News

Join the Manitoba stop of the Virtual Regional Sounding Tour

Posted: March 4, 2021

Participate in the Virtual Regional Sounding Tour, a cross-country dialogue with Canadians, and share your thoughts on how the Future Skills Centre – Centre des Compétences futures (FSC–CCF) can best meet Manitoba’s priorities.

Red River College is proud to again take part in this event, along with our partners from the Manitoba Chambers of Commerce.

Taking place Thursday, March 11, from 1–3pm, this year’s event builds on the success of the 2019-20 Regional Sounding Tour, but will continue the conversation with a focus on how the country has been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, what the path to recovery looks like, and how the FSC can help.

For this second round of local conversations, join us from the comfort of your home, office or home office. You’ll have opportunities to discuss how the country has been impacted by COVID-19, what this means for the future of work, the impacts on the labour force market in your province, and what the path to recovery will be.

This virtual event will start with a brief introduction to the Future Skills Centre’s mandate, objectives, findings from last year’s Regional Sounding Tour, and current activities the FSC is undertaking.

You’ll then break out into smaller conversations to learn more about the challenges and possibilities of supporting workforce opportunities for individual communities and industries in the province of Manitoba. Your contribution to the discussion will help inform the Future Skills Centre’s research and innovation investment strategies for the coming year.

This event has a limited capacity. Register now to secure your spot and ensure your voice is heard.

Fusing passion and potential to spark careers in welding

Posted: March 3, 2021

Since she was a little girl, Monique Moneas has known she wanted to work in the trades.

Unfortunately, stigmas steered her in another direction for years — until she saw an advertisement for a welding program at Red River College that lit a spark inside her.

“I started reading more about the program and couldn’t get over how perfect it sounded for me,” says Moneas. “Growing up, you quickly learn there’s a stigma around women working in trades. I didn’t want to let that stereotype hold me back anymore.”

Moneas is now a student in the College’s Welding Pre-Apprenticeship program, a pre-employment certificate offering that guides participants to an apprenticeship track where they can begin working towards Red Seal certification.

“The program is open to people with little to no trades experience who want to enter the field,” says Aaron Brown, liaison and advisor to the program. “We provide students with the knowledge and tools they need to be successful as an entry-level welder”.

The program runs for a total of 33 weeks, during which students earn credit for their Level 1 technical training. It also includes an eight-week paid work placement where students can prove themselves on the job to potential employers.

Tuition, books, tools and personal protective equipment are also completely covered at no cost to students. Delivered in partnership with Conestoga College, the program is fully funded by the Government of Canada Skilled Trades Awareness Readiness (STAR) program. Read More →

College launches disposable mask recycling program

Posted: March 2, 2021

Red River College is tossing masks into the recycling bin and keeping them out of the landfill.

While a lot of people have chosen to wear reusable masks during the pandemic, many others are using disposable masks out of preference or necessity. Together, these masks amount to a staggering amount of waste.

To help keep people safe, RRC distributes more than 6,000 disposable masks every month to students, staff and visitors to its campuses. That’s why the polytechnic — which has continued to fuel the economy by providing hands-on training during the pandemic — is proud to launch a disposable mask recycling program.

“We’ve set up disposable mask recycling boxes at our Notre Dame Campus, located outdoors in high-traffic areas,” says Sara MacArthur, Director of Campus Planning and Sustainability. “As people leave our buildings, they can take off and toss their masks into one of the boxes to be recycled.”

Once a recycling box is full, it’s securely sealed and safely stored for 72 hours. After that, it’s sent to a facility in New Jersey, where the masks are disassembled, sorted and bundled for new use.

The metal nose pieces are smelted into bar stock and metal sheeting, the polypropylene face covering is crushed to make composite decking, shipping pallets and other products, and the ear bands are ground into a fine mesh to mix with other recycled products. Read More →

College honours Manitoba icon and celebrated community hero: Gabriel Langlois to receive honorary diploma

Posted: February 19, 2021

For the last 35 years, Gabriel Langlois has undeniably been one of the most well-known and beloved Manitobans at any sporting or special event across our province.

And while it’s often his presence and enthusiasm for Winnipeg that captures attention, it’s his integrity, devotion to volunteering, community spirit and uplifting positive attitude that captures hearts. These qualities have moved Red River College to award Langlois the Honorary Diploma in Community Development at this year’s 2021 Virtual Winter Convocation ceremony.

“Red River College awards an Honorary Diploma to an individual who demonstrates high standards of excellence in their personal and professional achievements, and whose involvement in the community is widely recognized,” says RRC President Fred Meier.

“Gabriel Langlois has made significant contributions to our community and is celebrated by many for his tireless engagement efforts and friendly demeanour. When Red River College received his nomination, it included letters of support from leaders across Manitoba, which reinforced his devotion to volunteerism and the positive impact that he continues to have on our communities. While ‘Dancing Gabe’ may be Manitoba’s number one fan, there is certainly an entire community of us who are fans of the contributions he makes to our province every day.”

The list of Langlois’ awards, accolades and achievements is long, and includes the Premier’s Volunteer Award, the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal, and the City of Winnipeg Community Service Award.

This past September, his volunteer accomplishments culminated in his being awarded the Sovereign’s Medal for Volunteers, which recognizes the remarkable achievements of Canadians from across the country in a wide range of fields. He has also demonstrated his integrity and trustworthiness over the past 35 years as a volunteer and part-time employee of the YMCA-YWCA of Winnipeg.

“Gabriel Langlois is a Manitoba icon, devoted volunteer and inspiring community hero. He reflects the very best of our community — and the best of Red River College, with our commitment to learning, respect, inclusiveness, integrity and community values,” says Dr. Christine Watson, RRC’s Vice-President, Academic. Read More →

College partners with province on solutions to COVID-related workforce challenges in education

Posted: January 8, 2021

The Manitoba government is taking action to bolster substitute teachers and educational assistants to sustain classroom education and supports through the 2020/21 school year, Education Minister Cliff Cullen announced today.

“As the pandemic continues and in-class learning continues we recognize the demand that this is placing on Manitoba’s classrooms,” said Cullen. “Manitoba Education, along with the Manitoba School Boards Association and school divisions, identified the need to address staffing shortages and reached out to Red River College to explore innovative ways to support in-class learning through the 2020/21 school year.”

The government will support two condensed training programs, created by the College in collaboration with the Manitoba Association of School Superintendents in response to the staffing needs identified by school divisions across the province. These programs are designed to provide consistent and quality training to the individuals hired by school divisions to address COVID-19 staffing challenges in Manitoba’s classrooms.

The Basic Classroom Skills for Limited Teaching Permit Holders program will provide short-term, basic training to prepare individuals hired on a temporary basis to successfully teach in a classroom environment. The Educational Assistant Essentials program will provide short-term, entry level training to new EAs who would then work under the direction of teaching staff.

“Our College community continues to draw on our unique experience and expertise — both with content development and highly skilled instruction in these areas — to create customized solutions to meet the urgent human resource challenges this pandemic presents across various sectors and industries,” said RRC President Fred Meier. “We will continue to leverage our skills and expertise to support critical and essential industries across Manitoba, and we are proud to work with our partners in the K-12 system to create solutions to address educational continuity and the pressing staffing needs identified by the Task Force as we navigate the home stretch of this unprecedented school year.”

Both programs draw on existing training provided by the College and will be offered online, both full-time and part time, in French and English, and will be accessible to individuals across Manitoba. Each program will be approximately 30 hours in duration.

School divisions will continue to hire interested, qualified individuals through their standard processes, and will refer candidates to Red River College for training. Intakes will begin January 18, 2021. School division job postings are available on the Manitoba School Boards Association’s website.

“We understand a key part of maintaining in-class learning during the COVID-19 pandemic requires that members of the school community remain home when sick,” said Cullen. “These programs are part of a $44-million commitment to assist, alongside hiring more teachers and staff and ensuring a safe and healthy learning environment for all students, teachers and staff.”

RRC delivers new micro-credential courses to SkipTheDishes

Posted: January 6, 2021

Red River College has partnered with SkipTheDishes to serve up a menu of micro-credential courses designed to help the largest food delivery network in Canada train a rapidly growing workforce.

Faced with an urgent need to develop a strong cohort of qualified training staff, SkipTheDishes approached RRC earlier this year to draw on the College’s proven strengths in designing and implementing short micro-credential courses that “level up” specific skills and competencies.

This new series of micro-credentials will “train the trainers” by qualifying them with a uniform set of accredited skills they need to train their operations teams. The micro-credentials will enhance the skills of SkipTheDishes’ current training facilitators, many of whom rose to the role from customer service positions, and will form a baseline for new hires. The first round of courses are already underway.

“This partnership highlights RRC’s innovation and flexibility when it comes to building our province’s workforce capacity in a rapidly changing environment,” says RRC President Fred Meier. “We’re pleased to support a made-in-Manitoba success story like SkipTheDishes. Our strong connections with industry partners make it possible for us to quickly develop tailor-made solutions to the challenges they’re facing, and ensure people have the opportunity to gain the right skills, at the right time, in the right way.”

“We’re excited to partner with RRC to ensure our trainers are set up for success,” says Eddie Garcia, Vice-President, Global Care and Logistics, SkipTheDishes. “With a rapidly growing workforce right here in Winnipeg, the micro-credential courses have come at a perfect time.”

Once each SkipTheDishes trainer completes the micro-credentials, they receive a digital badge embedded with information about the skills and competencies they’ve acquired. The badge can be added to resumes, email signatures and social media. Read More →

Holiday hours in effect on campuses until Monday, Jan. 4

Posted: December 24, 2020

Red River College will once again operate on restricted holiday hours beginning at noon on Thursday, Dec. 24.

During the break, general access to the Notre Dame and Exchange District Campuses will be available during the following hours:

Date	Access
Dec. 24	Open until noon
Dec. 24 at noon through Dec. 26	Closed (no access)
Dec. 27–31	Open 6 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Jan. 1–3	Closed (no access)
Jan. 4	Open (regular hours resume)

 

During restricted hours, entry to the Notre Dame Campus will be permitted through the East Plaza door of Building C. Entry to the Roblin Centre will be permitted through the North Atrium doors.

Sign-in and sign-out procedures will be in effect and visitors will need to present their College identification cards upon arrival.

Regular hours of operation will resume on Monday, Jan. 4 at 7 a.m.

We wish you a healthy and happy holiday season.

More than 100 Bachelor of Nursing grads join Manitoba’s front lines

Posted: December 17, 2020

Today, 109 graduates from Red River College’s Bachelor of Nursing program will receive their nursing pins at a special Virtual Pinning Ceremony, marking the completion of their degrees and the beginning of their careers as they join Manitoba’s front lines.

“Red River College is proud to train and prepare our health-care professionals with the skills and expertise they need to successfully enter the workforce, and provide the critical health human resources that our province needs now more than ever,” says Dr. Christine Watson, RRC’s Vice-President Academic.

“The Bachelor of Nursing students receiving their pins today have risen to every challenge this pandemic has thrown their way. They have demonstrated they are ready to put their training into action, to help those who need them most, and to make a real difference. We are thrilled to celebrate their hard work and dedication with this special virtual celebration.”

The pinning ceremony is an important ceremonial milestone for new nurses that dates back to the 12th century. It is often associated with Florence Nightingale, the founder of modern nursing, who presented medals of excellence to the nursing graduates of her London school. The presentation of the nursing pin to graduates celebrates their success as students and the promise of their future in the profession.

This year has proven to be especially challenging for Nursing grads, many of whom have had to complete their senior practicums while working on the front lines in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“For as long as I can remember, I’ve always known that I wanted to be a nurse. Helping others and caring for patients is something that I care deeply about, so I knew this would never be just a job for me — it would be something I would commit my life to,” says Lauren Lacroix, RRC Bachelor of Nursing graduate, class of 2020.

“Completing nursing school isn’t easy — you have to learn to adapt, to prioritize and work under pressure — and this has been especially true this year while working to complete our practicums in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. Receiving our pins today symbolizes the fact that we did it, and on those really hard days it serves as an important reminder of everything we have overcome to get here, and of our commitment to make a difference in the lives of the patients we care for.” Read More →

RRC partners with province to build rapid-testing capacity to protect Manitobans

Posted: December 16, 2020

Red River College has partnered with the provincial government to launch a new micro-credential that will build a skilled workforce to support Manitoba’s rapid-test strategy for COVID-19, Premier Brian Pallister and RRC President Fred Meier announced today.

“Our government’s number one priority in the face of this pandemic is to protect Manitobans and halt the spread of this deadly virus,” says Pallister. “With the launch of this new micro-credential, Manitoba will be well positioned to support the creation of targeted rapid testing initiatives to protect our front-line workers and the Manitobans they care for.”

The premier noted the province will launch a dedicated COVID-19 rapid testing service pilot for teachers in Winnipeg in the new year, which will help support the health and wellness of Manitoba’s school communities.

Students of the new RRC course will learn how to use best practices in testing performance for COVID-19 and the technical skills needed to support the launch of a Fast Pass rapid testing pilot for teachers in the new year. Participants of the free micro-credential can expect six hours of theory and a five-hour lab component, totalling 11 hours of instruction, conducted over five days.

“Our government is committed to partnering with industry leaders like Red River College to create made-in-Manitoba solutions that will help save lives,” says Pallister. “While vaccinations are beginning in Manitoba for targeted groups, we must continue to stick to the fundamentals and stay home to support our health-care and front-line workers at this crucial time in our fight against COVID-19.”

The first cohort of the RRC course is expected to start in early January, and will focus on skills needed to use the Songbird Hyris bCUBE and other rapid tests. The program is being offered free to eligible applicants with a foundation in science and/or working in a laboratory setting, including:

• medical laboratory assistants or technicians with laboratory-related work experience
• graduates of a science or chemical and biosciences technology program
• graduates of a pharmaceutical manufacturing program
• graduates with a bachelor of science degree with a major or minor in biology, biochemistry, biomedical sciences, chemistry, microbiology or zoology Read More →

Robots, rapid prototyping and R&D: College’s applied research enterprise ranks among Canada’s best

Posted: December 15, 2020

Red River College is one of Canada’s top five research institutions, as announced today by Re$earch Infosource in their annual ranking of the country’s top 50 research colleges.

The list saw RRC, Manitoba’s only polytechnic, jump nine spots from its placement at 14th last year. This is the highest the College has placed since coming in second in 2011.

“Red River College is a world-class institution that makes significant impacts to applied research every day, thanks to industry-driven partnerships and projects,” says RRC President Fred Meier. “Our research enterprise has been making a difference for more than 15 years, and this recognition is a testament to the contributions of our hard-working staff, students and faculty.”

Today’s announcement recognizes RRC’s work during the 2018/19 fiscal year, during which the College completed 105 research projects and employed 37 students for work that falls within the College’s four main research areas: advanced design and manufacturing, clean technology, digital technologies, and health, nutrition and social sciences.

Key projects include an ongoing partnership with Prairie Fava, a start-up business based out of Glenboro, Manitoba that promotes fava flour as a protein-rich gluten alternative; supporting Manitoba’s aerospace and manufacturing sector with an expanding fleet of “cobots” or collaborative robots; and helping to launch the “Genome 360” project with Genome Canada and a network of partners, with the goal of building a hub for genomics and phenomics capabilities in Manitoba.

The news comes on the heels of RRC’s recent silver win at the World Federation of Colleges and Polytechnics (WFCP) Awards of Excellence, held in a virtual ceremony on Nov. 29.

“Our work in applied research has an immediate impact and is needed now more than ever,” says Meier. “Being recognized on a national and international level not only reinforces our continued success, but recognizes the immense talent and expertise that we have at the College. Our ongoing collaboration with business and industry means that we’re solving problems and creating new and innovative solutions every day, and I invite industry to come work with us to experience first-hand what we have to offer. Read More →