Education

C M Y K 10 Winnipeg Free press - saturDaY, august 1, 2015 BECOMEA DIFFERENCE MAKER EARNYOURB.A. BiblicalStudies&PracticalTheology Arts&Sciences ModernLanguageInstitute ProfessionalStudies 10CollegeCrescent Otterburne,Manitoba,Canada,R0A1G0 (204)433-7488or(800)668-7768 | info@prov.ca ProvidenceUC.ca GetBehindThe ControlsOf YourCareer TrainWithOETIM Today Your Leader In Safety Training and Heavy Equipment Operator Education Your Leader In Safety Training and Heavy Equipment Operator Education ����� ������������ By Holli Moncrieff for the Free Press It's never been a better time to enrol at a technical college. Skilled tradespeople are in high demand throughout the province, due to a critical shortage. t o help meet the demand, the Manitoba Institute of Trades and Technology (MITT) is opening its doors to high-school students in September. Instead of attending MITT part time, grade 11 and 12 students will now be able to take all of their required courses at the college, as well as electives that have a strong trades and technical focus. "The door is wide open for them. It's a really neat opportunity for students to get all of their trades training for free. They'll be ready to work earlier," says Greg Scheelar, MITT's workforce development consultant. "This has been done in the United States very successfully, but never in Canada before." This can be an extremely lucrative opportunity for students who are interested in trades. Scheelar recalls a student who went to MITT part-time while attending high school. She graduated with her welding ticket and got a $65,000 job right out of high school — with no student debt. "There are some students who want to start work right out of high school. They don't want to go to university. They will be learning skills that are in high demand and that will lead to good paying positions. They can get out of school and start work right away with a very good paying job," Scheelar says. "You can be a very strong student and just not interested in university." MITT still has space in its high-school program for the 2015-16 year. They're hoping to get 50 students enrolled. "We've had high-school students working alongside our adult students for years, and we've generally found it to be a very positive thing. The high-school students bring energy into the class, and the adult students keep them focused," says Scheelar. "But the high-school students want to learn everything they can, so they're already pretty focused." One area that's in desperate need of skilled workers is supply chain and logistics. Herzing College has created a new Supply Chain and Logistics Management program they hope will help meet that demand. "We see a significant amount of employment opportunities in this area developing in Manitoba in the next four years," says Kerry Swanson, president of Herzing College, Winnipeg campus. "There are so many jobs available in Manitoba right now — everything from procurement to managing inventory. There are opportunities in the transportation industry as well." The course is a one-year certificate program that includes an eight-week internship. Training starts in October. "This is an internationally accredited course. We wanted to make sure we had strong accreditation behind it, and credentials our graduates would feel proud to hold in their hands," Swanson says. "We don't see any problem with our graduates getting employment in this field. It's a really good opportunity." Students will learn about the start of production right through to how products get to the customer. "How we source products and get them to where they need to be — what drives our economy," adds Swanson. "You can't get groceries without having a supply chain and logistics strategy. You can't build an airplane without one. It's such a broad spectrum and there is such a broad need for people." Social media experts are another growth industry. Herzing has added a nine-month Social Media Co-ordinator program to its roster. The program is full time — students will spend 20 hours a week in class, and a suggested 10 hours per week studying. "Social media is considered the new frontier in business. Companies are beginning to realize that if they don't have a strong social media plan, they're going to have trouble keeping up with the competition," Swanson says. "It's so important to be in the game." While a lot of people think they know their way around social media, Swanson explains that companies are finding it difficult to discover people who are properly trained. "It's hard to find people with expertise in this area. We'll teach students how to get traffic to a business and get people to make purchasing decisions," he says. "You've got to understand how a company's social media accounts all fit together." ■ technical & trade schools make the GraDe with traDes Above left: Students from the Manitoba Institute of Trades and Technology (MITT) take part in an industrial mechanic/ millwright program. Left: Herzing College now offers a nine- month Social Media Co-ordinator program. Below: MITT students take part in a carpentry program. Photos by Darcy Finley

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