Education

C M Y K PAGE 10 10 WINNIPEG FREE PRESS SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT • SATURDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2020 EDUCATION GUIDE Right now is the best time to start building your future with Brandon University. No matter where you are, or how you're learning, you can get the flexibility and stability you need at BU. BUILD YOUR FUTURE IN BRANDON 93% of grads say BU prepared them to excel in the workforce 98% of grads say they recommend Brandon Join our satisfied students and build your bright future today! FUTURES ARE built in Book your virtual presentation at BrandonU.ca/Your-Future BY JENNIFER MCFEE Herzing College Winnipeg continues to earn top marks for preparing students to enjoy rewarding careers. T he Manitoba institution stands at the forefront for its progressive action to implement online learn- ing, with efforts starting about five years ago. "We've been focusing a lot of our efforts into developing online material, while also enhancing and refining how we deliver material in an online modality," said Robin Day, Herzing College's national director of academics. "Very early on, distance education was something we could register alongside our on-ground programs." In Winnipeg, Herzing College offers health-related programs including health- care aide, medical office assistant and medical lab assistant. Other options in - clude programs in areas such as business, broadcasting and media communications, and legal assistant. "We have quite a wide variety, which is really good for today because a lot of peo- ple are looking to transition to a new ca- reer," Day said. "Being able to do it in an online format is very helpful as well, especially now when everybody's locked down in their houses." Although current pandemic restrictions have changed the delivery of some pro - grams, the flex-ed modality has proven popular with many students. Typically, when students sign up for a flex-ed pro- gram, they can decide when and if they want to attend class in person. "Their online program and on-ground program are in lockstep. So if they're studying online and they're having dif- ficulties or challenges with some of the material, they can come in and attend a lecture," Day said. "We find it's quite helpful for adult learn- ers who may have work and daycare com- mitments but aren't ready to commit to a fully online experience." Currently, Herzing College Winnipeg is working hard to increase the ability of its instructors to deliver material in an online format that's as close as possible to a real classroom environment. "One of the changes we've made, based on some of our experiences in Ontario, is that all of our courses now have at least one hour of live sessions per week," Day said. "The instructor meets with the students virtually. They could be doing question- and-answer sessions, lectures, role-plays or going through material. It's been a re - quirement now for a couple months, and some of our instructors actually spend several hours per week interacting with the students online." Another innovative option is HOEP, or Herzing Open Education Program. "HOEP allows the student to use the tu - ition they've paid for one program and ap- ply it to a different one," Day said. "For example, if you finished a one- year program in business administra- tion, then you could take a nine-month accounting program or legal assistant program at no tuition." The only costs would be a $50 adminis - tration charge for each course and any re- quired textbooks. "We found that lots of students are lad- dering to determine where they want to go," Day said. "They get a good idea when they take their first program but often, along they way, they realize they should add more skills. They can take a full program or parts of other programs, including our Kompass Professional Development Division." To participate in HOEP, students need to maintain a grade point average of 3.5 or higher. "You can actually start doing it while you're taking your first program," Day said. "So, at the same time, you could be tak - ing other courses in media or arbitration or mediation or community mental health or any of those different areas." Founded in 1965 by Henry and Suzanne Herzing in the United States, Herzing Col - lege has truly withstood the test of time. "Since then, we've been driven to pro- vide the kind of education that doesn't just help someone get a job but helps them get into a better career," Day said. "I'm very happy when I go to hospitals or clinics or other places and I see our stu - dents — especially when I find out how happy they are in their new job and how much more fulfilled they feel. We are in the business of changing people's lives." For more information, visit herzing.ca. HERZING COLLEGE WINNIPEG Flexibility facilitates learning HERZING COLLEGE PHOTO Herzing has been working for several years on implementing online learning. SUPPLIED PHOTO Noah Bartlett (left) is the 2020 recipient of the Indigenous Business Education Partners Scholarship. ABOUT THE INDIGENOUS BUSINESS EDUCATION PARTNERS Since 1994, the Indigenous Busi- ness Education Partners has cre- ated a sense of community for Indigenous students studying at Asper. Outside of hosting regular events, IBEP offers services to its students, including scholarships and bursaries, professional de- velopment workshops, employer networking, and complement- ary tutoring through the Can- adian Western Bank tutoring pro- gram. For Indigenous high school students, ages 14-19 years old, looking to learn more about busi- ness, IBEP has teamed up with Shaw Communications to offer a free camp for those interested in marketing, finance, and strategy. There will also be an opportunity for teams to compete against each other to win cash prizes. The Shaw New Venture Camp will run virtu- ally July 5-9, 2021 and welcomes participants anywhere in Mani- toba with access to Shaw Internet. To register, visit IBEP online at: umanitoba.ca/asper/ibep 'I t's both fun and a challenge," jokes Bartlett. 'I'm pretty grateful that class- es are still going on and that I am able to pursue university." Of French-Métis decent and born in Winnipeg on Treaty 1 land, Bartlett is the 2020 recipient of the Indigenous Business Educa- tion Partners (IBEP) Scholarship, an award valued up to $5,000. It's given to an Indigenous high school student entering the Asper School of Business who demonstrates a combination of academic excel- lence and community involvement. Bartlett shined in his application with a high GPA, participation in ex- tra-curriculars, and a commitment to his community. In 2013, the Asper School of Business became the first school in Canada to offer an Indigenous ancestry admissions category for students who fall slightly below the competitive GPA cut-off, which var- ies year-to-year. One of IBEP's most prestigious awards is a $15,000 re- newable scholarship awarded to an Indigenous student pursuing a business degree at Asper, helping to relieve stress about the cost of liv- ing and tuition. Bartlett decided to apply to Asper after an encounter with IBEP staff member Riley Proulx at the Univer- sity of Manitoba's 2019 Open House. "I hadn't decided at that point if I wanted to go into business or if I wanted to be a teacher," he says. Before UM's Open House, he had already been accepted to another university and was applying to oth - ers. Bartlett credits the chance meet- ing with Proulx as the moment that changed his mind. "The ability to go to UM and Asper, one of the top business schools in Canada, is definitely beneficial to me," Bartlett says. "That night made it clear that UM was the right option for me to pursue my future career goals. Near the end of high school, Bartlett had realized that despite his passion for sports, he wasn't going to be a professional athlete. With sports being so engrained in his life, from playing to coaching, Bartlett decided to pursue a career as a sports agent. A path to a career in sports through the Asper School of Business may not seem like an obvious choice, but for Bartlett it was crystal clear. He plans to major in marketing and finance. "Being a sports agent is something that can help me continue to be in - volved in sports. When I get my hon- ours degree in commerce, it will open a lot of doors for me." Bartlett talks a lot about the op- portunities he believes completing his business degree will provide him, like the Asper Co-Operative Educa- tion Program. It's the biggest co-op program at the University of Manito- ba and provides more than 100 Asper undergrad students placements with companies both big and small. "The co-op program gives you an opportunity before you graduate to test different types of employment," says Bartlett. "Maybe it's not about sports, maybe I will be doing a co-op in year 4 and find out I love market - ing and want to do marketing for a company. It's just amazing the op- portunities that present themselves." Bartlett is starting off his first year taking University 1 courses at the University of Manitoba and is eager for year 2, when he will begin classes with the Asper School of Business. He still keeps in contact with Proulx, regularly emailing him and discuss - ing upcoming volunteer opportuni- ties and other ways to get involved with Asper. "I am really excited for the pos- sibility to be more involved with the community in other ways than sports," he says. "Find your passion and make a ca- reer out of it." Follow your passion ASPER SCHOOL OF BUSINESS Noah Bartlett, a first-year student at the Asper School of Business, is in his kitch- en getting ready for a virtual interview in between his online classes at the Uni- versity of Manitoba.

• Cover