I need a job badly,” she said, adding she’s open to working anywhere she can earn enough to pay her bills.
Addo said agency work can be inconsistent, with limited hours and no benefits, making it difficult to rely on.
The Manitoba Nurses Union said recruitment efforts like the forum are only part of the solution.
“A recruitment fair, while good in theory, has to be grounded in one simple truth: recruitment follows retention,” union president Darlene Jackson said in a written statement.
Better nurse-to-patient ratios and addressing unsafe job conditions will do more to keep nurses working, and that will help with recruitment, she said.
Recent data obtained by CBC News through a freedom of information request shows the province is losing more than half of its nursing gains to turnover.
Between April 2024 and May 2025, Manitoba hired 1,697 nurses into the public system but lost 962, or about 57 for every 100 hired.
Asagwara has described those numbers as a “snapshot in time” and says the province is working to improve both recruitment and retention. That includes expanding training pathways for internationally educated nurses and increasing staffing levels to reduce workload pressures.
The minister said Wednesday the province will review the results of the forum, including where job offers were made and who was hired, to help shape future recruitment efforts.
The government also plans to make the hiring event a regular occurrence.
WATCH | Health-care hiring forum draws crowds, but some say finding work still difficult:
Health-care hiring forum draws crowds, but some say finding work still difficult
The Manitoba government says more than 60 job offers were made at a hiring forum for nurses and health-care aides in Winnipeg on Wednesday. But some attendees — including internationally educated nurses — say they’re still struggling to find stable work.