A new program at Red River College is providing essential language and construction skills training to refugees and newcomers to Manitoba who arrived in the past year, Education and Training Minister Ian Wishart announced today.

“As we’ve seen in recent months, there’s a growing need to provide support for refugees in a variety of ways including direct employment and labour market programming,” said Wishart.  “We commend Red River College for its vision in developing this important program, which will link newcomers with employment opportunities and allow them to develop the skills they need to succeed in the workforce.”

The new, four-month Pathway Program to Construction Skills will focus on developing essential language skills, safety training and basic construction skills training in the areas of drywalling, masonry and flat-top roofing.  Following the completion of the program, students will participate in a paid month-long, full-time work placement to further refine their skills and gain essential on-the-job experience, with the goal to support long-term employment, Wishart said.

“Red River College is proud to play such an important role in supporting Manitoba’s international, immigrant and refugee community,” said Paul Vogt, president, Red River College.  “This new program is a first in Manitoba and it will not only help our newcomer refugees develop their language and literacy skills, it will also provide them access to trades training and jobs in sectors where our partners have a need for more trained workers.”

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Red River College today announced plans to redevelop and expand its ACCESS programs in order to better meet the education needs of its Indigenous and other students, including providing them with an opportunity to enroll in a wider range of Red River College programs.

At present, students enrolled in ACCESS are restricted to studying in four program areas – Nursing, Aircraft Maintenance & Manufacturing, Business Administration and Civil Technology.

“It’s time for us to modernize how ACCESS programs are delivered at Red River College to better meet student, community and industry needs,” said Christine Watson, vice president Academic. “Ultimately one of our main goals is to remove some of the existing program restrictions and provide Indigenous, immigrant and other students facing barriers to education, more training options and new and improved pathways to meaningful careers.”

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(UPDATED AT 9:20AM)

Due to ongoing inclement weather and poor road conditions, Red River College has today closed the following campuses – Interlake, Peguis-Fisher River, Winkler. Classes are cancelled at the Portage la Prairie Regional Campus and the campus will be open for the rest of the day. All other campuses remain open with regular scheduled classes.

Red River College will continue to monitor the weather and remain in contact with staff and students through updates on the college website, social media channels and media outlets. It is anticipated that normal operations will resume on Thursday, December 8.

Evening Classes Cancelled at Steinbach and Portage la Prairie Regional Campuses

Winkler, Interlake, and Peguis-Fisher River Campuses remain closed

For Immediate Release: December 6, 2016

WINNIPEG, MB – Due to inclement weather conditions, Red River College has today cancelled evening classes at the following campuses – Steinbach and Portage la Prairie. The Winkler, Interlake, and Peguis-Fisher River Campuses will remain closed tonight.

Evening classes will continue as scheduled tonight at Red River College’s Notre Dame, and Exchange District Campuses.

Red River College will continue to monitor the weather and remain in contact with staff and students through updates on the college website, social media channels and media outlets. It is anticipated that normal operations will resume on Wednesday, December 7.

Updated at 7:30AM

WINNIPEG, MB Due to inclement weather conditions, Red River College has today closed the following campuses – Interlake, Peguis-Fisher River, and Winkler. All other campuses currently remain open with regular scheduled classes.

Red River College will continue to monitor the weather and remain in contact with staff and students through updates on the college website, social media channels and media outlets. It is anticipated that normal operations will resume on Wednesday, December 7.

Red River College Named one of the Province’s Top 25 Employers for seventh year running

Red River College (RRC) is proud to again be recognized for building a supportive, inclusive and engaging work environment for more than 2,300 employees who have made their careers at one of Manitoba’s largest post-secondary institutions.

“When it comes to growing Manitoba’s economy and driving innovation in education, Red River College plays a vital role in preparing students and industry for the economic and job opportunities of today and tomorrow,” said Paul Vogt, president & CEO, Red River College.

“This important job is in the hands of Red River College employees, who are extremely dedicated and passionate about making a difference in the lives of their students. We recognize this commitment of our employees and try to return the favour by ensuring the college provides an environment where staff are supported and encouraged in meaningful ways.”

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Partnership with industry creates a seamless pathway for students

Post-secondary students interested in pursuing a career as a professional accountant now have a new option, made possible through a partnership signed today by The University of Winnipeg (UWinnipeg), Red River College and the Chartered Professional Accountants of Manitoba (CPA Manitoba).

The newly-designed option, in effect September 2017, is the only pathway of its kind in Canada. It allows a student to obtain a two-year diploma in business administration with a major in accounting at Red River College, then ladder into UWinnipeg’s Faculty of Business & Economics to obtain a three-year Bachelor degree in Business Administration, and finally to complete five CPA preparatory courses to meet the entrance requirements for the CPA Professional Education Program.

“We are proud to partner with Red River College and CPA Manitoba to provide a seamless pathway for students to fulfill their academic goals.” said Dr. Annette Trimbee, President and Vice-Chancellor, UWinnipeg. “This partnership demonstrates what is possible and I look forward to developing similar initiatives that provide more choices for students.”

“We want to continue to be on the leading edge of meeting the needs of industry,” said Paul Vogt, President and CEO, Red River College.  “Today’s partnership with UWinnipeg shows that we are working together as a network of post-secondary institutions to create greater mobility for students. Our partnership with CPA further demonstrates our close connections to industry and our ongoing efforts to ensure that our programming is relevant, timely, and accessible.  The end result will benefit the profession and open more doors to rewarding careers for our students.”

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Red River College today announced the next steps on the construction of MotiveLab – a highly-specialized extreme weather testing facility that will be the first of its kind in Western Canada.

MotiveLab is a 3,000 square-foot state-of-the-art facility – essentially a giant heater or freezer – that will work in close connection with industry to provide testing for heavy vehicles of all shapes and sizes, including transit and highway buses. Already, companies have identified more than 65 full days of demand for MotiveLab’s research and development services.

“Manitoba’s heavy vehicle manufacturing sector is a cornerstone of our economy, and this research and testing facility is a direct result of our close ties with manufacturers, as well as our efforts to meet current and future training and technology needs,” said Paul Vogt, president & CEO, Red River College. “It’s an approach we are taking across all sectors to help local industry innovate, create jobs of the future and be more competitive in the global marketplace.”

Today’s announcement provides a total of $6 million from the federal and provincial governments and RRC for the construction of MotiveLab, a climatic chamber that allows for year-round testing to be conducted at extreme temperatures and under full loads with using a 1,000 horsepower, three-axle, dynamometer. The program will also train students in this highly-specialized and emerging program area.

“The heavy vehicle sector is faced with increasingly stringent environmental demands, which has its players pushing the envelope in terms of new design and technology implementation,” said Ray Hoemsen, executive director, Research Partnerships & Innovation, Red River College. “This all gives way to ever greater research and testing needs. MotiveLab will be a unique Western Canadian facility that will help give Manitoba firms a competitive edge.”

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OTTAWA, ONTARIO, October 27, 2016 – Skills/Compétences Canada is officially launching National Skilled Trades and Technology Week on November 2, at Red River College, Notre Dame Campus in Winnipeg, Manitoba

What: Launch of National Skilled Trades and Technology Week

This event generates awareness about the opportunities in skilled trade and technology sectors for students, educators and industry. Attendees, including students from local schools, will participate in interactive Try-A-Trade® and Technology activities hosted by educators and industry experts.

Who:    

• The Honourabe Ian Wishart, Minister of Education and Training
• Sherry Holmes from HGTV’s Holmes Makes it Right
• John Oates, President of Skills/Compétences Canada
• Paul Vogt, President and CEO of Red River College
• Nina Widmer, SCC alumni, SCNC 2014 Brick Masonry silver medalist
• Geoff Frodsham, CEO of Princess Auto

When: Wednesday, November 2, 2016

• 7:45 – 9:00 am: VIP networking breakfast sponsored by Princess Auto
• 9:05 – 9:45 am: Official program with keynote speakers
• 9:45 – 11:30 am: Students (Group 1) will participate in interactive Try-A-Trade® and Technology activities
• 11:30 – 1:30 pm: Red River College Pep Rally, where approximately 200 college students will have the opportunity to visit the Try-A-Trade® and Technology activities
• 1:30 – 1:45 pm: Welcome from Skills/Compétences Canada
• 1:45 – 3:00 pm: Students (Group 2) will participate in interactive Try-A-Trade® and Technology activities

Where: 

Red River College, Notre Dame Campus, 2055 Notre Dame Avenue, Winnipeg, Manitoba

RSVP:
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Red River College’s Roblin Centre (formerly the Princess Street Campus) will be closed on Tuesday, October 11, 2016 in order to allow for necessary work to the water main adjacent to the campus. During that time the water will be shut-off  and for the health and safety reasons classes will be cancelled and the campus will be closed to the general public.

Regular operations are expected to resume on Wednesday, October 12, 2016.

Red River College has been advised that this outage will not affect the adjacent RRC properties located in the Exchange District. Classes, programs, and services offered at the Massey Building and the Paterson GlobalFoods Institute will carry-on as scheduled.