The energy and excitement were high in RRC Polytech’s South Gym on February 7, 2025, as close to 250 nursing students attended the College’s first-ever Senior Nursing Practicum Showcase, an event hosted in partnership with Manitoba Health Care Retention and Recruitment Office. 

More than 25 employer booths were set up, with representatives and nurses from each of Manitoba’s health service delivery organizations eager to meet with senior nursing students to help guide their decisions for practicum experiences and their future careers. 

“It was a great experience to have managers and nurses from different locations that I might never have thought of or considered,” said third year nursing student Bradley Biggs. “I was able to meet someone in the Interlake region as well as Southern Health, which piqued my interest level. Nursing allows for many options and placements, which is amazing.” 

Katrina Enns, a fellow third-year student, noted that the event helped confirm her interest in completing her practicum in a rural setting in Northern Manitoba: “I gained contact information that I can hold onto for my future career, as well as had the ability to speak with some Northern nurses about their experience,” she said. “Hearing perspectives from representatives was encouraging and reinforced my desire for this experience.” 

Employment engagement opportunities like the Senior Nursing Practicum Showcase help ensure students can build strong connections while they’re still in school, to take forward as they build their careers in Manitoba upon graduation. 

“Hosting events to prepare students for Work-Integrated Learning experiences offers benefits for both students and employers,” said Dusty Ritchie, Director of Work-Integrated Learning and Career Services at RRC Polytech. “Students gain insights into work terms, helping them make informed career choices and expand their networks. Employers can showcase their culture, discuss opportunities, and connect with motivated students, ready to contribute. This collaboration creates rewarding partnerships between educational institutions and industry partners which results in WIL opportunities for students.” 

In her opening remarks, Dr. Tamara Chambers-Richards, Dean of the School of Health Sciences and Community Services at RRC Polytech, noted that “it takes an immense amount of kindness and dedication to enter a career in healthcare.” 

“Each of you will make a tremendous impact on the lives of Manitobans,” she said. “That impact starts with your education and will continue in the connections you make today. I hope this event allows you to learn more and get excited about the opportunities ahead for you.” 

The kindness of nurses played a large role in Bradley Biggs’s decision to pursue nursing. 

“I lost my dad just over 18 years ago and had the most amazing experience with the nurses that cared for him on a cardiac unit – this inspired me to look at the healthcare field,” he said, noting that the fast pace of nursing school can pose a challenge, as a mature student.  

“It took longer to get things to fall in place and making nursing school a reality, it is never too late to start something you are passionate about.” 

“I chose nursing because I have a strong desire to help others and make a meaningful impact on people’s lives,” added Katrina Enns. “I love hearing people’s stories and the experiences that have shaped them into the person they have become.” 

RRC Polytech is one of Manitoba’s largest trainers of health-care professionals and home to the only three-year Bachelor of Nursing degree program in the province. The College plays a pivotal role in shaping the health-care workforce in Manitoba, and partnerships such as these help to ensure that crucial roles across the province’s health service delivery organizations are filled by a passionate, highly skilled workforce. 

The Senior Nursing Practicum Showcase was made possible thanks to sponsorship from the Health Care Retention and Recruitment Office.

Photos courtesy of Shared Health Manitoba.

The TELUS Student Bursary offers financial assistance to deserving young Canadians committed to giving back in their local communities by taking on a social impact project.

Recipients receive $3,000 (college) or $5,000 (university) to help cover tuition fees at Canadian post-secondary institutions.

Who is Eligible to Apply?

To be eligible for this opportunity, you must:

• Be between the ages of 17 and 29 and in critical financial need.
• Be accepted into, or attending, a first undergraduate degree or diploma program at a college, university, or polytechnic institute in Canada.
• Be a Canadian citizen or permanent resident.
• Commit to delivering a social impact initiative during your studies that will have a positive social or environmental impact in your community.

Application Period

March 5, 2025 – March 19, 2025

Be sure to apply early, as the application window may close once the maximum number of applications is reached.

To apply

For more information and to apply, visit: TELUS Friendly Future Foundation – Student Bursary

Business Accountancy advanced diploma students are currently seeking 4-month (16 weeks, 480 hours) of full-time, paid co-op opportunities for the Spring Term (May to August, 2025)

Should you be looking to fill positions through the summer on a permanent or temporary basis, we are open to having a conversation on how including students as part of your recruitment process can be beneficial to your organization!

Having students apply for positions doesn’t mean that you are obligated to select a student but should one stand out during selection, we can provide more details and facilitate the co-op process. The co-op is the last component of their program, so students can transition to permanent employment if they meet employer expectations.

Along with their RRC Polytech education, Business Accountancy students possess various levels of accounting education, experience and skill sets to offer organizations. Ideal positions for students to contribute include:

• Accounting Analyst
• Junior Accountant
• Accounting Administrator
• Fund Accountant
• Accounting Clerk
• Accounts Payable / Receivable Clerk
• Accounting Assistant
• Bookkeeper | Bookkeeping Assistant
• Accounting Administrative Assistant
• Payroll Assistant
• Financial Services Assistant

As well, employers who hire students for Co-op and beyond are eligible for Manitoba Work Experience Tax Credits.

If interested, the next steps to partner with RRC Polytech:

1. Let us know about the Work-Integrated Learning opportunity. Call or e-mail to discuss your WIL opportunity and we can post the job on RRC Polytech’s Career Bridge job platform.
2. We’ll work with you to ensure it’s a good fit. The WIL Coordinator will work with your business or organization to ensure the opportunity meets the needs of the program.
3. Students can apply or be placed with your organization. Once your posting is approved for the WIL term, WIL students can either apply for your opportunity or be placed with your organization.
4. We’ll provide confirmation of the partnership. You will receive confirmation of the WIL partnership along with further details and process of the placement.

Please contact WIL@rrc.ca to connect with the WIL Coordinator to learn how to partner and more information on requirements and dates! We hope to hear from you soon!

Upcoming IT Co-op Work Placements! 

Students from five IT programs are looking for 12–16-week full-time paid co-op opportunities from May to August 2025. These programs are: 

• Application Development and Delivery -15 weeks
• Data Science & Machine Learning – 15 weeks

• Full Stack Web Development – 16 weeks 

• Game Development – Art and Programming -12 weeks

• IT Operations – 15 weeks

Students have the skills and job readiness to act as: software developers, disaster recovery and business continuity IT technicians, IT services support, help desk associates, Java developers, web application business analysts, DevOps engineers, network administration, information security, front- and back-end web developers, and more.  

If you’re interested in hiring a co-op student or exploring if co-op is a fit for your organization, please reach out to our Industry Liaison Consultant today! You can reach Katie at ACEwil@rrc.ca 

Potential Funding Opportunities 

Employers may be eligible for wage funding or subsidies through ICTC or Manitoba Work Experience Tax Credits. College staff are happy to discuss these options with you. 

Important Dates

Work term: May 5 – August 22, 2025

Post to Career Bridge: starting January 8, 2025

Deadline to extend an offer to students: May 9, 2025

New to co-ops?  

Co-ops are a form of work-integrated learning that integrates academic studies with quality experiences. They are an engaged partnership between RRC Polytech, a host organization, and a student.  

The process of hiring a co-op student mirrors a regular job search with added support from College staff and potential funding opportunities to assist with paying students a fair wage (an average of $18-$22/hour for IT programs). Job postings, aligned to the program requirements, are posted on Career Bridge up to four months prior to the start of the work term. By indicating that the role is for a particular co-op term, only students who are approved for the work term will see your job posting. 

More information on co-ops can be found through the following links: 

Employer information 

Student responsibilities and supports  

How to post on Career Bridge 

Business Management advanced diploma students are currently seeking 4-month (16 weeks, 480 hours) of full-time, paid co-op opportunities for the Spring Term (May to August, 2025)

Should you be looking to fill positions through the summer on a permanent or temporary basis, we are open to having a conversation on how including students as part of your recruitment process can be beneficial to your organization!

Having students apply for positions doesn’t mean that you are obligated to select a student but should one stand out during selection, we can provide more details and facilitate the co-op process. The co-op is the last component of their program, so students can transition to permanent employment if they meet employer expectations.

Along with their RRC Polytech education, Business Management and Business Accountancy students possess diverse education, experience and skill sets to offer organizations. Ideal areas or departments for students to contribute include:

• Business Development           
• Accounting
• Procurement and Logistics      
• Human Resources
• Operations      
• Financial Services
• Project Management   
• Administration
• Sales and Marketing   
• Client Relations

As well, employers who hire students for Co-op and beyond are eligible for Manitoba Work Experience Tax Credits.

If interested, the next steps to partner with RRC Polytech:

1. Let us know about the Work-Integrated Learning opportunity. Call or e-mail to discuss your WIL opportunity and we can post the job on RRC Polytech’s Career Bridge job platform.
2. We’ll work with you to ensure it’s a good fit. The WIL Coordinator will work with your business or organization to ensure the opportunity meets the needs of the program.
3. Students can apply or be placed with your organization. Once your posting is approved for the WIL term, WIL students can either apply for your opportunity or be placed with your organization.
4. We’ll provide confirmation of the partnership. You will receive confirmation of the WIL partnership along with further details and process of the placement.

Please contact WIL@rrc.ca to connect with the WIL Coordinator to learn how to partner and more information on requirements and dates! We hope to hear from you soon!

RRC Polytech is dedicated to preparing students for the future of work through constantly-evolving learning models. Work-Integrated Learning (WIL), where students have the opportunity to put their newly-acquired skills to the test in a working environment, is an indispensable tool to enrich students’ educational experiences.

March 27 is observed as National Work-Integrated Learning Day, which is an opportunity to recognize the amazing work that students do while on WIL industry and community placements and the staff and faculty that provide guidance and support for students to achieve their goals.

Read the full story ›

Imagine moving to a new place, more than an eight-hour flight away from home. It’s your first time being away from family. You speak the language, but it’s not how you regularly communicate — this is a totally new culture. Now imagine going to school there to train for the first job you’ve ever had.

Camila Quintanilla doesn’t have to imagine — it’s exactly what she did. In March 2021, she moved from Peru to Winnipeg to start a co-operative work placement through RRC Polytech’s Hotel and Restaurant Management program in the Hospitality and Tourism Management diploma.

Read the full story ›

Students changing their career with the support of Red River College Polytechnic (RRC Polytech) isn’t unfamiliar – in fact, many students arrive at RRC Polytech to upgrade existing skills or develop new skills to reach their personal and professional goals.

Stephen Klatt was one of these students. He was a practicing physiotherapist for over five years when he was forced to close his practice for a few months due to the pandemic and wasn’t sure what was next.

“The fear and anxiety that everyone had surrounding COVID made many of my clients not want to return to in-person treatments, and it was really difficult to get things going again. So, I took the two months off to explore personal interests, including upgrading my computer and building a professional website for myself and had a lot of fun on these projects and I thought ‘Hey, I’m interested in something more technical and hands-on’ – that’s what brought me to the College,” says Stephen, currently in his second year of Electronic Engineering Technology.

Read the full story ›

When Anna Borys signed up for the Culinary Arts program at RRC Polytech’s School of Hospitality, she wasn’t sure where it would take her – she just knew she didn’t want to work in a restaurant.

“I went into culinary school knowing I didn’t want to work in food services,” she says. “But I didn’t know what else was out there.”

Having worked for her family’s glass business for 10 years before going back to school, Anna had developed a taste for the nine-to-five lifestyle – a schedule the fast-paced service industry doesn’t always allow.

This confusion about her future left her in a bit of a pickle, until she started her co-op work placement with RRC Polytech’s Culinary Research team, which operates out of the Prairie Research Kitchen on the 11th floor of the Paterson GlobalFoods Institute. Anna credits her co-op placement with determining her career path.

Read the full story ›

Any experienced hotel guest knows the person who holds the room keys also holds the power to make or break your stay.

Kevin Dyck, the Front Office Manager at the Delta Hotel in Winnipeg, agrees it takes a certain personality type to hold down the front desk at a major hotel.

“You need to be warm and genuine,” he says. “The people that have success genuinely want guests to have a good stay.”

And the ability to make a connection with a guest during a two-minute check-in isn’t something that can be taught – not even in Red River College’s Hospitality and Tourism Management program. Dyck, who graduated from the course in 2005, says that’s one of the first lessons he learned at RRC.

Read the full story ›