News

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.

In a case of perfect timing, Red River College will wrap up the Victoria Day long weekend by getting ready to welcome actual royalty to its Exchange District and Stevenson Campuses.

On Wednesday, May 21, the College will play host to Prince Charles, Prince of Wales, and his wife Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, as part of a four-day excursion to Canada that also includes stops in Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island.

On Wednesday morning, the royal couple will tour RRC’s Stevenson Campus, where they’ll be greeted by Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper, St. Boniface MP Shelly Glover and RRC President Stephanie Forsyth, among others. The couple will arrive just in time for Aviation & Aerospace in Manitoba Day, an annual event that showcases the province’s thriving aerospace and aviation industry for the benefit of more than 700 Grade 6 students.

Later the same day, Prince Charles will join President Forsyth for a tour of RRC’s Roblin Centre, where they’ll be joined by representatives from Prince’s Charities Canada, an organization that works with existing Canadian charities on a number of core objectives.

The last time RRC hosted visiting royalty was in 2002, when Prince Philip took part in the opening of The Roblin Centre (then called the Princess Street Campus).

Visit Stephanie Forsyth’s blog for more information on the 2014 visit.

Students from the broadcasting stream of RRC’s Creative Communications program have earned a pair of prestigious national awards for their efforts on both a student newscast and a record-setting televised fundraiser.

For the second year in a row, RRC’s Broadcast Journalism class, shown above, won the Best Student Newscast (Video News or News Magazine Show) award from the Broadcast Educators Association of Canada (BEAC), beating out competitors from more than 20 post-secondary institutions across Canada, including Ryerson and Carlton Universities, as well as BCIT, SAIT and NAIT.

The award recognized the students’ work on Red River College TV News, a weekly assignment in which students create and produce an evening newscast while working to the same deadlines and conditions as a typical newsroom.

“They start the day at 8:00 a.m., and create a full local newscast with news, weather, entertainment and sports,” says Joanne Kelly, Broadcast Journalism instructor at RRC. “The students do everything on their own. They run the control room, produce, write and report, and do all on the on-air. The [BEAC] judges have said our show could stand up against most professional local newscasts.”

Members of Kelly’s Live TV Production class were also recognized by BEAC, earning the Best Student Special/Live Remote award for this year’s nine-hour telethon benefitting the Winnipeg Humane Society. As with the newscast, RRC students handled all behind-the scenes tasks — including production, camera work, editing and directing — as well as on-camera duties such as reporting and hosting. They also earned a record $72,000 for the Humane Society in the process.

Both entries are also up for the President’s Prize Award (Best of Video and Audio). Students will pick up their awards during the annual BEAC conference and award ceremony, taking place this year in Niagara Falls from May 23-25.

“We are not only so proud of our students for their talent, hard work and teamwork,” says Kelly, “but we are so proud to help raise the awareness of our incredible program across Canada.”

Click here for more information about the Creative Communications program at RRC.

Congratulations to RRC instructor Scott MacAulay, who was recently named the Prairie region’s Entrepreneurship Educator of the Year by Startup Canada.

He’ll be formally recognized at the Prairie Startup Canada Awards in Calgary on May 15.

MacAulay (shown above) has been an entrepreneurship and finance instructor with RRC’s Applied Commerce and Management Education (ACME) department for the last eight years. Recently, he’s been seconded to research better ways to activate entrepreneurs, and is currently gathering best practices for how to implement an entrepreneurial lifestyle in Manitoba.

MacAulay is also very active in the local startup scene, working alongside such organizations as Ramp Up Manitoba, AssentWorks and Innovation Alley to connect RRC students and instructors with other members of the innovation community.

As well, he’s the co-founder of his own tech startup, PermissionClick, a productivity tool aimed at making it easier for teachers to collect permission slips and payments from students and parents. Read More →