More than 100 representatives from Manitoba businesses are meeting today to learn the advantages and benefits of mentoring a student through Work-Integrated Learning (WIL) opportunities at RRC Polytech.

Hosted by the College’s Applied Computer Education and Work Integrated Learning and Career Services department, the one-day conference Engaging in Work-Integrated Learning for the Changing Workplace aims to inform businesses about the WIL opportunities that exist within the College, and the supports they can receive to promote accessibility and equity, diversity and inclusion in the workplace.

“The College is already well known for its experiential approach to learning, and we want to ensure our industry partners understand the many benefits of providing students with Work-Integrated Learning experiences,” says Dr. Christine Watson, RRC Polytech’s Vice President, Academic.

“Not only do our students gain important skills that support their future career paths, but our host employers also benefit through early access to high quality talent.

“Students come to RRC Polytech because they want a high-quality education that will prepare them to enter the workforce after graduation. This includes access to industry mentorship, experiential learning and co-operative work placements.”

The conference is funded through a partnership with the Business + Higher Education Roundtable (BHER), with support from the Government of Canada. Through the partnership, RRC Polytech has committed to providing 650 WIL opportunities for students in 2023. New initiatives created include the Sprint to Innovate competition, pitch workshops and additional projects completed through Applied Computer Education. Read More →

In partnership with RBC Future Launch, Indigenous culture takes centre stage today as RRC Polytech students, staff and community members gather for a celebration highlighting the importance of entrepreneurship in Indigenous culture.

Running 1:00–5:00 p.m. at Manitou a bi Bii daziigae, Indigenous Food, Fashion and Music: An RBC Reaction by Collision Community Event will showcase Indigenous culture and arts in Winnipeg. As part of RRC Polytech’s commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion, the event will immerse guests in Indigenous culture, as represented by some of the brightest local entrepreneurs, chefs, designers and performers.

“Representation and celebration of Indigenous culture is an important way to let Indigenous students, staff and community members know they are welcome here and they belong at RRC Polytech,” says College President Fred Meier.

“When RRC Polytech connects with partners like RBC, amazing things can happen. This is the second year we’ve had the pleasure of hosting the RBC Reaction by Collision Event in-person, and I’d like to take this opportunity to thank RBC for choosing to support RRC Polytech students.”

Event highlights will include a haute couture fashion show, delectable cuisine from local chefs, a crafter’s market with local artisans and music provided by Juno nominees Indian City. Featured guests include Brownees Urban Bistro, Feast Café Bistro, Olivia Nasikapow, Gayle Grubin, Dawn Harris, OGICHIDAA, and many others.

Miranda Harper, an RRC Polytech grad and drummer in the local rock band Venus Man Trap, is taking part in the event’s panel and looks forward to sharing her experience as an Indigenous musician with students and community members.

“We’re showing future Indigenous generations that they’re welcome here, that there’s space for them to innovate and be bold,” Harper says. “I get inspired when young people ask me questions, either about my experience as a musician or about my career in commercial banking. It’s important for me to share the path and journey I went on to get to where I am and hopefully motivate others to do the same.” Read More →

RRC Polytech is partnering with the CWB Welding Foundation to remove barriers for women pursuing careers in the trades, by introducing the Women of Steel™: Forging Forward Program.

The tuition-free offering will foster personal growth and confidence by providing experiential learning for anyone who identifies as female and is interested in exploring welding or working in other welding-related skilled trades.

“Creating more pathways and opportunities for women and members of equity-deserving groups in our community to pursue rewarding and prosperous careers in the skilled trades industry is a key priority for RRC Polytech, and for our industry partners,” says Fred Meier, President and CEO.

“We are proud to be one of 14 hosts for the Women of Steel™ program in Canada and to partner with the CWB Welding Foundation, because by working together, we are pushing for progress, removing barriers to access and participation in the welding industry, and reinforcing the fact that a career in the trades is one that anyone and everyone can enjoy and excel at.”

Women of Steel™ runs May 1 to Aug. 25, with in-person training to be hosted at RRC Polytech’s Skilled Trades and Technology Centre. The 17-week pre-employment program (15 weeks of training, two of work placements) will deliver practical theory, hands-on welding training and skills development in a safe and supportive environment.

Shorter training periods will be used to familiarize participants with a number of welding processes, giving them the ability to obtain multiple CWB welding qualifications in various positions and making them ready for apprenticeship, post-secondary and employment. Read More →

Manitoba’s only polytechnic is ready to boost Canada’s resilient recovery, with the introduction of Quick Train Canada, a fully funded series of micro-credentials from post-secondary institutions throughout the country.

RRC Polytech is part of a coalition of Canadian colleges, polytechnics and cégeps, called Canadian Colleges for a Resilient Recovery (C2R2), that worked together to secure federal funding for this important training initiative, and is the only Manitoba institution to offer Quick Train courses.

C2R2 formally launched Quick Train at Mohawk College in Hamilton this morning, with the announcement of a $46.5-million investment from the federal government’s Sectoral Workforce Solutions Program.

“One of our strengths as a polytechnic is offering agile, relevant training that empowers people to excel in their fields,” says Dr. Christine Watson (shown above, third from left), RRC Polytech’s Vice-President, Academic.

“This funding creates access to important upskilling and re-skilling opportunities throughout their careers, ensuring Manitoba has a workforce that contributes to a more sustainable and equitable economy.”

Quick Train programming is designed to enable workers and employers to update their skills quickly through multi-week, virtual and in-person learning. Each of the 14 C2R2 institutions offers

Quick Train courses specific to their areas of expertise, all of which support Canada’s transition to a low-carbon economy while fostering equity, diversity and inclusion in the workplace.

Through this partnership, Manitobans have access to Quick Train micro-credentials from C2R2 institutions across the country. Many courses are offered in-person for local learners, while others are entirely virtual. Read More →

RRC Polytech is once again one of Canada’s top research institutions, as announced earlier this week in Re$earch Infosource’s annual ranking of the country’s top 50 research colleges. The College jumped three spots from last year’s 14th place position.

RRC Polytech ranks first in the prairies in the category Spotlight on College Research Activity – Medium Tier, and third for research partnerships nationwide. The College completed 93 applied research projects in the 2021 fiscal year.

“Partnerships are at the heart of everything we do at RRC Polytech,” says Jamie Wilson, Vice-President, Indigenous Strategy, Research and Business Development at RRC Polytech.

“We work with industry every day to come up with innovative, sustainable solutions to business problems. Thanks to the support from our partners in the community, industry and government, we can continue to make positive change here in Manitoba and throughout the country.

“This national recognition reinforces that ground-breaking work doesn’t happen in a silo. It takes a community of creative staff, students and industry partners to achieve the results that place us so high on this list.”

An ongoing partnership between RRC Polytech’s Prairie Research Kitchen, Prairie Fava — a Glenboro, Man.-based food startup — and Big Mountain Foods, a Vancouver-based innovator of plant-based consumer packaged goods, that resulted in an award-winning product is just one example of the innovative collaborations completed in the last year.

Another is a recent building airtightness test at Gordon Bell High School completed by RRC Polytech’s Building Efficiency Technology Access Centre (BETAC) that will help the high school reduce energy costs by 50 per cent. Read More →

Starting next month, Winnipeg youths with an interest in 3D printing, manufacturing and robotics will have the opportunity to hone their skills and learn about new technologies through one-day bootcamps at RRC Polytech.

The Gene Haas Manufacturing Bootcamps are open to students in Grades 7 and 8 (ages 12 to 14), along with their parents or guardians. Participants will learn how to create things using industry-standard equipment and technology, while exploring some of the many career options in Manitoba’s rapidly growing manufacturing sector.

“RRC Polytech is excited to partner with the Gene Haas Foundation on these camps because we know there is incredible potential for young Winnipeggers in the manufacturing field,” says Mark Blackner, Chair of Electrical, Mechanical and Manufacturing at RRC Polytech.

“It was important for us to include parents and guardians in these camps because often trades and technologies are seen as a dead-end job or back-up plan, which is not the case. Careers in trades and technologies allow people to create things every day, are high-paying and help our communities function and grow.”

Bootcamps run once a month, on Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 4p.m. They’ll provide participants with training in:

• 3D printing
• Computer aided design (CAD)
• Computer numerical control (CNC) machining
• Industrial robotics

Along with the Gene Haas Foundation and Thomas Skinner (Western Canada’s Haas Automation representative), the College has partnered with Career Trek and Skills Canada Manitoba to bring these bootcamps to life. Read More →

Today, RRC Polytech marked the accreditation of eight of its programs by Technology Accreditation Canada (TAC).

The accreditation is the result of a comprehensive audit that includes a tour of each program’s labs and student support services, and interviews with its students, faculty, alumni and graduates’ employers.

The eight programs that received accreditation are: 

·      Electronic Engineering Technology 

·      Electrical Engineering Technology 

·      Instrumentation and Control Engineering Technology

·      Mechanical Engineering Technology

·      Structural Engineering Technology

·      Architectural/Engineering Technology

·      Municipal Engineering Technology

·      Environmental Engineering Technology

“Achieving accreditation for these programs is a real win-win,” says Derek Kochenash, Dean, School of Skilled Trades and Technologies at RRC Polytech. “Not only does accreditation open doors to even more career opportunities for our students, it provides our partners in industry with the essential talent to help their organizations achieve their goals. 

“RRC Polytech is grateful to Technology Accreditation Canada for this acknowledgment. The accreditation reflects the high quality of these eight programs, while enhancing graduates’ credentials as they enter the workforce.”

National program accreditation provides students, industry and RRC Polytech with confirmation their program has met defined standards. 

Accreditation also affords graduates an expedited path to certification through the Certified Technicians & Technologists Association of Manitoba (CTTAM) and provincial certifying bodies across Canada.

“We congratulate each program for its commitment to delivering to students a high quality program that meets the current standards of the engineering technology and applied science profession,” says Stephen Morley, Chair of TAC’s board of directors. 

Today, at its fall convocation ceremony, RRC Polytech will celebrate more than 1,200 graduates as they enter the workforce prepared to face any challenge head on.

“Tonight’s ceremony is just the start for this resilient group of graduates. Acquiring their skills and credentials in an unprecedented period of constant change has added to their employability — they truly deserve a celebration,” says Dr. Christine Watson, Vice-President Academic at RRC Polytech.

“Our convocation ceremonies represent opportunity and optimism, so we’re thrilled everyone can acknowledge this milestone accomplishment together.”

Many of the individuals graduating today completed a significant portion of their learning in a virtual or hybrid setting, and will celebrate their success along with their friends, family and instructors tonight at the RBC Convention Centre.

Among the honorees at tonight’s ceremony is Michael Stewart, RRC Polytech’s 2022 Lieutenant Governor’s Medal recipient. Stewart graduates with honours from the Applied Accounting Certificate program and inspires everyone around him as a tireless volunteer, support worker and advocate in the deaf-blind community.

“From instructors and interpreters to classmates, I am blown away by the generosity, kindness and top-notch service provided by RRC Polytech,” says Stewart. “My education will open so many doors for me as I work toward becoming a chartered professional accountant and achieving my ultimate goal of changing the stigma associated with the ability of deaf-blind Canadians to work and contribute.” Read More →

RRC Polytech has launched a game-changing new web tool to help support prospective students as they map out their futures.

The recently unveiled Program Explorer tool, along with newly revised program webpages, will allow prospective students to search for programs according to their specific needs and interests, filtering options based on a set of criteria that includes program type and length, location and credential.

In the past, such details were traditionally shared via print and digital versions of the RRC Polytech Viewbook. With the adoption of a more flexible online platform, this information is now easier to update and more relevant to the prospective student journey.

Program Explorer is also completely independent of RRC Polytech’s online Catalogue, making it easier for the College to update aging infrastructure without having to worry about integration issues.

As student recruitment officer Felipe Matoso explains, the project was driven by his department’s primary goal: providing comprehensive supports to future RRC Polytech students.

“To achieve that goal, we listen to what they need,” says Matoso. “Through conversations with future students, research and collaboration with other areas of the College, we mapped the future student journey — from first hearing about RRC Polytech to submitting an application — and we identified the major gaps and opportunities.

“One of our key findings was that future students needed more relatable content in order to choose a program: examples of alumni success stories, work opportunities after graduation, or cool things that happen in a program, such as co-op placements or other events. We addressed that by creating new program webpages that are very easy to navigate, but also rich in content.” Read More →

Walter and Maria Schroeder, founders of The Schroeder Foundation, are the recipients of an Honorary Bachelor of Education degree from RRC Polytech, in recognition of their dedication to removing barriers to education for Manitoba youth.

“We are elated to present Walter and Maria Schroeder with an honorary degree to celebrate our shared commitment in removing learning barriers,” says RRC Polytech President Fred Meier. “The additional support they provide students helps set them up for success. Transitions to post-secondary can be challenging, but the Foundation’s efforts to engage directly with students and their families helps youth thrive during their time here and beyond.”

The Schroeders grew up in Winnipeg and have always believed in helping others. In 1976, Walter created a new Canadian-based bond rating agency called Dominion Bond Rating Service, which became one of the world’s premier agencies. After selling their company, the Schroeders focused their energy on philanthropy and created The Schroeder Foundation.

“We believe in the power of education, and access should be available for all,” says Walter. “We are so grateful to be receiving this honorary degree from RRC Polytech.”

“When we were young and growing up in Winnipeg, we benefited from the generosity of others, and now it is our turn to extend that same support to students in our hometown,” adds Maria.

Since 2019, The Schroeder Foundation has funded 135 full scholarships to RRC Polytech, with wrap-around supports such as tutoring, guidance and academic coaching. The Foundation has devoted its resources to improving health and education services across Canada, with a particular focus on supporting Winnipeg’s high school students in the North End.

Over the last two years, the Foundation has provided 190 full post-secondary scholarships to RRC Polytech, the University of Manitoba and the University of Winnipeg. The Foundation also awards over 10 full scholarships to Vancouver Film School each year to extraordinary students in Sisler High School’s CREATE program. This is in addition to the 700+ merit awards provided annually to students at St. John’s High School, Daniel McIntyre Collegiate Institute and Sisler High School.