David Beaudin, Instructor and Program Coordinator; Sabrina Laroque; Polly Bergen, Manitoba Hydro; Maxine Critch, Instructor; James Slade, Instructor; Alexander Ring; and Thomas Bjorklund

Congratulations to Introduction to Trades students Thomas Bjorklund, Sabrina Laroque, and Alexander Ring!

On Thursday, June 13th, Manitoba Hydro visited RRC’s School of Indigenous Education to award the Introduction to Trades Award to support three students with their continued education.

“It feels great, like all my hard work is paying off. I can’t express my gratitude enough,” says Ring. “It’s going to make a huge difference for me. Everything helps and it’s all going towards my education.”

Introduction to Trades is one of RRC’s longest running Indigenous Education programs and provides students with the skills and knowledge to successfully transition into eleven different trades programs at Red River College. By creating specialized programs like Intro to Trades, the College is building bridges to advance Indigenous achievement so students can transition successfully from community to classroom to career.

“I learned a lot of fundamental job skills that I hadn’t learned before. It’s all applicable, and a lot of hands on work; there’s was a lot that I could put in my employment portfolio.”

Ring originally had plans of going into refrigeration, but through the Intro to Trades program he was able to explore all his options. He excelled in math and science so his instructor suggested a career in Engineering.

Now Ring is enrolled in the Pathway to Engineering Technology programs for fall 2019, another Indigenous Education program that prepares and transitions students into either Civil, Electrical, or Mechanical Engineering Technology programs.

“I could never even picture myself doing something like [engineering], but I definitely gained a lot of confidence and inspiration through this program. James, our teacher, definitely inspired me. I’ve gotten a lot more career minded in this program,” says Ring.

“I think it’s a great program, especially if you want to get into a trade. It’s a great way to get a head start. You get a better fundamental overview, not just one specific trade.”

For more information on RRC’s Indigenous Education programs, visit rrc.ca/indigenous