Transformational gift — the largest in RRC Polytech’s history — positions the College to produce the talent and expertise vital to the continued success and growth of Manitoba’s creative industries.

For more than 70 years, creative thinkers have explored ideas and sharpened their skills at RRC Polytech. Today, a $15-million gift from the Schroeder Foundation paves the way for continued growth and opportunity in the creative arts for the College, its students and the province of Manitoba.

Creative industries are at the core of RRC Polytech, and they are growing in Manitoba thanks to a local talent pool that continues to thrive.

The Schroeder Institute of Entertainment and Media Arts has been created to support those industries — and the province — in reaching the next level in this period of growth by ensuring that a pipeline of newly skilled local talent continues to flow and fill crucial industry roles, while engaging more deeply with industry partners and undertaking exciting opportunities to foster innovation through applied research.

Manitoba is increasingly becoming more competitive in creative areas across the prairies, the country and beyond. More productions are being filmed in Winnipeg and throughout the province, and more creative businesses are opening their doors while local companies are making their mark beyond our borders. Local training and talent are crucial to the success of the businesses that choose to operate here, and that is where RRC Polytech — and the Schroeder Institute — come in.

“RRC Polytech and the Schroeder Foundation have a shared vision for the future and what we can make possible through education, collaboration and research,” says Fred Meier, the College’s President and CEO.

“The Schroeder Foundation’s decision to make this tremendous investment in RRC Polytech reflects that there are visionaries invested in our community who recognize the value of what we are doing here to support students on their way into careers in creative industries. This gift today will enable us to create so many more opportunities for Manitobans and our creative industries together.” Read More →

It began as a conversation between RRC Polytech and industry leader Dr. Gerry Price in Spring 2021 about the increasingly vulnerable state of manufacturing in Manitoba, and his question: how can we work together to advance the sector?

The journey to the answer — spanning two years of deep conversations with industry, government and other stakeholders — sets the stage for today’s announcement of the Price Institute of Advanced Manufacturing and Mechatronics.

The news is anchored by a $10-million gift from the Price Family Foundation — the largest in RRC Polytech’s history — along with more than $3 million from the federal government and $4.86 million from the province for capital and program development, as well as ongoing operating costs. These three gifts bring the College’s comprehensive campaign, In Front of What’s Ahead, closer to its $60-million goal, with a current total of $51.5 million raised to date.

Today’s $17.86-million investment in the Institute will allow RRC Polytech to bridge critical skills and labour gaps in the sector, spur applied research activities within the sector’s many small-to-medium enterprise (SME) employers and foster an innovation ecosystem where industry-education partnerships shift the technologies disrupting the sector from threats to opportunities.

“As Manitoba’s polytechnic, RRC Polytech is strongly positioned to partner with stakeholders and help usher in a new era of opportunity for one of Manitoba’s most valued economic drivers,” says Fred Meier, RRC Polytech President and CEO. “We are expanding training opportunities and applied research in manufacturing, and it is only possible because of the vision and the commitment of Dr. Gerry Price and the Price Family Foundation, as well as the Government of Canada and the Province of Manitoba.”

The Manitoba chapter of Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters (CME) recently reported that it had 2,130 job vacancies in the third quarter of 2022, citing a shortage of advanced skills that are not currently being trained in the province. The Price Institute will directly respond to the skills shortage by training new workers, and by upskilling and reskilling existing workers.

Scheduled for a phased launch beginning in Fall 2023, the Institute features a range of new programs and firsts for RRC Polytech, including:

• Two post-graduate diplomas (one in advanced manufacturing, one in mechatronics) that boost the annual graduate output of RRC Polytech’s engineering technology programs by 150 per cent.
• A project space to drive innovation and technology transfer in automation and manufacturing for SMEs and facilitate student-led research activities.
• Flexible, micro-credentialing options to upskill and reskill up to 1,000 employees each year, including Western Canada’s first offering of the internationally recognized and accredited Siemens Mechatronics Systems Certification Program (Levels I and II), which kickstarts phase one of the Institute’s launch this fall.
• Manitoba’s first Applied Research Chair in Advanced Manufacturing. Read More →

RRC Polytech’s Language Training Centre has become the Centre for Newcomer Integration, with support from a generous donation of $300,000 from BMO Financial Group.

The newly renamed Centre builds on the LTC’s strong foundation and successful reputation. The funding from BMO — announced yesterday alongside an unveiling of the Centre’s new signage — will allow staff to explore new opportunities to engage stakeholders, expand partnerships and align support services based on client needs.

“BMO’s recognition of the positive impact that RRC Polytech is making in the settlement sector, and their eagerness to invest in our ability to help prepare newcomers both linguistically and culturally to contribute quickly to Manitoba’s economy, is a source of tremendous pride — and a demonstration of the power of partnership,” says Fred Meier, RRC Polytech’s President and CEO.

“This generous gift will allow us to build on the success of our language training programs and better coordinate with our partners and stakeholders to ease the transition into Manitoba’s communities and workplaces for newcomers.”

With a priority of opening doors through strategic community engagement, the Centre offers a variety of services to help newcomers successfully settle and contribute to Manitoba’s communities and workplaces through language and communication training, employment preparation services and support services such as community building events, short-term counseling, and referrals to partner organizations. This work will evolve as additional partnerships with stakeholders are established.

“BMO is committed to making progress for a thriving economy, and a sustainable and inclusive society,” says Kristen Kennedy, BMO’s Regional Vice-President, Personal Banking, Prairies Central Region. “RRC Polytech’s Centre for Newcomer Integration will provide newcomers to Canada with valuable resources to help them find employment opportunities and achieve real financial progress.” Read More →