MOOSE JAW — The Moose Jaw Newcomer Welcome Centre is launching its annual Newcomer Driver Education Funding (NDEF) program, aimed at helping new residents gain essential driving skills and improving their employability.
The program is open to newcomer residents within certain household income parameters. The first classroom session is scheduled for Tuesday, April 29, followed by a police and SGI information session on Wednesday, April 30. Following the course, in-car training sessions have to be individually booked.
Applications are open until Friday, March 21, and require a $150 fee to participate.
Melissa Mitchell, manager of the Newcomer Welcome Centre, said the program provides financial assistance for newcomers looking to obtain a Saskatchewan driver’s license, which can often be a costly process.
“We’ve been running this Newcomer Driver Education Funding program — we call it NDEF — for quite a few years now,” Mitchell said. “We receive funding through the province of Saskatchewan, through our regular program funding, and sometimes we (also) get grants from, say, SGI as well.”
The program covers the cost of a mandatory six-hour in-class and six-hour in-car driving course.
“The program is there to help educate newcomers to make them more employable,” Mitchell said. “Once they cross that barrier of getting a driver’s license, it can be quite expensive (to fully earn your licence) — over $800 or so.”
The number of available openings varies each year based on the amount of funding received by the Newcomer Welcome Centre.
“There is an application process, and then we have spots anywhere from eight to 12 participants, depending on funding,” she said. “We’re looking at eight to 10 (openings) this year.”
In addition to driving instruction, the program includes partnerships with the Moose Jaw Police Service and SGI to offer presentations on road rules, insurance, and accident procedures.
“We want (our drivers) to be as educated as possible and understand all aspects of driving when they go through this program,” she said.
A new addition to this year’s program is a vehicle maintenance course in partnership with Moose Jaw Toyota, aimed at educating participants on vehicle maintenance in Saskatchewan’s climate. Given that many newcomers arrive from warmer climates, Mitchell said any differences in routine maintenance planning will be addressed.
“We’re happy to partner with additional dealerships or auto body shops (for this program in the future),” she said, noting that any interested businesses can simply reach out for more information.
Interested applicants can visit the Newcomer Welcome Centre to pick up an application form and will receive assistance with the registration process if needed.
The Newcomer Welcome Centre is located at 432 Main Street North and can be reached at 306-692-6892.
