(Each year, a maximum of four Lieutenant-Governor’s medals are awarded to Red River College students who, in the opinion of a selection committee, combine to the greatest extent in their graduating year academic and technical achievement, involvement in College and/or community activities, and good character.)

KIMBERLY COWAN
Professional Baking & Patisserie

Kimberly Cowan credits Red River College’s Professional Baking & Patisserie program for allowing her to turn her life’s passion into a full-time career.

Cowan spent her childhood on her uncle’s grain and cattle farm in her hometown of Landis, SK. When her family made the move to Portage la Prairie, it meant a lot would change for a then-teenaged Cowan. Through those transitions, one thing remained the same: her passion for food (specifically baking), which she inherited from her mother and grandmother, both talented cooks.

A few years after earning her Bachelor of Arts degree with a major in History, Kimberly decided to leave her full-time job at a local bank to go back to school and pursue a career in baking.  During her time with RRC, she competed in the Canola Bake-off in 2011 — tying for first with her Sticky Toffee Pudding entry. She also represented RRC in the baking category at Skills Manitoba and the Skills Canada Nationals, where she placed gold in the provincial competition. Read More →

Lt.-Col. B.S. Sandhu, President, Continental Group of Institutes, and Stephanie Forsyth, President and CEO of Red River College, sign a Memorandum of Understanding in Mohali, India.

Building on the success of its strong relationship with China, Red River College is actively recruiting in India this week and will sign deals with five educational institutions to bring hundreds of new students to Manitoba.

The enrolment of Indian students will increase opportunities for Manitoba students and help address Manitoba’s shortage of skilled labour. This year RRC has more than 150 students from China alone, and another 380 from several other countries, enrolled in three campuses. These successful models will be repeated to attract students from India with five-year agreements. After recruiting in India, RRC will target more international students working with sister campuses and educators in South America.

“Our India relationships benefit the college, the Province and India,” said RRC President and CEO Stephanie Forsyth from Delhi, India. “Foreign students, who pay the full cost of their education, allow us to develop even more programs and seats for Manitobans. Just as importantly, foreign students bring the global community to us. When they join our students and faculty on campus they help us all learn about their culture, and that helps us see how we can grow Manitoba and Canadian business abroad. India has a growing number of youth striving to achieve a strong post-secondary education, but the competition for limited spaces in India is strong. We provide educational opportunities in Canada that might otherwise be impossible to attain in India. The vast majority of these students have their sights on Canada as their future home.” Read More →

Red River College students will have an opportunity to network with leaders from Manitoba’s business community, at next month’s 2013 Directions Business Conference.

Approximately 600 people, including past RRC alumni, are expected to attend this year’s event, which will be held Feb. 6, 2013, at Canad Inns Polo Park.

The annual conference targets students from RRC’s School of Business and Applied Arts, providing them with a chance to meet industry leaders and potential employers. Participation also allows students to create valuable contacts, and to benefit from the experience of attending a professional business conference.

In the morning, students will hear from keynote speaker Norva Riddell, senior vice-president of sales and marketing for True North Sports and Entertainment. In addition, they’ll have the opportunity to sit in on a number of breakout sessions on topics ranging from mobile apps, environmental sustainability, corporate and social responsibility, and effective networking strategies.

In the afternoon, other industry leaders from across Manitoba will help mentor students by hosting  roundtable sessions in a variety of different career areas – accounting and finance, hospitality and tourism, entrepreneurship, marketing and sales, and information technology.

Click here for more information about the 2013 Directions Business Conference.

Back by popular demand, Red River College’s Electrical Engineering Technology department will again host a series of spring Kids Kamps — free programs that introduce Grade 7 and 8 students to the field of electrical and electronic engineering technology.

The sessions will run at both the Exchange District and Notre Dame Campuses, every Saturday from Feb. 23 to April 7, 2013. A total of 12 sessions are scheduled (eight at the Exchange District, four at Notre Dame); students can take part in one session each.

The Kids Kamps will cover basic theory, but the emphasis of each session will be on developing practical skills, and on encouraging younger students to consider careers in science and technology. Read More →

The support and care of Manitoba’s most vulnerable populations will be top of mind among students this week, as Red River College’s Community Services department hosts its third annual Student Symposium.

The event takes place Thursday, Jan. 17 at the Notre Dame Campus, and will be attended by more than 250 students in RRC’s Community Services programs — including Child and Youth Care, Disability and Community Support, and Early Childhood Education (full-time and workplace), as well as students taking those programs off-site, including those in the CYC Certificate program out of Ndinawe.

The theme of advocacy will be addressed through workshops focusing on accessibility, self-care/self-advocacy, and justice, as well as those touching on advocacy through music and health promotion in child care centres. Workshop presenters include Community Services faculty and students, as well as representatives from a number of local community agencies, including Graffiti Gallery, Just TV, and the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority.

This year’s keynote speaker is the Robb Nash Project — a local band whose multi-media presentation covers a range of youth-related topics, including bullying, addiction, suicide and substance abuse.

The symposium is made possible with funding and support from RRC’s Community Services program and the RRC Students’ Association, as well as the Independent Living Resource Centre.

Red River College students can avail themselves of financial advice from one of Canada’s leading experts, when TV host Gail Vaz-Oxlade stops by the Notre Dame Campus next week.

The no-nonsense host of TV’s Til Debt Do Us Part and Princess, Vaz-Oxlade will visit RRC on Wednesday, January 16 from 2:30pm – 3:30pm in the South Gym. Her appearance can also be viewed via video-stream in Room 107 of the Exchange District Campus.

If you want to learn more about how to break free from student debt, how to keep your finances under check, or how to build a strong financial foundation that will last a lifetime, come visit Vaz-Oxlade as she swings by RRC as part of her Canada-wide tour to promote the new book Money Rules.

From the official announcement: “Money management doesn’t have to be full of tricks. Although money management isn’t rocket science, having discipline and making sound money decisions often feels more complicated than it should.”

Vaz-Oxlade is one of Canada’s most successful and respected financial writers and has authored several bestselling books, including Debt-Free Forever, Never Too Late, Money-Smart Kids, and It’s Your Money. In addition to her TV work, she’s a radio host on Newstalk 1010.

Earlier this month, Red River College’s Paterson GlobalFoods Institute opened its doors for a very special “sneak peek.”

Donors, partners and supporters of the College were invited to spend an evening in the Exchange District’s newest gem. Guests shared drinks and laughs while admiring the restoration of the historic Union Bank Tower.

They also took tours of the new facility, visited state of the art kitchens, classrooms, labs and even the new student residence — all while learning more about the equipment and sustainability features on campus. Andrew Paterson (shown, second from left), President and CEO of Paterson GlobalFoods was on hand to welcome the crowd and to announce the heart of PGI — upscale restaurant Jane’s, which is located in the building’s breathtaking former bank hall — was a special tribute to his mother.

PGI is scheduled to open its doors in January 2013, and will serve as the new home of RRC’s Culinary Arts, Professional Baking and Patisserie, and Hospitality and Tourism Management programs.

(From left): Jonathan Strauss, President, Strauss Communications; Michael Pye, General Manager, Fairmont Winnipeg; Keith Muller, Dean, RRC School of Hospitality and Culinary Arts; Chantal Sturk-Nadeau, Senior Vice-President, Tourism, Economic Development Winnipeg.

Red River College’s leading culinary expert talked turkey with Winnipeg’s tourism industry yesterday, as the keynote speaker at Tourism Winnipeg‘s annual holiday lunch.

Keith Muller, Dean of RRC’s School of Hospitality and Culinary Arts, addressed a festive crowd of local industry reps gathered at the Fairmont Winnipeg, providing details about the College’s soon-to-open Paterson GlobalFoods Institute (PGI) and its anticipated impact on the local economy.

“All indicators show there will be a labour shortage in specific sectors of the hospitality industry in Canada of over 220,000 skilled workers by 2025,” said Muller, who also donned an apron and chef’s hat to help carve the turkey served to guests. “We at Red River College are ready to take on the challenge of training industry-ready students.”

As Muller explained, the PGI will provide industry-relevant courses and programs designed to serve the hospitality and tourism sectors — on a local, national and international level — while also engaging members of the community through general interest programming, event rentals, a new urban upscale restaurant, and seven floors of student residence space.

Those gathered also heard from Marina R. James, President and CEO of Economic Development Winnipeg, who congratulated industry reps on the role they’ve played in making Winnipeg a unique and cosmopolitan destination. As well, they were treated to details of the Winnipeg Foundation’s latest initiative — the Nourishing Potential endowment, which provides healthy foods and snacks to community-based after-school programs for kids.

“Winnipeg is in a state of transformation unlike anything we have ever experienced,” said James. “We are awash with iconic destination architecture and asset development — and our usual mild, meek nature has given way to boosterism, pride, boundless enthusiasm and embracing bold new ways of thinking.”

Red River College President Stephanie Forsyth addressed a packed house at an Aboriginal Chamber of Commerce luncheon this week, speaking on the topic of Aboriginal post-secondary education.

Forsyth discussed the College’s longstanding commitment to engaging and supporting Aboriginal students; shared some success stories about Aboriginal graduates who are making a difference in their communities; and outlined how the College plans to make Aboriginal student achievement a strategic priority by integrating traditional knowledge and practices throughout the organization.

The full text of President Forsyth’s speech is below.

Read More →

(From left): Debbie O’Donnell, interim chair of Community Services at RRC; Janet Forbes, executive director of Community Living – Winnipeg; and RRC instructors Harry Havey, Tara Mullen, Cheryl Martens, and Michelle Lodewyks.

Red River College’s Disability and Community Support program has been recognized by Community Living Manitoba for its leadership role in advocating on behalf of those with intellectual and other disabilities.

A team of DCS representatives (shown above) was on hand to receive the President’s Award for Leadership at a joint national conference hosted by Community Living Manitoba and People First of Manitoba in September.

The award is given annually in recognition of excellence in practice, commitment to inclusion of children with disabilities in community programs, innovation, and spirit of caring.