All six students enrolled in the first class of a specialized mechanics and technology course will walk out the doors of Red River College and into new careers as certified technicians for Peterbilt Motors Company.

The students are graduates of the new Peterbilt Technician Institute (PTI), launched in partnership with the College earlier this year. The Institute is a manufacturer-paid training initiative offered to graduates of RRC’s Heavy Duty Equipment Mechanic program, and to those interested in advancing their skills to become certified Peterbilt technicians.

For Alexandra Pratt, the experience means getting her foot in the door of a great career.

“It’s an amazing opportunity to get started in a career with such a well-known and reputable company,” says Pratt. “I learned so much through this program, and would recommend it to anyone looking to start a career with the Peterbilt family.”

The six students were the first to complete the comprehensive training program, earning 10 key certifications to earn their designation as Peterbilt Master Technicians.

This new program allowed the students to gain experience in all aspects of the work done at a Peterbilt dealership. Peterbilt Motors Company supplied the curriculum, laptops for the students, three trucks, two engines and specialized tools to help ensure the students’ success in becoming confident in their skills and career-ready by the end of the 12-week session. Peterbilt also trained RRC instructors to deliver the program at the College.

“Red River College is built on supporting the backbone of not only Manitoba’s economy, but many important sectors all across the country and throughout North America,” says Arnold Boldt, RRC’s executive director, Academic. “This new partnership with Peterbilt was a perfect fit when it came to accessing our expertise and state-of-the-art facilities.” Read More →

Jane’s — the flagship fine-dining restaurant run by Red River College’s Hospitality and Culinary Arts program — is now taking reservations, ready to impress new and returning guests with a seasonal showcase of urban-upscale cuisine.

With doors scheduled to open on Sept. 28, students in the program are already hard at work in the heritage-inspired dining room and ultramodern kitchen, putting the finishing touches on a fall menu that includes steelhead trout, bison shortribs and stuffed pheasant. (And that’s just for lunch!)

Housed in the Paterson GlobalFoods Institute in the heart of the Exchange District, Jane’s is marking its fifth year as a foodie-friendly downtown destination — one where every dish is prepared and served by RRC’s students and chefs.

“Jane’s is a unique concept in that it really serves a dual purpose to the culinary community in Manitoba,” says program chair Karen McDonald. “Not only is the food delicious, but this is a place where our customers have the opportunity to taste the very best in culinary excellence inside a state-of-the-art, interactive classroom.”

Since its debut in 2012, PGI has seen upwards of 600 Hospitality and Culinary Arts grads come through its doors, an increase of almost 30 per cent in as much time. According to recent surveys, more than 90% of those who complete the program find work within six months of graduating.

“The employment opportunities in these industries in Manitoba are endless, and when we talk to our students and grads we are proud the feedback is overwhelmingly positive,” says McDonald. “The next time you dine at a restaurant, or attend an event at a venue in Winnipeg, you will very likely cross paths with one of our grads — many of whom got their start working at Jane’s.”

Jane’s re-opens for lunch Sept. 28 – Dec. 13, and for dinner Oct. 13 – Dec. 7. Learn more or make a reservation.

Want to know what’s going on around campus? Need a tool to help promote your event to the College community? Starting this fall, there’s an app for that!

Red River College has launched a mobile-friendly, device agnostic web app called RRC Life, with features unlike those of other college and university apps. Instead of focusing on schedules, grades, links to class sites and other commonly used tools (all of which are available to students through the rrc.ca login), RRC Life is designed to help members of the RRC community — including students, staff and alumni — better engage with College life.

Much of the RRC Life app was conceptualized and developed by our very own students. The College’s Marketing and Web Presence team started the initiative by partnering with Business Information Technology (BIT) students on a curriculum-based project to design and develop a fully functioning web app for the College community.

“We’re very proud of the relationship our faculty and students have developed with our colleagues in Marketing and Web Presence,” says Haider Al-Saidi, Chair, Applied Computer Education (ACE). “Students gain most when they work on real-world problems and solutions, and it’s extra special to be able to do that for your school and fellow students.”

The app — which has a mobile-first design but works on all devices — can be used to access an RRC social media aggregator, an interactive campus maps utility, and a campus-specific user-generated events stream. Staying true to RRC’s brand, the app also allows user to access a real-time stream of job postings for students and grads.

“The goal of the app is simply to increase the quality of life at RRC by informing and engaging our audiences on whatever connected device they happen to have at their fingertips,” says Christian Robin, RRC’s Director of Marketing and Web Presence. “The version that’s out now was completed with help from one of our alumni, Paul Everton (BIT, 2007). The app has an API that will allow us to continue to work with students to test and build out additional functionality, and eventually launch native apps for iOS and Android devices.”

Use the free app today at rrclife.ca.

For the third year in a row, members of RRC’s Student Refugee Program (SRP) Local Committee were on hand to welcome their latest sponsored arrival — former Syrian resident Tariq Ajam — as he touched down in Winnipeg.

Ajam is the third student to arrive in Canada under a sponsorship with the SRP, an initiative of World University Service of Canada (WUSC).

He studied engineering in Syria until 2012, when continued instability in the region prompted him to move to Jordan. There, he completed his course credit hours and started work on his thesis, before applying for an SRP sponsorship so he could enrol in RRC’s Applied Accounting program.

“As an engineer, I always think something related to business might help me to find a good opportunity in life, such as administration or management,” says Ajam, who’ll stay at RRC’s student residence while attending classes downtown. “I really do not want to lose another chance in my life to achieve what I am dreaming of.”

Ajam was greeted at the airport yesterday by a lively delegation from RRC, including Yves Ngendahimna and Wasim Alkabani (shown above, with Ajam in centre), the first and second students to be sponsored under the SRP.

All three students made their way to Canada with help from not only committee members and the larger WUSC network, but also donors such as Albert El Tassi, Scotiabank, and the RRC Students’ Association, whose support and financial contributions make the program possible.

Recently, Scotiabank made a five-year, $100,000 pledge to support the program at RRC, and also established three individual awards worth $1,000 each to support domestic students pursuing careers in the financial services industry.

To join the SRP Local Committee, contact Lauren Konrad, Student Integration Coordinator, at 204.631.3345.

Red River College will unveil six new programs this year to prepare students for success in the fields of construction management, IT, engineering, health care and business administration.

The new offerings will equip students to be industry-ready by the time they graduate, through the College’s brand of hands-on learning delivered by highly skilled faculty members.

Many of the skills students will acquire through these programs are in high demand in sectors across the province. According to recent surveys, 98 per cent of Red River College graduates choose to stay and work in Manitoba, a trend that helps meet the needs of our province’s economy.

“The partnerships we have with key industries in Manitoba help drive our decisions on program offerings,” says RRC President Paul Vogt. “We get constant feedback from employers on the skills they are looking for, and what it takes for graduates to find jobs and be at the leading edge of their sectors.”

The new programs include: Read More →

Starting this year, Red River College students living with schizophrenia will have the chance to apply for a new scholarship available to Manitobans pursuing post-secondary educations.

It’s hoped the new Yes2Me Scholarships — worth $1,000 and sponsored by the Manitoba Schizophrenia Society (MSS) and the Otsuka-Lundbeck Alliance — will help bridge the gap between the 70 per cent of people living with schizophrenia who wish to pursue post-secondary studies, and the 30 per cent currently in the workforce.

The relatively low workforce figure is attributed to both social stigma and a lack of opportunities for those living with schizophrenia and other mental health issues. Research suggests creating pathways to post-secondary education can result in positive outcomes and help address disparities.

“A large part of the recovery process for a person living with schizophrenia — or any illness — is being able to access post-secondary education,” says Chris Summerville, executive director of the MSS. “There are barriers that can stand in the way. This can include stigma, financial burden, lack of accommodation and other issues. The importance of post-secondary education is perhaps even greater for students with a mental illness.” Read More →

More than 30 international students attending Red River College’s Language Training Centre Summer Institute put their language training into practice — and got a taste of Manitoba’s passion for sport — at this week’s 2017 Canada Summer Games women’s volleyball match between Manitoba and Saskatchewan.

The students and instructors are in Winnipeg until Aug. 11, visiting from both the Shenyang Institute of Engineering in Liaoning, China, and the Shaanxi Polytechnic Institute in Shaanxi, China to enhance their English language skills.

“We are pleased to once again welcome international students and instructors to Red River College’s Summer Institute for the fifth year – most of whom are visiting Canada for the first time,” says RRC president Paul Vogt, himself a member of the 2017 Canada Summer Games Board of Directors.

“This program is essential to our continued work building relationships with educational institutions overseas and showcasing the bright future Red River College and the province of Manitoba can offer future international students.”

The focus of the Summer Institute is to balance fun and interactive classroom sessions at RRC with outings to some of the city’s most popular attractions, while helping students build confidence by using English in the classroom and in everyday situations. Since arriving in Winnipeg, students have visited RRC’s three campuses in Winnipeg, and enjoyed learning excursions to CF Polo Park, Assiniboine Park, the Canadian Museum for Human Rights, the Canada Summer Games, and Folklorama. Read More →

As thousands of athletes and spectators descend on Winnipeg for the 2017 Canada Summer Games, a group of Red River College students will be on hand to show them some of our trademark hospitality.

The five students — all of whom are completing the final stages of RRC’s Hospitality and Tourism Management program — are volunteering as team leads overseeing the set-up and operations of the Athletes’ Village at the University of Manitoba.

Their work at the Village will help them fulfill the final co-op term required to complete the second year of their program, in which all five are majoring in Hotel and Restaurant Management.

They first became involved with the Summer Games back in February, when instructor Krista Mask invited Jordon Lanthier, chair of accommodations for the event, to speak to her Rooms Management class about volunteer opportunities.

Mask says the students were immediately enthused, noting the Summer Games experience is perfect for those making their first forays into the industry.

“Many of my students have no work experience when they come to [RRC],” she explains. “And how do you build a resume without having had any paid positions?”

“This is a great opportunity, for them and their resumes — not only do they get to network with different people from all over, it’s also a huge boon in terms of tourism. And without volunteers, these types of events just don’t happen.” Read More →

A set of hockey sticks used by members of the Winnipeg Jets and Manitoba Moose have been given new life at the Winnipeg Aboriginal Sport Achievement Centre (WASAC), where they’ll be used by local youths dreaming of becoming the next Mark Scheifele or Jocelyne Larocque.

The sticks, which were damaged or broken during game play last season, were donated to Red River College by True North Sports and Entertainment, and repaired to nearly-new quality by students in RRC’s Aerospace Manufacturing program.

As part of the program’s curriculum, the students fixed the sticks using a variety of composite materials, then delivered them to WASAC, which since 1999 has been providing Indigenous and inner-city youth with access to sport and leisure activities.

“The kids and staff at WASAC really represent the spirit of community, and we are thrilled to provide them with this new equipment,” says RRC President Paul Vogt. “This project is a fantastic training opportunity for our students, who are learning to work with different composite materials, and as a bonus we are able to provide the younger generation of Winnipeg’s youth with opportunities to grow through sport.”

Vogt was joined at WASAC by RRC instructor Terry Morris (who led the project along with Chris Marek), to present the 18 sticks to WASAC participants, and join them in a game of hockey.

“We are humbled and excited to be recipients of NHL hockey sticks,” says WASAC Kids Camp coordinator Kate Doer. “These sticks were given to our children at summer camp and I know they’ll create many special road hockey memories as the kids imagine themselves as their hockey heroes.” Read More →

Red River College, in partnership with the Peterbilt Motors Company, today welcomed its first group of students to the newly established Peterbilt Technician Institute (PTI) at the Notre Dame Campus.

A first for Peterbilt in Canada, the Institute is a manufacturer-paid training program offered to graduates of RRC’s Heavy Duty Equipment Mechanic program, and to those interested in advancing their skills and training so they can become certified Peterbilt technicians.

“[The] College’s strengths in delivering this program come from our faculty’s connection to industry and the expertise they bring along with it,” says Tom Grant, Chair of Transportation and Heavy Apprenticeship Trades at RRC.

“Having this program delivered here will help Peterbilt develop their next generation of technicians, and we’re excited to play an important role in supporting them.”

While the trucking and transportation industry plays a big part in driving Canada’s economy — with more than 25,000 people employed in Manitoba alone — RRC’s experience delivering industry-specific training programs made it an ideal choice when Peterbilt began exploring options for their Canadian dealerships and employees.

“Partnering with RRC will allow us to address the industry-wide shortage of qualified and certified Peterbilt service technicians,” says Kyle Quinn, General Manager at Peterbilt.

“Our partnership will attract the next generation of Peterbilt technicians, who will exceed expectations through exceptional service for our customers and their vehicles.”

The new training program will run for 12 weeks, with the first intake running from June to September. A spring intake is planned for March 2018.