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.

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.”

Story by Elizabeth Catacutan, second-year Creative Communications

What would you do with a three-year supply of the world’s finest chocolate?

Red River College’s Paterson GlobalFoods Institute (PGI) is sharing it with their culinary students to teach them the art and science of chocolate making.

The in-kind donation comes from a partnership between PGI and Cacao Barry and Callebaut, the world’s leading manufacturers of high-quality cocoa and chocolate products. Cacao Barry and Callebaut are recognized around the globe as innovative masters in chocolate products.

“Chocolate isn’t cheap,” says Chantalle Noschese (shown, above), Chef and Culinary Arts Instructor at Red River College.

Noschese returned from training with a master chocolatier from the Barry Callebaut Chocolate Academy late October. This valuable experience is another extension of the partnership agreement with Callebaut, which will see one RRC Culinary instructor sent to Quebec each year to train at the Chocolate Academy.

“It’s important that if I’m teaching students, I need to be as educated as I can be,” says Noschese. “I feel better prepared and more knowledgeable, and I can pass that down to the students.”

The partners have also put in place an agreement that Callebaut’s technical advisor will visit RRC every second year to run a demonstration for aspiring chefs. Callebaut’s master chocolatier was at RRC in early November 2012 for his first visit.

“We’re on trend and that’s only going to enhance the experience for the students,” says Noschese. “They’re getting the best education we can provide thanks to these partnerships.”

Click here for more information about RRC’s Culinary Arts program.

(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.

(From left): Ryan Garriock, Past President, RRC Alumni Board; Bob Tallman, Owner and CEO of Princess Auto; and Dale Oughton, RRC Alumni Coordinator, at the 2012 Alumni Dinner.

Red River College raised a glass to success stories of the past, present and future this month, as RRC alumni joined with students and staff to celebrate their roots at the 2012 Alumni Dinner.

Held Nov. 16 at The Fairmont Winnipeg, the event gave RRC’s growing family of alumni the chance to re-connect with old friends and toast the accomplishments of their peers — in particular those of Bob Tallman, owner and CEO of Princess Auto, and recipient of this year’s Distinguished Alumni Award.

A 1976 graduate of RRC’s Business Administration program, Tallman has since built Princess Auto from a family business into a national retailer, cultivated a passionate base of customers through a tireless focus on service, and devoted himself to revitalizing his community and helping dozens of young people pursue their own dreams. Read More →

Red River College Winkler Campus instructor Evelyn Currie has been recognized for her commitment to education with a Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal.

Currie, a former high school teacher and guidance counsellor who’s now a Business Administration instructor at Winkler Campus, was among 15 Manitobans honoured with medals at a ceremony in Portage la Prairie earlier this month.

Currie says she’s especially fond of working one-on-one with students. She plays an equally supportive role in the community, working with the Christmas Cheer Board and on the board of directors of the Pembina Valley Arts Centre.

(From left): Fred Doern, Chair of Mechanical, Manufacturing & Communications at RRC; the Hon. Steven Fletcher, Minister of State (Transport); James Knight, President, Association of Canadian Community Colleges; MP Joyce Bateman (Winnipeg South Centre); the Hon. Gary Goodyear, Minister of State (Science and Technology); Stephanie Forsyth, President of RRC; and Dr. Suzanne Fortier, President, Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council.

The Honourable Gary Goodyear, Minister of State for Science and Technology, announced today that Red River College will receive almost $1.7 million through NSERC’s Community and College Innovation Program to establish the A2i2: Advanced Aerospace Innovation Initiative.

This new technology access centre will focus on making RRC’s facilities, technologies and expertise available to small and medium enterprises in the aerospace and manufacturing sectors.

“This technology access centre builds on the partnerships RRC has formed with companies like StandardAero and Magellan Aerospace to enhance innovation and productivity in these key industry sectors,” said Stephanie Forsyth, President of Red River College. “Ultimately, the research done through A2i2 will create new jobs and other economic opportunities right here in Manitoba.”

Over the past decade, Red River College and its partners have invested over $20 million in acquiring state-of-the-art technologies specializing in advanced materials and bonding, imaging and automation, and machine vision and simulation. The A2i2 initiative will bring these facilities under one umbrella, making it easier for industry to access equipment and College researchers.

Red River College is Manitoba’s second-largest post secondary institution with over 30,000 enrolments in full-time, part-time and apprenticeship programs each year. RRC is also one of Canada’s leading colleges in the area of applied research, with a particular focus on sustainable infrastructure, alternative energy vehicles, and aerospace manufacturing.