Faculty Spotlight: Alice Potter

FOUR ASSINIBOINE STUDENTS WIN

MEDALS ATSkills ManitobaCompetition

Four Assiniboine Community College students won gold, silver or bronze medals at the 23rd Annual Skills Manitoba Competition – Virtual Edition, held between April 5 to 16, 2021.

In response to the ongoing global pandemic, the Skills Canada National Competition 2021, Skills/ Compétences Canada’s annual flagship event was cancelled as a face-to-face event and hosted virtually, allowing competitors from across Canada to participate to become the best of Canada.

“Assiniboine is very proud of all the students who competed and the coaches who mentored them. After the 2020 event was cancelled it has been great to transition to this new virtual format for 2021, allowing students to compete and continue to hone their craft against some of the best in Canada,” said Kevin Poirier Team Assiniboine Lead and Dean of Trades at Assiniboine.

In total, six Assiniboine students competed taking home Gold and Silver in 3D Digital Games Art, and Silver and Bronze in Automobile Technology. Throughout the province over 140 students competed in 26 different contests at this year’s Skills Manitoba annual virtual event and the gold medal winners will form Team Manitoba to compete against their peers at the Skills Canada Virtual National Competition was held at the end of May, 2021.

The philosophy behind the competition is to reward students, involve industry and to keep training relevant to employers’ needs. Competitions are designed and judged by industry professionals and educators.

The Skills Competitions also raise awareness about Canada‘s shortage of skilled trades workers. Major industry associations expect a moderate to severe shortage of workers within the next five years. They also help raise awareness among students, educators and parents about the advantages of post-secondary training in trades and technology, including good pay, job security and flexibility. This multi-trade and technology competition brings together more than 500 students and apprentices from across the country to participate in more than 40 competitions.

COMPETITION STUDENT MEDAL 3D Digital Game Art Parklan Cross Gold 3D Digital Game Art Joshua Hardy Silver Automobile Technology Gurman Mahal Silver Automobile Technology Noah Garbutt Bronze 3D Digital Game Art Hayden Kelm 4th Automobile Technology Erick Alexander N/A

Meet Assiniboine Alum JERRA GREEN

Police Studies (Class of 2019)

Green had the ‘adventure of a lifetime’ this summer when she was accepted into the Manitoba Wildland Fire Fighter program. Taking a leave from her job at the Rivers Police Service, she headed to Northern Manitoba to fight wildfires from May to September.

“I had lived in South Africa on and off and had done some wildland firefighting over there. So that’s sort of what piqued my interest,” said Green.

In being able to fulfill this dream, she was grateful to her employer for allowing it to happen.

“The service, the members of the service, the police board and the town have been nothing but supportive of me. In every request that I have, like my leave of absence, they’re so supportive.”

Green, who was already used to the physical fitness required to run the PO PAT (Police Officers’ Physical Ability Test), an obstacle course designed to mimic the demands an officer might encounter on the job, made sure to ramp up her typical fitness routine before she took flight to the north.

“The wildlife firefighting obstacle course is a lot longer than what I’m used to training for, so I did some longer runs and runs with a weighted vest on, because on the job you’re carrying 55-pound hose packs on your back while walking up and down hills and rocks,” she said.

The program began with in-field training in May with learning experiences like practice scenarios.

“And as much training and scenario work as you do, it’s so different when you’re out there on the line, because fire and weather and everything is just so unpredictable. Things can change in an instant. The training is a fantastic baseline, kind of guideline on what you need to look for and the situations that may happen, but literally anything can happen.” “You’re flying around in helicopters and going to these places that people haven’t been in years, if at all,” she said. “I’ve never lived or worked or traveled to northern Manitoba. To be able to experience that and experience the culture in the North was definitely a highlight.”

The experience, though, was not without its physical and mental challenges.

“It’s hard work. Holy man, it was so physically demanding. You’re working up to 18 hours a day out on the fireline, in the heat, in your gear. So, it can be extremely taxing on the body, but you just have to stay hydrated and eat and kind of do everything that you can to keep pushing through,” said Green.

“Being away from home was hard, too. That was a challenge, to be away for an extended period of time, and not know if you’re going to be able to get your next days off to come home.”

During one stint, for example, Green spent 19 straight days in the bush.

“The unknown was also a challenge until I got the hang of everything,” she said. “It was such a busy season that we were going from A to B to C in just a couple of days. That was a challenge, but it was a great challenge.”

“The overall experience was amazing. The people that you meet and the places you get to see are just unbelievable,” she added.

“It was an experience of a lifetime and I’d highly recommend to anyone.”

PRAIRIE INNOVATION CENTRE FOR SUSTAINABLE

AGRICULTUREUpdate Prairie Innovation Centre welcomes new support with $500K gift from local industry partner, Mazergroup, $200K from Manitoba Pulse & Soybean Growers

Assiniboine’s Prairie Innovation Centre for Sustainable Agriculture is welcoming a $500,000 donation from a Westman-born agricultural staple, Mazergroup.

“Mazergroup continues to have a long history of cooperation with the college for training our people, so this funding commitment just feels right,” said Bob Mazer, president and CEO of Mazergroup. “Assiniboine is a great school with great staff and faculty, and we are proud to be partners in working toward a better future in agriculture.”

The Prairie Innovation Centre will enable more unique work-integrated learning opportunities, applied research projects and industry innovation. “Our college has a critical role in ensuring there are people trained and ready to step into careers in the growing agriculture sector,” said Mark Frison, president of Assiniboine. “The Prairie Innovation Centre will answer the call, arming agriculture in Manitoba with a skilled labour force.”

In Manitoba, it’s projected that one in five jobs in agriculture will go unfilled by 2025. For Mazergroup, the largest New Holland dealer group in North America, this is notable. The Prairie Innovation Centre is Assiniboine’s made-in-Manitoba solution.

“Human resources are the most difficult piece, but also the backbone of a business like mine,” said Mazer, who is an honorary co-chair of the Prairie Innovation Centre campaign. “Most Mazergoup employees have some link to Assiniboine, and that’s a big reason why we decided to contribute to the Prairie Innovation Centre project. Dozens of our staff have made better lives for themselves and their families because of the training and education they received at Assiniboine.”

Mazer, a past chair of the college’s Board of Governors and recipient of an honorary diploma has a history of supporting college students and programs. Mazergoup provides an entrance award each year to students in both the Agriculture Equipment Technician and Heavy Duty Technician programs, and has loaned agricultural equipment to these programs for hands-on learning opportunities. “Agriculture is a crucial contributor to the Manitoba economy,” said Frison. “Working with local industry is key to ensuring this sector can reach its full potential.”

The Prairie Innovation Centre is Assiniboine’s vision for the future of agriculture training in Manitoba. The Centre aims to expand seats in agriculture-related programming from 300 to more than 800. Key to the success of the Centre is the Collaboration Zone, enabling connection and innovation with industry partners.

The Collaboration Zone within the Prairie Innovation Centre has recently welcomed a new industry sponsor—the Manitoba Pulse & Soybean Growers (MPSG), who have committed $200,000 to this project.

“MPSG members know the importance of formal training to meet the farming industry‘s demand for skilled employees,” said Cal Penner, Chair of the Manitoba Pulse & Soybean Growers. “We were eager to sign on to support the Prairie Innovation Centre; it‘s a timely addition to Manitoba‘s ag training landscape.“

The college’s relationship with MPSG is not new—the commodity association representing pulse and soybean producers has previously supported and partnered with Assiniboine on applied research projects. Most recently, MPSG matched a $41,850 grant to support Dr. Baljeet Singh’s research focused on white mould management in bean crops.

“I have been fortunate to have MPSG as a great partner in my research and extension activities, said Dr. Singh. “As we have worked together, we have built trust and a collaborative environment to help each other excel in the agriculture sector.”

The Centre, to be located at Assiniboine’s North Hill campus in Brandon, will expand the college’s ability to meet growing demands in the agriculture sector, and will increase applied research capacity in collaboration with and in support of industry goals and initiatives.

“Having forged a research partnership with Assiniboine, we are excited at the prospect of the college increasing its capacity for research through the Prairie Innovation Centre,” said Daryl Domitruk, Executive Director of MPSG. “This is a great addition to farmers‘ support network, especially in Westman.“

LOOK INSIDE

» First-class science labs and computing spaces for flexible joint-use teaching and applied research. » Hybrid classroom and computer labs with state-of-theart technology for hands-on collaborative learning. » Applied research space embedded within teaching spaces, flexible and adaptable to changing projects and industry partners. » A presentation theatre with fixed tables and movable chairs for classrooms, meetings and community events. » The student learning hub, with tutoring and consultation space, flexible breakout rooms and

Indigenous cultural space.