Red River College is pleased to welcome a delegation from Finland, whose members are visiting Winnipeg to discuss possible international partnerships.

The delegation is comprised of instructors and administrators from five Finnish colleges, and includes representation from the fields of Vehicle Technology and Information Communication Technology, Student Guidance and Counselling, and International Affairs.

The visitors are in Winnipeg until Thursday to establish relationships with RRC, and to explore new possibilities for faculty, staff and student exchanges between the respective institutions. While in town, delegates will shadow instructors from RRC’s Automotive and Information Communication Technology programs, visit the educational fields they represent, and give presentations on their work in Finland.

Linley James (second from right), with Christine Crowe (Vice-President, Community Development, RRC), Tom Trottier (RRC Recycling Team), and Lori Walkow (RRC Student Services and Community Development Services)

The purchasing agent for RRC’s Paterson GlobalFoods Institute has been recognized for his role in supporting those with intellectual disabilities as they find and maintain meaningful employment in the community.

RRC staffer Linley James received the “Outstanding Natural Support” award at this week’s Sweet Success 2013 reception, hosted by Connect Employment Services to honour the achievements of Connect clients and supports over the past year.

In his prior role as Supervisor of Campus Services at the Roblin Centre in the Exchange District, James worked closely with members of RRC’s Recycling Team, supporting them in their day-to-day tasks and researching products and equipment used in the course of their duties.

The Sweet Success reception, held Thursday at the University of Manitoba, included a dessert-tasting and auction, and was attended by the Rt. Hon. Ed Schreyer, former Manitoba premier and governor general of Canada. The event was presented by Connect Employment Services and the Workers Compensation Board of Manitoba.

Education Minister Nancy Allan (left) and Winnipeg Construction Association President Ron Hambly (centre) look on as Elmwood High School student Samuel Lopez and carpentry instructor Frank Jess build a toolbox in one of RRC’s Mobile Training Labs.

Red River College and Manitoba Education are helping to boost trades training through a pilot project that provides Winnipeg youth a hands-on introduction to the trades.

The pilot program provides up to 25 students in Grades 7 and 8 the opportunity to “try out” the type of work typically done by electricians, carpenters and welders. Students from Elmwood High School are attending Red River College once a week for three weeks, to learn about career options in the trades.

“The pilot program is intended to expose young people to the trades as a viable career option,” says Stephanie Forsyth, President, Red River College. “One of the ways to get more young people interested in the trades is to give them more hands-on experience, and help them identify a skill they would love to acquire.”

According to Skills Canada, over the next two decades employers in Canada will find it difficult to hire and retain skilled workers. However, a Statistics Canada survey in 2009 showed just 26% of young people aged 13 to 24 plan to consider a career in the skilled trades.

“The future of Manitoba is being trained here today. These students are gaining valuable experience through hands-on learning,” says Education Minister Nancy Allan. “Projects like these expose students to new potential career opportunities that will lead to good jobs and build our province.” Read More →

While mass shootings and other violence on university and college campuses throughout North America have increased our sense of vulnerability, Red River College has implemented a comprehensive plan to communicate threats and enhance the safety of students, staff and visitors. The quality of its Integrated Campus Emergency Alerting System has led to a leadership recognition award from the Human Resource Management Association of Manitoba (HRMAM).

This Emergency Alerting System provides timely and effective warnings to allow people to take appropriate actions that save lives in the event of an imminent safety threat. It includes the following features:

• Emergency announcements through several public address speakers;
• Desktop alerts to computers and text alerts to cellphones for all staff and students;
• A comprehensive education campaign, including orientation for students and new employees;
• Weekly testing of the system, including annual campus-wide lockdown drills to ensure students and staff know what to do in the event of an imminent threat.

“As a result of the Alerting System, the entire College community has become more engaged and aware of their responsibilities in the event of an unforeseen emergency affecting one or more of our campuses,” said Dave Clarke, Emergency Preparedness Coordinator.  “It has helped make Red River College a safer environment in which to work and learn.”

The system includes pre-scripted messages to initiate a lockdown at any campus, as well as the ability to issue live or updated messaging as a situation evolves.  Participants can also specify which campus they attend to receive alerts for only that campus.

The Alerting system also includes protocols and procedures for immediate notification of managers and senior staff in the event of a serious incident, as well as departmental call-trees to disseminate information to and from staff who may be off campus.

Today, Winnipeg Technical College received a bomb threat at approximately 1:00 pm at their Erin Street Campus. The threat was made over the telephone via a recording that included threats to the University of Winnipeg and Red River College. Winnipeg Technical College’s threat assessment team immediately contacted the Winnipeg Police Service and informed both Red River College and the University of Winnipeg. Police officers were dispatched to all of the institutions and their campuses to evaluate the threat. Winnipeg Technical College’s Erin Street Campus was evacuated during the search.

All three institutions were in constant communication regarding this threat and acted in accordance with their respective emergency protocols in conjunction with the Winnipeg Police Service. Nothing suspicious was found at any of the institutions and all organizations were assessed as being safe and cleared.

Operations will continue as normal at Red River College with no cancellations to exams or any other activity.

Red River College was pleased to host a delegation from Shijiazhuang University (SU) in China this week, and to enter into an agreement that will help connect staff and students from both schools.

On Monday, RRC hosted a delegation led by SU President Wang Junhua, who met with Christine Crowe (RRC’s Vice-President, Community Development) to explore mutual cooperation between the two institutions.

The delegation also toured the Notre Dame Campus — where a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between RRC and SU was signed — and the Paterson GlobalFoods Institute, where they shared a lunch at Jane’s restaurant.

“We understand that we live in a global economy, and we will be working with and doing business with people who have different cultural backgrounds and histories,” said Crowe.

“We need to look at the world differently, and build cross-cultural skills. We are very interested in providing opportunities for our students and our instructors to experience other cultures as part of their education.”

With support and direction from its International Education office, RRC is building innovative partnerships with colleges and universities throughout the world, including those in China, India, South America and Europe. Agreements such as the one with SU often result in joint partnerships, exchange programs, and new ways of collaborating to meet both parties’ mutual interests.

Red River College has again been recognized for its commitment to environmental sustainability, having been named one of Canada’s Greenest Employers for the third year in a row.

The prestigious honour recognizes RRC’s efforts to reduce the environmental impact of College operations, incorporate sustainability into research and academic programming, and engage staff and students in more eco-conscious behaviour.

The unveiling of this year’s Greenest Employers coincides with Earth Day celebrations throughout Canada, and also with RRC’s week-long State of Sustainability, an event that includes recycling and green building tours, compost giveaways, e-waste collection drives and information sessions on organic lawn care and sustainability at home.

“There’s a real culture of sustainability at Red River College,” says Manager of Sustainability Sara MacArthur. “Our staff do more than just ‘know’ about sustainability — they also embrace the values of sustainability in their day-to-day actions.”

Launched in 2007, the Canada’s Greenest Employers competition recognizes organizations that lead the nation in creating a culture of environmental awareness in their workplaces.

RRC is one of only three Manitoba organizations to be named to this year’s Greenest Employers list (alongside Manitoba Hydro and Assiniboine Credit Union), and one of only seven post-secondary institutions across Canada.

It’s the second time in days that RRC has been recognized for its commitment to the environment. Last week, the College was awarded one of Polar Bears International’s Paws of Approval, which recognize organizational efforts to reduce carbon footprints. RRC also remains the only post-secondary institution in Manitoba to complete the STARS rating system, the most commonly accepted sustainability rating system for colleges and universities in North America.

Click here to learn more about RRC’s commitment to environmental sustainability.

Red River College is about to embark on an ambitious campus master planning process, one that aims to assess the strengths and weaknesses of the existing Notre Dame Campus, and through collaboration with students, staff and faculty, arrive at a solution to the problems identified.

Following a request for proposals last year, RRC has selected Boston-based Sasaki Associates Inc., working together with Winnipeg’s Dillon Consulting Ltd., to carry out a three-phase planning process that’s scheduled to conclude this fall.

Sasaki has worked on master plans for more than 500 campuses, and recently completed a proposal for Sinclair Community College in Dayton, Ohio, the oldest community college in the United States. Bryan Irwin, a principal at the firm who’s working with fellow partner Dan Kelly, recently responded to some questions on the topic of the master plan.

Red River College: What exactly is a campus master plan?

Bryan Irwin: It’s a comprehensive road map for the College that links the strategic academic plan – what is it we’re teaching, and to whom — with the physical facilities of the campus. It requires looking well into the future, 10 or 15 years, and asking, “What are the reasonable projections we can make, and how can we right-size the campus facilities to best support the strategic vision of the College?”

…Everyone would agree Red River College has done a phenomenal job meeting the needs of the community and offering the courses that are required to support and catalyze the economy. But in so doing, they have made incremental decisions over a period of time that were based on expediency. Now the College wants to reassess that situation and look at how they might better use the existing space. Read More →

Last week’s federal budget promises to reinforce the work Red River College is doing to provide more opportunities for future students and faculty, says RRC President Stephanie Forsyth.

Overall, RRC welcomes the collaborative approach outlined in the budget, which envisions two levels of government, post-secondary education institutions, labour and industry working together to help address the Canadian skills shortage. Both the Association of Community Colleges of Canada (ACCC) and Polytechnics Canada have also welcomed these announcements, particularly because they’ve been advocating for this type of investment and focus in skills development.

One of the highlights of the budget was a proposed Canada Job Grant, a $500-million investment in 2014-15 to connect employers with prospective employees and invest in their education. Early information suggests a potential student could be eligible for a $15,000 grant paid for with equal contributions from employers and the federal and provincial governments.

As Forsyth points out, many programs at RRC have a waiting list ratio of up to four students for every one currently attending. At first glimpse, the Canada Jobs Grant would help train more students, though collaboration from all parties would be required.

“This proposed grant is dependent upon all three parties bringing money to the table, so it is far from certainty,” she said last week. “Working closely with industry, the private sector and community organizations is a particular strength of RRC. If this collaborative model comes to pass, it will hopefully help us leverage this strength to engage more students and meet the needs of industry.” Read More →

RRC Chef Instructor Luc Jean (right) accepts a Canadian Red Cross Rescuer Award from Mallory Shack, Injury Prevention Coordinator for Canadian Red Cross in Manitoba.

He’s a whiz in the kitchen — and an honest-to-goodness lifesaver, to boot!

Luc Jean, a Chef Instructor with Red River College’s School of Hospitality and Culinary Arts, was recognized by the Canadian Red Cross last week, for saving the life of a student who began choking while in Prairie Lights restaurant last year.

Jean was honoured with a Canadian Red Cross Rescuer Award for his quick action and bravery. He was presented with the award during a Hospitality and Culinary Arts staff meeting on March 14, 2013.