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Winnipeg to host hundreds of tradespersons-in-training during 2017 national Skills Canada competition

November 4, 2015

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Winnipeg will play host to the 2017 Skills Canada National Competition, Jobs and the Economy Minister Kevin Chief announced today.

The event — for which Red River College will serve as one of several partners — is scheduled to take place from May 31 to June 3, 2017, at the RBC Convention Centre in downtown Winnipeg.

The competition is expected to attract more than 18,000 visitors and 500 youth participants — the latter group comprised of students and apprentices enrolled in trades training programs in colleges and high schools across Canada.

“Hosting the Skills Canada competition will mean thousands of Canadians will travel to the city to share their talents and see what Manitoba has to offer,” said Chief (kneeling in above photo), who stopped by RRC today to take part in the College’s annual Engineering Technology Student Pep Rally.

“We’re proud that our government has supported youth in the trades by offering them educational opportunities, financial support and a strong economy that offers people entering the trades a world of options.”

As always, the goal of the event is to promote the skilled trades and reinforce their importance in building a strong provincial economy — a mission RRC has for years shared with Skills Canada’s provincial arm.

“[The College] has been the host site for the annual Skills Canada Manitoba competition and we are very excited to be part of the 2017 Skills Canada National Competition coming to Winnipeg,” said RRC President Paul Vogt.

“We applaud the government of Manitoba on making skilled trades and technology a priority, and on their investment in our new state-of-the-art Skilled Trades and Technology Centre (STTC), currently under construction at the Notre Dame campus.”

RRC to help train tradeswomen to impart skills and expertise to next generation of workers

October 29, 2015

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Red River College will train 10 Manitoba women who are already leaders in the skilled trades to become qualified instructors who can share their knowledge with the next generation of journeypersons, it was announced this week.

The women will receive a combined $55,000 in provincial funding to complete the Technical Vocational Teacher Education diploma program at RRC. Five are completing an accelerated one-year program, while the others will complete the program through part-time study.

“Some of our best role models will show young women the opportunities waiting for them with this program, and provide them with the skills and tools to succeed,” said Jobs and the Economy Minister Kevin Chief. “A career in the trades means a chance for them to earn a good living for themselves and their families, and a chance to give back in their hometowns and neighbourhoods.”

The news finds RRC continuing to play a central role in building capacity and driving the economy in Manitoba, says College President Paul Vogt.

“I am very proud that Red River College could demonstrate its leadership on this initiative,” said Vogt, “so we can help create pathways to success that will continue to encourage women to enter into many meaningful and rewarding careers in the skilled trades.” Read More →

Newly donated Jetstream touches down at RRC’s Stevenson Campus

October 22, 2015

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Red River College President Paul Vogt accepted the keys to a $1-million Jetstream aircraft this morning, at a ceremony held to celebrate the history of Alberta’s Swanberg Air, and the company’s generous contribution to staff and students at RRC.

The British Aerospace Model Jetstream 31, along with associated equipment, manuals and training aids, was donated by the Swanberg family of Grande Prairie, Alta., and Fort St. John, B.C., in memory of company founder Sylvan Swanberg and his wife, Dorothy.

The Swanbergs’ daughter, Ann Sawyer, together with her son Konnor and employees of Swanberg Air (now Landsman Properties), were on hand at RRC’s Stevenson Campus to announce the donation, made in support of the College’s Aircraft Maintenance Engineer (AME) program, which trains students in the maintenance, repair and overhaul of fixed-wing planes and helicopters.

“Our family is very proud to be able to support the next generation of aircraft maintenance engineers,” said Sawyer. “Continuous education and hands-on training is so important in the aviation industry, and we’re happy the donation of the Jetstream 31 to Red River College will have a positive impact on students and industry.”

Vogt says the Jetstream will allow RRC to continue meeting the labour needs of the aerospace and aviation sectors.

“There is an increasing demand in the aviation industry for highly skilled graduates, and with Manitoba being home to the third largest aerospace sector in Canada, this working aircraft will enhance training opportunities,” said Vogt.

“We are grateful to the Swanberg family for their impactful donation, which allows students to train on state-of-the-art equipment and become leaders in their field.” Read More →

New student award creates seamless pathways for generations of Indigenous learners

October 22, 2015

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Applications are still being accepted for the College’s new Seven Generations Award, available to any Indigenous student who’s the descendant (or dependent) of an RRC alum.

Launched last fall by RRC’s Aboriginal Student Support & Community Relations team, the award seeks to create a seamless educational pathway for the next seven generations of learners. Two awards worth $500 each are available each year.

Application requirements include:

  • Must be a full-time student (and provide enrolment/registration letter)
  • Must be of Aboriginal ancestry
  • Must fill out a general RRC awards application
  • Must submit a 500-word essay, which includes an explanation of your relationship to the RRC grad in question, as well as a description of your career goals, community involvement and cultural awareness

Application packages can be dropped off at RRC’s Aboriginal Centre (F209, Notre Dame Campus). The deadline for submissions is Fri., Oct. 30.

For more information, please contact Joan Machendagoos at 204.632.2363 or amachendagoos@rrc.ca.

Shown above: Recent RRC grad Tynan Selkirk (at left) joins his father, fellow RRC grad Rob Selkirk, in announcing the launch of the Seven Generations Award at an Aboriginal alumni event in 2014.

RRC student named chair of United Way’s GenNext Council

October 8, 2015

Smoluk 2015Congratulations go out to Red River College student Adam Smoluk, who’s been named the new chair of the United Way of Winnipeg’s GenNext Council.

Smoluk, 35, is completing his Human Resource Management and Management Development studies through RRC’s School of Continuing Education.

As he explains, the GenNext program provides Winnipeg’s future leaders with an opportunity to become engaged in their community, while networking with like-minded individuals who share the same passion for the city. The council brings people together to create meaningful social change by providing tailored involvement opportunities.

“During my time on the council I’ve been proud of the dedication and determination of our GenNext membership,” says Smoluk, who’s served on the council since 2010. “I’m deeply honoured to serve and I’m looking forward to the opportunities ahead.”

Smoluk works as a program Manager for Film Training Manitoba and has served on the ACTRA Manitoba council and as an ACTRA representative on the Manitoba Federation of Labour (MFL)’s Human Rights Committee. He currently serves on the Board of Directors for Youth Employment Services and is the Vice-chair of Essential Skills Manitoba.

An award-winning filmmaker, Smoluk studied on scholarship at the British American Drama Academy at Oxford University. He is the youngest graduate ever of the National Screen Institute’s Features First Program; his past accolades include the Future Leaders of Manitoba award, an Investors Group scholarship for leadership studies at The Banff Centre, and the MFL’s prestigious Al Cerilli Scholarship.

Fall enrolment figures remain steady for 2015-16 academic year

September 14, 2015

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Early enrolment numbers from the first week of classes suggest it’ll be another busy academic year for students and staff at Red River College.

Preliminary figures for this fall are consistent with those from the same time last year, indicating RRC will continue its high-enrolment trend. Over the past 15 years, the College has seen an overall increase of 66 per cent in program enrolments.

“Human capital drives our economy,” says RRC President Paul Vogt. “There is an increasing demand for a workforce with specialized skills, and Red River College delivers education and training that keeps pace with industry trends and needs in our province.”

Of particular note, this year’s enrolments saw increases in Business Information Technology (up 24 per cent), Mechanical Engineering Technology (up 11 per cent), Automotive Technician – Diploma (up 50 per cent), and Manufacturing Technician (up 30 per cent).

In addition to key program areas, RRC is also seeing continued growth in its post-graduate diploma programs (up 48 per cent) and in the recruitment of international students (up 32 per cent).

The steady growth means the College is operating at capacity. This spring, RRC and the province broke ground on a new 100,000 sq.-ft., state-of-the-art Skilled Trades and Technology Centre at the Notre Dame Campus, set to be completed in 2017. Read More →

Province to create new hybrid engineering pathway between RRC and U of M

September 14, 2015

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Manitobans who want to work as engineers will soon have more opportunities to enter the faculty of engineering, thanks to $500,000 in new provincial funding that’ll create 18 new seats and a hybrid pathway between Red River College and the University of Manitoba.

“Civil, electrical, industrial and mechanical engineers are in demand in our province, and increasing the number of engineering graduates is necessary to create more good jobs and keep our economy growing,” Premier Greg Selinger said today.

The U of M is the only institution in the province to offer accredited engineering degrees and the current seat capacity in the program is 336. Undergraduate engineering enrolment has increased by 48 per cent at the U of M since 2008.

The new hybrid engineering pathway will be introduced over several academic years through collaborative efforts between the U of M and Red River College, supporting increased credit transfer and recognition of prior experience for hybrid engineering students.

“Red River College is proud of the quality of its graduates and we welcome opportunities for them to further their education as a result of this pathway program with the University of Manitoba,” said RRC President Paul Vogt (shown above). “When you combine the experience our students receive from both institutions, it’s a recipe for success that will have a considerable benefit to many industries here in Manitoba.”

Once fully established, this new hybrid pathway will transition between 10 and 15 hybrid engineering students annually from RRC and other post-secondary institutions to U of M’s engineering degree programs.

“Engineers provide services that drive our economy,” said John Bockstael, president and CEO of Bockstael Construction, and a graduate of the U of M’s Faculty of Engineering. “It’s important that we provide opportunities for our students to receive a first-rate education in their home province where they can then build careers and contribute to our economy.”

RRC extends warm welcome to inaugural arrival under new Student Refugee Program

September 3, 2015

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One of Red River College’s newest students received a particularly warm welcome after arriving in Winnipeg for a bit of pre-class orientation last week.

To be fair, Yves Ngendahimana has travelled farther than most. The first student to enroll at RRC as part of the College’s new Student Refugee Program, Ngendahimana comes to us all the way from Malawi, Africa, where for nearly 20 years he’s lived in the Dzaleka Refugee Camp.

After touching down in Toronto last Wednesday, Ngendahimana, 22, became a permanent Canadian resident, one who’s now transitioning to his new life as a Winnipegger with help and support from members of the Student Refugee Program’s local committee.

A joint initiative between RRC Student Services, the RRC Students’ Association, and World University Service of Canada (WUSC), the program provides a 12-month scholarship for one sponsored student at RRC each year.

As part of his sponsorship, Ngendahimana will study Applied Accounting at RRC’s Exchange District Campus, while living in a dorm room at the College’s student residence at the Paterson GlobalFoods Institute.

“[Yves] was an avid volunteer back at the camp, working with other students and tutoring them in various business and financial fields,” says Lauren Konrad, Student Integration Coordinator with RRC’s Diversity and Intercultural Services office. “He has a great academic background, and he’s really excited to be in this program.”

Ngendahimana will no doubt rely heavily on the supports and services provided by the College and committee members over the next few months. To that end, the committee is actively recruiting new members from RRC’s staff and student community, in order to further expand campus involvement and awareness. Read More →

Outgoing RRC president David Rew reflects on his 12 months in office, and on his 36-year career

September 2, 2015

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This week, as students at Red River College settled into their first week of classes, staff and faculty gathered to pay tribute to David Rew (shown above, at right), who capped off an already impressive 36-year career by serving as the College’s interim president and CEO for the last 12 months. As Rew prepares for his retirement, we thought it only fitting to sit down for a follow-up Q&A session — much as we did when he took over the role one year ago.

At this time last year, you’d just taken over as Interim President — at what can only be described as a low point in the College’s history. The province had launched an audit of our operations, our former president had departed somewhat suddenly, and employee morale was suffering. What did you consider to be your top priority?

Our Executive had identified about 10 priorities, all of which were really important at the time. One of the top ones was internal communications … how we communicated with staff in a variety of ways. Probably the most important piece in all of that was to make sure that staff were informed of events that had occurred before anyone else, so they weren’t going home and watching the news or reading the newspaper and getting their news there.

And how do you think you did?

We made a lot of progress on that one. I think the most telling example was when the provincial review came out. We had an arrangement with the [Minister of Education’s] office where we could tell our staff about the release of the review first, which the province agreed to. So our staff were made aware of that before anyone else. A lot of people commented on that, as they did the Town Hall sessions — the “On the Road with Rew” tours — those also worked really well.

With respect to the last 12 months, what would you say you’re the most proud of?

I’m very proud of the Executive team and how they came together as a group. They’re an incredibly courageous lot, taking on their roles and really going for it — and working to turn the College around. Read More →

New award from Mercedes-Benz Winnipeg helps put the brakes on looming labour shortage

August 27, 2015

Mercedes-Benz Winnipeg Technician Excellence Award

To help meet the growing demand for highly-skilled automotive technicians in Manitoba, Mercedes-Benz Winnipeg has contributed $15,000 to a new student scholarship at Red River College, one valued at a combined $30,000, thanks to a matching grant from the Manitoba Scholarship and Bursary Initiative.

Starting this year, students from RRC’s Automotive Technician diploma program will be eligible for the Mercedes-Benz Winnipeg Technician Excellence Award — worth at least $1,000 each year — based on academic performance, leadership skills, teamwork in the classroom, and work experience at a dealership. Students can use the funds for tuition or to apply to the cost of their tools.

Brian Lowes, President and General Manager of Mercedes-Benz Winnipeg and Motor Dealers Association Vice-President, says the award allows his company to make a lasting contribution to the industry, and to continue to invest in its most valuable resources – people.

“Our team has benefitted greatly from the programs at RRC, specifically in the automotive service technician trade,” says Lowes. “We are happy to have the opportunity to invest in our community. We look forward to being part of the solution to attract, train and employ these bright young individuals and contribute to our combined long-term success”

Currently in Canada, the automotive service sector faces a shortage of almost 5,000 qualified automotive service technicians — a number that climbs to nearly 12,000 once auto body and parts counter technicians are included. Read More →

RRC Polytech campuses are located on the lands of the Anishinaabeg, Ininiwak, Anishininwak, Dakota Oyate, and Denésuline, and the National Homeland of the Red River Métis.

We recognize and honour Treaty 3 Territory Shoal Lake 40 First Nation, the source of Winnipeg’s clean drinking water. In addition, we acknowledge Treaty Territories which provide us with access to electricity we use in both our personal and professional lives.