News

Red River College’s Athletics department is pleased to announce the hiring of Dan McGregor, new head coach of the Rebels Women’s Volleyball team.

Born in Winnipeg, McGregor graduated from Oak Park High School, and has been coaching since 1997, including stints coaching junior varsity and varsity teams at Oak Park from 1997 to 2008, and at Dakota Collegiate in 2013. He helped rack up a number of tournament championships and Top 10-ranked teams during his time at both schools.

More recently, McGregor spent two seasons as assistant coach of the University of Manitoba Bisons Women’s Volleyball team, and also served as head coach of the Manitoba 16-and-under provincial teams in 2013 and 2014.

“We’re excited to welcome Dan to the Rebels Athletics program,” says Shane Ray, manager of athletics and recreation services at RRC. “His proven success at the club, provincial and post-secondary level will be an asset to the program here at Red River College.”

Click here for more information about RRC’s Rebels varsity teams.

Red River College students brought home four medals from this year’s Skills Canada National Competition in Toronto.

Held June 4-7, the Olympic-style competition drew more than 500 participants from across Canada — all of them gold winners in their respective provincial contests.

A total of 15 RRC students represented Team Manitoba in a number of trades and technology-related fields. Congratulations to the following medalists:

• Dexter Bracken and Andrew Tutte (shown above): Silver, Landscaping Gardening
• Kyle Duguid: Silver, Aircraft Maintenance
• Clark Holmes: Gold, Auto Service
• Nina Widmer: Silver, Brick Masonry

Click here for a full list of winners.

From left: Apprenticeship and Certification Board Chair Leonard Harapiak; Minister of Jobs and the Economy Minister Theresa Oswald; RRC alum Nina Widmer (Bricklaying Apprentice); Reg Toews, Coordinator, Red River Technical Vocational Area High School Apprenticeship Program; RRC President Stephanie Forsyth.

More than 230 youth will gain awareness and exposure to the skilled trades through the province’s new Building for Tomorrow summer program – a series of educational camps and work experience programs delivered by Red River College and a network of other business, community and educational partners

“This summer, many of our children will have new opportunities to have fun while learning about a potential future career in various trades, including construction and transportation, trade and technology, hospitality and the culinary arts,” said Jobs and the Economy Minister Theresa Oswald. “Our government is focused on helping families and youth in exploring the many paths to good jobs and rewarding careers right here in Manitoba, and starting that conversation while kids are still in school.”

The province will support more than a dozen new camps during the summer, including RRC’s Girls Exploring the Trades and Technology (GETT) camps, which gives girls aged 12 to 14 the opportunity to design and build their own go-carts, while learning about the importance of science, math and industrial arts-based courses in high school.

Other camps include:

• RRC’s Portage Campus will offer two one-week programs, introducing 32 Aboriginal youth (Grades 6 to 8) to various skilled trades; Assiniboine Community College will offer 15 participants introductory experiences in carpentry or culinary arts.

• Winnipeg Aboriginal Sport and Recreation Association Inc., in partnership with RRC, will offer 15 Aboriginal youths (Grades 9 and 10) with opportunities to experience different trades, with a special focus on the culinary trades, while learning about the apprenticeship training model; participants will receive certified food-handler training and workplace hazard information system training.

• University College of the North will provide 80 Aboriginal youth in Flin Flon with the basic skills needed for a successful career in the skilled trades.

• Career Trek Inc., in partnership with the Manitoba Construction Sector Council and Winnipeg Technical College, will provide 24 Grade 9 youth with exposure to the carpentry trade.

Read More →

Red River College’s Greatest Summer Job Campaign has won a silver Prix D’Excellence medal from the Canadian Council for the Advancement of Education (CCAE).

The campaign, launched last summer by RRC’s Marketing and Web Presence and Campus Living teams, centred around a city-wide job search for a Blogger-in-Residence, who spent July and August of 2013 living in (and blogging about) the College’s first-ever student residence.

The opportunity provided the blogger with free accommodations, meals and access to a number of unique Winnipeg activities – all in exchange for daily blog entries about her experiences living downtown.

“This creative guerrilla marketing campaign was strategically designed to get neighbours involved, to form partnerships, and to use our collective networks to share our pride in the Exchange District and all it has to offer – with a key focus on RRC as a place to eat, study and live on campus,” says Christian Robin, Director of Marketing and Web Presence.

“The RRC team collaborated to make this campaign a tremendous success, exceeding all goals and expectations, including maximizing occupancy at the student residence.”

The Prix d’Excellence is the CCAE’s annual awards program, recognizing outstanding achievements in alumni and public affairs, communications, marketing, development, advancement services, stewardship, student recruitment and overall institutional advancement.

Earlier this year, the Marketing and Web Presence team won a gold medal in the CASE District VIII (Council for Advancement and Support of Education) Communications Awards, for a three-minute promotional video showcasing the new student residence.

From left: Melanie Wight (MLA, Burrows); Manitoba Finance Minister Jennifer Howard; RRC President Stephanie Forsyth; and Wescan Capital President Peter Jessiman.

A new pilot program at Red River College this fall will provide individuals with intellectual disabilities full access to post-secondary educational opportunities and a successful transition into the workforce.

The 20-student Transforming Futures program will begin in September 2014, and will include hands-on learning in career exploration, essential employability skills and full integration into RRC programming if a student chooses this option. Students will complete classes leading to their certification, which will help them get ready for future employment.

“Red River College’s vision aligns with the goals of this program: to enable all students to build a career, enhance quality of life and contribute to Manitoba’s economic and social prosperity through exceptional applied education and research,” says RRC President Stephanie Forsyth. “This is the largest college in the province, and we are uniquely positioned to deliver accessible, innovative programming for students with intellectual disabilities. With the financial support of the province – and support of community champions and private donors – this pilot project is ready for launch.”

The 2013 Assuring Income Security and Equality for Canadians with Intellectual Disabilities and their Families report from the Canadian Association for Community Living estimated that 70 per cent of adults with intellectual disabilities are unemployed or out of the labour force, and are three times more likely than non-disabled Canadians to live in poverty.

“Training opportunities are essential in transforming an individual’s inherent talents and interests into marketable skills,” said Jobs and the Economy Minister Theresa Oswald. “Removing barriers and increasing accessibility to education is one key way to ensure Manitobans with intellectual have the opportunity to take part and further strengthen the work force.” Read More →

Red River College will pay tribute to a pair of industry trailblazers this week, awarding honorary diplomas to film/TV producer Lisa Meeches and business owner Larry Vickar as part of its spring convocation ceremonies.

The honorees will pick up their diplomas at convocation ceremonies taking place Wednesday, June 4 at the Centennial Concert Hall. Meeches will receive a diploma in Creative Communications, while Vickar will receive a diploma in Business Administration.

“Both recipients are leaders in their community; their contributions are widely known and well respected,” says Richard Lennon, Chair of RRC’s Board of Governors. “The College is committed to improving the social and economic well-being of Manitobans and we are happy to honour those who share those values with us.” Read More →

The College’s School of Hospitality and Culinary Arts has entered into its second partnership with a training facility in France, signing a memorandum of understanding (MOU) this morning with the Lycée d’Hôtellerie et de Tourisme Alexandre Dumas in Illkirch-Graffensatden.

The new agreement aims to benefit students and staff at both institutions, by encouraging and facilitating academic collaboration, educational exchanges and joint research projects for mutual benefit.

This includes the development of mobility programs allowing students from both schools to further their studies abroad, as well as opportunities for staff and student development through cultural exchanges.

“The signing of this MOU further benefits our students, staff and programming at the PatersonGlobal Foods Institute,” says RRC President Stephanie Forsyth. “We look forward to the opportunities this partnership represents, and the economic opportunities we both will realize.”

Last November, the College entered into a similar agreement with the Institut Paul Bocuse Worldwide Alliance in Lyon, France, making RRC the only Canadian partner to be inducted.

Earlier this year, Culinary Arts students Alex Wong and Nicole Boudreau were chosen to be the first Canadians to take part in an intensive four-month training internship over the summer.

Red River College is pleased to announce it will host the Colleges and Institutes Canada 2015 Annual Conference, an event that will afford opportunities to showcase both our institution and our city to executives and academics from across the country.

The College unveiled its plans to serve as co-host, along with Assiniboine Community College and the Manitoba Institute of Trades and Technology, at the organization’s recent 2014 conference in Ottawa (the last to be held under its former name, the Association of Canadian Community Colleges).

The theme of the 2015 conference is “Leading Change” — a particularly appropriate theme for RRC, and one that allows us to shine a spotlight on such innovative initiatives as our new Paterson GlobalFoods Institute, our ever-expanding applied research capabilities, our culturally-enriched approach to aboriginal education, and the transformative community programming we’ve undertaken in partnership with organizations in the North End.

“With all of the positive changes going on in the city, it wasn’t hard to entice [conference organizers] to come to the centre of Canada,” says RRC President Stephanie Forsyth, who teamed with Tourism Winnipeg to secure host city status.

“This will not only enhance Red River College’s reputation as one of Canada’s top institutes of applied learning, it will also help us to share one of the best-kept secrets in Canada — the city of Winnipeg.”

The 2015 conference is scheduled to take place May 24-26 at the RBC Convention Centre. Upwards of 1,000 delegates from colleges and polytechniques across Canada are expected to take part in the event.

Click on the image below to watch the video unveiled at this year’s conference as part of RRC’s announcement.

From left: Levinia Brown, RRC elder-in-residence; RRC President Stephanie Forsyth; MMF President David Chartrand; Joan Ledoux, Minister of Education, Louis Riel Institute.

As part of its commitment to improving opportunities and outcomes for Métis people in Manitoba, Red River College has entered into a new memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Manitoba Metis Federation and Louis Riel Institute.

Signed this morning at RRC’s Roblin Centre, the new MOU creates a joint working group with representation from all three organizations — one that focuses on education, business and growing industry partnerships to increase economic prospects for Manitoba’s Métis populations.

In addition, a new $400,000 bursary for Métis students was announced — one made possible through matching $200,000 investments by the MMF and RRC.

“[Today] signals an extremely satisfying phase of accomplishments for Red River College,” says RRC President Stephanie Forsyth. “Driven by the mission of the College and that of our Strategic Plan, [this] announcement reflects our goal of serving the educational needs of Aboriginal students.”

“The collective efforts of those involved … will benefit Métis people in Manitoba [by] improving access to training and employment opportunities,” says David Chartrand, President of the Manitoba Metis Federation. “We applaud Red River College for their leadership and contributions towards today’s announcement.”

The latest recipient of a joint industry award from Red River College and the Project Management Institute (PMI) says she so enjoyed her time as a student, she was sorry to see it end.

“I felt like I was losing my best friends,” says Alexandra Cristea, a 2013 graduate of RRC’s Project Management program and the recent recipient of a $1,000 student achievement award from the College and the Manitoba chapter of PMI.

“It was absolutely wonderful, and very helpful,” she says. “They really prepared us for the real world.”

Cristea moved to Canada from Romania in 2001, while still working as an operations manager for SGS, a Swiss-based inspection and certification company. In order to expand her skill set, she made the move to project management in 2011 — landing a job as project manager with Assiniboine Credit Union, just before signing up for the program through RRC’s School of Continuing Education.

“I had been part of project work myself, either as support or a team member or consultant, and I realized the value of project management,” says Cristea. “I applied for the job with Assiniboine Credit Union and they hired me, but they said it was also good to have formal certification, which I completely agreed with.”

Currently on maternity leave from Assiniboine (she has a six-month-old baby at home), Cristea earned a perfect GPA for her efforts. She says she’s humbled to have been singled out by the College, crediting her instructors and colleagues as inspirations, and wholeheartedly recommending the program to employees of all stripes.

“Not only to project managers, but any kind of manager or supervisor or even team member,” says Cristea. “It’s very valuable … and it really goes across industries. My colleagues and I are from all over the place — construction, banking, telecommunications, everywhere. It’s not just limited to one industry.”

Click for more information about RRC’s Project Management program.