New programming will further enhance training provided in
Winkler and Portage la Prairie

Red River College today announced that it will expand its award-winning Bachelor of Nursing program to its regional campuses in Winkler and Portage la Prairie, providing opportunities for students to train in some of the most state-of-the-art training facilities in rural Manitoba.

The program recently received an award for Regional Achievement by the Canadian Nurses Students’ Association, and the College is excited to have the opportunity to enhance and expand its programming by offering this program through its regional campus network.

“It’s important to deliver programming that meets the needs of Manitoba’s labour market and for many years the Regional Health Authorities asked us to bring our Bachelor of Nursing program to rural Manitoba,” said Paul Vogt, President & CEO, Red River College.

“Our regional campuses provide important access and pathways to pursuing a post-secondary education and the programs we provide are developed in consultation with the community to ensure their needs are being met.”

As part of this expansion, RRC will also deliver its Licensed Practical Nursing to BN pathway at each permanent site in Winkler and Portage la Prairie. This pathway provides opportunities for LPN’s to pursue training to obtain their Registered Nursing designation.

Each permanent site will accommodate up to six students annually for the Bachelor of Nursing program, and up to four students in year’s two and three for the LPN pathway. Enrolment for these programs will be open in the fall of 2018.

As a result of this expansion, RRC will cease the delivery of its rotating LPN pathway delivery, which was offered at four different temporary sites in rural Manitoba. Careful evaluation found that the rotating program experienced enrolment challenges. Replacing this with two permanent sites for nursing will allow the College to improve enrolment, and make critical investments in training including investing in new, state-of-the-art simulation equipment that will benefit the students and the community.

Further Expansion at Winkler Regional Campus is Underway

In addition to offering the College’s expanded Bachelor of Nursing program and LPN pathway, RRC’s Winkler Regional Campus will be redirecting resources to high-priority needs for the Pembina Valley Region in order to offer new Early Childhood Education programming.

To provide for this new programming, the College will temporarily cease delivery of its Dental Assisting Program for 2017/2018. RRC will undertake a comprehensive review of the Dental Assisting Program, as the College has witnessed declining enrolment over the past few years, coupled with limited employment opportunities in the region.

RRC will work closely with the Manitoba Dental Assistants Association and local dental clinics to identify if alternative delivery options might be feasible for the Pembina Valley region.

“Our regional campus has been delivering programs and services to the City of Winkler and the Pembina Valley for close to 30 years and we’re excited to be delivering these new programs to the community,” said Lori-Ann Grenkow, Director, Regional Services, Red River College.

“As Regional Campuses it’s important that we remain agile in the delivery of our programs so we can meet the evolving needs of the communities that we serve, and I want to thank our local partners in industry who have worked with us in developing and delivering such essential training.”