After a decade in the music industry, managing some of Canada’s biggest artists like Carly Rae Jepsen and Marianas Trench, Kayley McGrath knew she was ready for a change. 

“I loved the work and gained amazing opportunities through hard work, but I knew there was a rapidly approaching ceiling on that career,” said the second year Business Administration student. “I love helping people and when researching and deciding on what I’d like my future to look like, I knew that Human Resources was an area where I could problem solve and help make a positive workspace for others. I chose the Human Resources Management program at RRC Polytech because of their reputation within the workforce.” 

McGrath was one of more than 700 students to attend RRC Polytech’s largest-ever Directions Business Conference, presented by the Johnston Group, on March 5, 2025 at the RBC Convention Centre. This year’s conference had close to 150 industry members in attendance, ready to network with students and help them jumpstart their careers. 

“The Directions Business Conference is an important employment engagement opportunity; one that gives students the chance to build strong connections with potential employers while they’re still in school, so they have an added advantage once they graduate,” said Fred Meier, RRC Polytech President and CEO, in his opening remarks.  

“Witnessing the relationships between students and industry is one of my favourite parts of working at RRC Polytech, and I know today will be a special day.” 

Throughout the half-day event, students in the Business Administration, Indigenous Education, Continuing Education and Hospitality and Culinary Arts programs had the opportunity to network with the greatest variety of Manitoba businesses of any Directions Business conference to-date – from larger name corporations to entrepreneurs, start-ups, and small-and-medium sized enterprises. 

“My experience was just pure delight, like a tropical salad of sweet tasting fruits!” said second year Business Administration student Latoya Taylor-Johnson. “It was very knowledgeable, and I had the pleasure of speaking with a few businesses that caught my eyes previously.” 

Melodie Richard, Marketing Director at Johnston Group – and Creative Communications graduate and former instructor – was in attendance, providing welcoming remarks to kick off the day. 

“Partnering with RRC Polytech is an obvious choice for Johnston Group – both of our organizations value community, building relationships, and shaping a better future,” she said. “Supporting the Directions Business Conference gave us a front-row seat to witnessing key relationships being formed between students and industry here in Manitoba. Johnston Group is pleased to hire many RRC Polytech grads, because we know they come out of the College with the skills and knowledge to fit in and hit the ground running.” 

Along with Meier and Richard, the conference featured greetings from the Honourable Renée Cable, Minister of Advanced Education and Training; and keynote speaker Cassandra Carreiro, the founder of Sharecuterie, an Indigenous and woman-owned artisanal charcuterie café and cocktail bar in Winnipeg, who shared her story of shifting from psychiatric nurse to small business owner in the midst of the pandemic – pursuing her passion and leveraging her talent to fill a gap in the market and make her dream a reality. 

“Truly every connection opportunity was beneficial, but I really valued the roundtables.” noted McGrath. “They provided students the opportunity in a smaller group setting to ask questions, relate their studies to their future careers, and create memorable impressions.” 

During the Directions Roundtable Session, presented by Staffmax, representatives from nearly 70 different businesses and organizations hosted students according to their field of interest, inviting them to learn more about the respective organization’s mission, culture and vision. 

“The most valuable part of the day was the interaction with the roundtable,” Taylor-Johnson agreed. “Even though I wish the timing was longer for communicating and being able to speak with more companies. And the best part of the day was the amazingly delicious lunch and fancy desert!” 

The roundtable sessions empowered students to expand their networks, explore roles in various fields, and discover how industry is innovating and solving programs – all while connecting with local organizations that are looking to hire new graduates. 

Students also had the opportunity to boost their professional profiles at the RBC Headshot Lounge, where photographers captured LinkedIn-ready headshots to help take students to the next level. 

“I had a very positive experience at the Directions Conference – I was so pleased with all the relationships RRC Polytech has built, with so many amazing companies in Manitoba,” said McGrath. “I thoroughly enjoyed gaining the opportunity to meet with, hear from, speak with, and create memorable connections with employees, employers, and entrepreneurs that I look up to.” 

Her positive experience in her program inspired an entirely new career path: teaching in her field of study. 

“Something RRC Polytech has fostered in me is my love of working with a group of people to achieve learning new things,” she said. “RRC Polytech has empowered me to see how my experience and educational path partner well together. When I graduate, I want to pursue earning a teaching position, so that I can help students along their educational journey.”