Public service school lays off 179 instructors

The Canada School of Public Service is cutting 179 jobs, mostly second-language training instructors, CBC News has learned.

The positions cut represent the entire second-language teaching staff at the school, which offers a range of training for public servants and has officesin both Ottawa and Gatineau in the National Capital Region.

Sixty-two of the jobs were permanent positions, and employees in those roles may be able to find work in other departments.

The remainder of the jobs were contract positions.

Robert Wilsonwith the Public Service Alliance of Canada said the notices given out today were across Canada, but most of the jobs were in Gatineau.

The positions will be eliminated at the end of March.

"This government is not interested in the bilingual program," said PSAC representative Larry Rousseau. "It's more a political decision than an administrative decision."

Language trainer positions will be contracted out, PSAC said.