RRC’s culinary research program growing in partnership with industry and government
Red River College, two local microbreweries and other key partners unveiled a new culinary invention today – miso made from spent grain – at an event highlighting the college’s growing Culinary Research and Innovation program and its impact on food creation in Manitoba.

Partners from the province, federal government and industry, were among the special guests at today’s miso soup and snacks taste testing at Paterson GlobalFoods Institute, the hub of RRC’s culinary research and education activities.

Delicious sampling of one of the many culinary creations unveiled at today’s event.

“This miso project is a really innovative partnership that links Manitoba’s dynamic microbrewery industry with local culinary arts and research,” said Paul Vogt, president of RRC. “I’d also like to thank the provincial and federal governments for their support of our research efforts and for joining us here today.”

RRC teamed up with microbreweries Farmery and Torque to successfully test and utilize spent grains from the beer brewing process to produce miso, putting a new twist on an ancient culinary tradition. Other partners included the Manitoba Agri-Health Research Network (MAHRN) and the University of Manitoba’s Food Science department.

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Red River College has been named one of Canada’s Best Diversity Employers for the third year in a row. This prestigious recognition – awarded today to 65 organizations across the country – highlights employers that stand out through their efforts to create diverse, inclusive workplaces.

“At Red River College we strive to ensure equity and diversity are embedded in College practices and demonstrated throughout the institution,” said Paul Vogt, President & CEO, Red River College. “Equity and inclusion form part of our blueprint and help us create a welcoming and open environment. This reflects the commitment of our faculty and staff and it’s an honour to be recognized with this distinction for the third year in a row.”

Red River College has many initiatives that encourage diversity and inclusivity including various workshop series’ offered by the Elders in Residence; LGBTT initiative; Healthy Minds, Healthy College Initiative, GETT Camp Program; and a workforce audit to determine representation of designated group members in the RRC workforce.

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Red River College today announced two new support services as part of the Healthy Minds Healthy College initiative aimed at enhancing mental health programming for students, staff and faculty.

The announcement is part of a broader awareness-raising event, held today in the North Gym at the Notre Dame Campus and featuring TSN journalist Michael Landsberg presenting his #SICKNOTWEAK talk to the RRC community.

“We’re excited that Michael has joined us today to help us announce these new and important initiatives but to also hear him talk about his personal battle with depression as part of his #SICKNOTWEAK movement,” said Paul Vogt, president of Red River College. “Michael’s leadership has made a tremendous difference in the lives of many Canadians.”

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Action a Key Response to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission Report: President

Red River College today announced the creation of a new executive director, Indigenous strategy to provide leadership on advancing Indigenous education at the College, which will include expanding programs and supports for Indigenous students and building new partnerships with Indigenous leaders and the community.

“Advance Indigenous Achievement” is one of the top priorities in RRC’s Strategic Plan (2016-2021) as well as a key goal of the Academic Division, which is committed to enhancing “the environment supporting Indigenous student success.” RRC is also a signatory to the Manitoba Indigenous Education Blueprint (2016) – one of nine post-secondary institutions in the Province – following the final report of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada.

“The TRC report is clear – Indigenous Canadians need access to post-secondary education and supports while in school if we are to close the income and employment gap in our country,” said Paul Vogt, RRC’s president. “One of the specific calls to action is to establish senior level positions in order to elevate the priority of Indigenous programming and forge new pathways to success. Today’s announcement is a major step in this direction.”
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A new program at Red River College is providing essential language and construction skills training to refugees and newcomers to Manitoba who arrived in the past year, Education and Training Minister Ian Wishart announced today.

“As we’ve seen in recent months, there’s a growing need to provide support for refugees in a variety of ways including direct employment and labour market programming,” said Wishart.  “We commend Red River College for its vision in developing this important program, which will link newcomers with employment opportunities and allow them to develop the skills they need to succeed in the workforce.”

The new, four-month Pathway Program to Construction Skills will focus on developing essential language skills, safety training and basic construction skills training in the areas of drywalling, masonry and flat-top roofing.  Following the completion of the program, students will participate in a paid month-long, full-time work placement to further refine their skills and gain essential on-the-job experience, with the goal to support long-term employment, Wishart said.

“Red River College is proud to play such an important role in supporting Manitoba’s international, immigrant and refugee community,” said Paul Vogt, president, Red River College.  “This new program is a first in Manitoba and it will not only help our newcomer refugees develop their language and literacy skills, it will also provide them access to trades training and jobs in sectors where our partners have a need for more trained workers.”

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Red River College today announced plans to redevelop and expand its ACCESS programs in order to better meet the education needs of its Indigenous and other students, including providing them with an opportunity to enroll in a wider range of Red River College programs.

At present, students enrolled in ACCESS are restricted to studying in four program areas – Nursing, Aircraft Maintenance & Manufacturing, Business Administration and Civil Technology.

“It’s time for us to modernize how ACCESS programs are delivered at Red River College to better meet student, community and industry needs,” said Christine Watson, vice president Academic. “Ultimately one of our main goals is to remove some of the existing program restrictions and provide Indigenous, immigrant and other students facing barriers to education, more training options and new and improved pathways to meaningful careers.”

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Red River College Named one of the Province’s Top 25 Employers for seventh year running

Red River College (RRC) is proud to again be recognized for building a supportive, inclusive and engaging work environment for more than 2,300 employees who have made their careers at one of Manitoba’s largest post-secondary institutions.

“When it comes to growing Manitoba’s economy and driving innovation in education, Red River College plays a vital role in preparing students and industry for the economic and job opportunities of today and tomorrow,” said Paul Vogt, president & CEO, Red River College.

“This important job is in the hands of Red River College employees, who are extremely dedicated and passionate about making a difference in the lives of their students. We recognize this commitment of our employees and try to return the favour by ensuring the college provides an environment where staff are supported and encouraged in meaningful ways.”

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Partnership with industry creates a seamless pathway for students

Post-secondary students interested in pursuing a career as a professional accountant now have a new option, made possible through a partnership signed today by The University of Winnipeg (UWinnipeg), Red River College and the Chartered Professional Accountants of Manitoba (CPA Manitoba).

The newly-designed option, in effect September 2017, is the only pathway of its kind in Canada. It allows a student to obtain a two-year diploma in business administration with a major in accounting at Red River College, then ladder into UWinnipeg’s Faculty of Business & Economics to obtain a three-year Bachelor degree in Business Administration, and finally to complete five CPA preparatory courses to meet the entrance requirements for the CPA Professional Education Program.

“We are proud to partner with Red River College and CPA Manitoba to provide a seamless pathway for students to fulfill their academic goals.” said Dr. Annette Trimbee, President and Vice-Chancellor, UWinnipeg. “This partnership demonstrates what is possible and I look forward to developing similar initiatives that provide more choices for students.”

“We want to continue to be on the leading edge of meeting the needs of industry,” said Paul Vogt, President and CEO, Red River College.  “Today’s partnership with UWinnipeg shows that we are working together as a network of post-secondary institutions to create greater mobility for students. Our partnership with CPA further demonstrates our close connections to industry and our ongoing efforts to ensure that our programming is relevant, timely, and accessible.  The end result will benefit the profession and open more doors to rewarding careers for our students.”

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Red River College today announced the next steps on the construction of MotiveLab – a highly-specialized extreme weather testing facility that will be the first of its kind in Western Canada.

MotiveLab is a 3,000 square-foot state-of-the-art facility – essentially a giant heater or freezer – that will work in close connection with industry to provide testing for heavy vehicles of all shapes and sizes, including transit and highway buses. Already, companies have identified more than 65 full days of demand for MotiveLab’s research and development services.

“Manitoba’s heavy vehicle manufacturing sector is a cornerstone of our economy, and this research and testing facility is a direct result of our close ties with manufacturers, as well as our efforts to meet current and future training and technology needs,” said Paul Vogt, president & CEO, Red River College. “It’s an approach we are taking across all sectors to help local industry innovate, create jobs of the future and be more competitive in the global marketplace.”

Today’s announcement provides a total of $6 million from the federal and provincial governments and RRC for the construction of MotiveLab, a climatic chamber that allows for year-round testing to be conducted at extreme temperatures and under full loads with using a 1,000 horsepower, three-axle, dynamometer. The program will also train students in this highly-specialized and emerging program area.

“The heavy vehicle sector is faced with increasingly stringent environmental demands, which has its players pushing the envelope in terms of new design and technology implementation,” said Ray Hoemsen, executive director, Research Partnerships & Innovation, Red River College. “This all gives way to ever greater research and testing needs. MotiveLab will be a unique Western Canadian facility that will help give Manitoba firms a competitive edge.”

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Red River College has had a very strong start to this academic year – including a $5.9 million investment in research funding – the largest the College has seen since it began its applied research program in 2004; and to add to that good news, preliminary early enrolment numbers are a sure sign of more good things to come.

Early numbers for 2016 indicate that Red River College’s enrolment remains stable and the College will continue the pattern of steady and increasing enrolments going forward.

Based on a five-year trend, Red River College saw an overall increase of .5 per cent in its program enrolments this year, and over the past 15 years the College has experienced an increase of 66 per cent in its program areas.

Of particular note, this year’s numbers identified significant increases in the following areas: Business Information Technology (up 15.1%), Applied Accounting (up 14 %), Business Administration (up 3%), Primary Care Paramedicine (up 23%), Civil Engineering Technology (up 3.7%), and Community Development/Economic Development (up 53%).

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