Sparks fly between students and industry at Inspire Conference

Jennifer Jimenez had no idea a career at Google was even a possibility for someone living and studying in Winnipeg – until a happy “collision” at RRC Polytech’s Inspire Conference showed her otherwise.

A Business Information Technology (BIT) student, Jimenez says she’d been leaning towards a career in software development, technical writing, maybe project management. But a chance conversation with an employee from Google Cloud who was also attending the conference opened her eyes to more possibilities than she’d ever thought possible.

“That was really awesome and inspiring,” she says. “I’ll be applying to Google when I graduate.”

Applied Computer Education (ACE) instructor Laurie Cutrone says the goal of Inspire, a day-long event that took place on March 10, was to create collisions like these between students in RRC Polytech’s ACE department (of which BIT is a part), and the seasoned information technology professionals attending panel discussions and networking sessions.

“IT is a field that is constantly changing, and hungry for new people,” says Cutrone. “Creating these connections or collisions for our students makes the real world they’ll be entering into a little less intimidating. We want students to gain a deeper understanding of their field from the people already working in it. And we want to give those seasoned professionals a sneak peek at the next crop of student talent. The benefit is mutual.”

Inspire was sponsored by RBC Future Launch as part of its Reaction by Collision initiative that RBC and RRC Polytech have partnered on. The purpose of RBC Reaction by Collision is to enable students to expand their networks, see themselves represented in various fields, and spend time hearing how industry is approaching innovation, solving problems and what are the sought-after skills.  Tech Manitoba provided additional in-kind sponsorship. Cutrone says the “reaction by collision” mantra inspired organizers to seek out ways to “create as many collisions as possible” between learners and established professionals, from interactive platform discussions about innovation to speed networking sessions.

“Research shows that 85% of people acquire jobs because of who they know,” says Jackie Romans, Vice President, RBCx.  Supporting Reaction by Collision with students and industry is instrumental in helping students expand their networks.  We’re excited to be working with RRC Polytechnic to showcase what can happen when we empower and enable young people to be future ready,” said Romans.  “RBC Future Launch seeks to bring Canada together around the potential of youth by collaborating and supporting programs that provide access to work integrated learning, future skill development, mentors, and resources for youth mental wellness.

More than 600 students and 115 industry professionals attended the virtual event. In addition to sparking collisions between people and ideas, Cutrone says she and fellow organizer Manuel Castellon made it the event’s mission to inspire students about their future careers.

To that end, they lined up an impressive list of industry and alumni panelists. The virtual format made it possible to include speakers from across Canada, the United States, and Europe – something that otherwise might not have been possible.

“Watching the alumni panel talk about their journeys helped me see myself in their shoes,” says Jimenez. “They’ve been where I am now, and I could imagine reaching their position later in my career. And listening to panelists like Al McLeod, Adam Gerhard, Leanne Jones and Dawn Benarksi talk about innovation from their respective fields gave me ideas on how to apply innovation to my own path.”

Cutrone says the conference’s third goal was to give students valuable hands-on work experience organizing and running the event itself. Students prepared and coordinated speakers, moderated discussions, developed documentation and instructions for the online event platform, marketed the conference on social media, and more. Student volunteers worked out of the new Manitou a bi Bii daziigae building throughout the conference.

Jennifer Jimenez says she was so impressed by the work her peers put into running the event that she’s considering volunteering next year.

A self-described introvert, she also appreciated the lengths organizers went to encourage participation and engagement from everyone. Throughout the day-long event, attendees could rack up points and win prizes based on the number of interactions they engaged in, including answering polls, asking questions, leaving comments, ranking questions for panelists, and uploading photos and videos.

“It really appealed to the gamer in me,” she laughs. “And it ultimately led to me connecting with the attendee from Google. I can’t wait to see where it leads.”

Watch portions of the 2022 Inspire Conference:

Welcome
RBC Reaction by Collision Panel
Alumni Panel

Visit The Inspire Conference YouTube channel for the complete conference.