Education

FINDYOURFOCUSAND CHANGETHEWORLD. TRAILBLAZERSDO. StudentsattheUniversityofManitobaareinspiredtotransform ideasintoaction.Theseoutstandingstudentsdojustthat.Aleader intheIndigenouscommunity,Monicainspiresyouthtocreateabright futureforthemselves.Jaydenbalanceshisstudiesandathleticpursuits, excellingintheclassroomandonthefootballfield.AndAnnaisone ofonlyfourstudentsinWesternCanadatoreceivetheprestigious Fessenden-TrottScholarshipthisyear. DefineyourfutureattheUniversityofManitoba. JAYDENMCKOY FacultyofEngineering SchulichLeaderScholarship, AcademicAll-Canadian MONICACYR FacultyofAgriculturalandFoodSciences BusinessCouncilofManitoba AboriginalEducationAward ANNALIU FacultyofScience NSERCUndergraduate StudentResearchAward umanitoba.ca HeRzing College heRzing aiMs to help out Refugees By Holli Moncrieff for the free press Like many people across Canada, Herzing College is looking at how they can play a role in helping Syrian refugees. "W e're going to see 25,000 refugees come to Canada, and many are going to need training to integrate into society—and they're going to need that training fast," says Kerry Swanson, president of the Winnipeg campus. "They've been in a war zone and have seen things many of us will never have to witness. Many of them will have post-traumatic stress disorder." While Swanson explains it's too soon to say how Herzing will become part of the solution, he adds that it's not a question of if the college will help, but a question of how. "We'll need to know more before we'll be able to decide how we can provide the best help," he explains. "What I do know is that we need to open our doors. I realize there are fears, but these people are trying to get away from terrorists." Helping the refugees fits in well with the college's core mandate of believing in the potential of every individual. "Many of the things we do support students who may struggle in other institutions," says Swanson. "Our instructors take extra time to meet with students after class." Herzing also offers free tutoring, study boot camps on Fridays, and small class sizes. "There are lots of opportunities for our students to get one-on-one interaction with their instructors," Swanson adds. "We also have a very active student council that holds events on a regular basis so students can have some fun. We've created areas where students can socialize or where they can pray." While the college already offers a wide variety of industry-related programs, it's always looking for ways to expand. One of the newest industries Herzing hopes to break into is cloud computing. "With cloud computing such an integral part of many businesses today, there is definitely more need for support services in that area. We're hoping to get a variety of programs approved," says Swanson. "This is the way more and more companies are going." Even those who are unfamiliar with the term "cloud computing" are probably using cloud solutions every day. Both Facebook and LinkedIn are examples of cloud computing, Swanson explains. "It used to be you had your own tech person on site who managed your hardware," he says. "Now you can buy time on an external server, instead of paying to have one in- house. With cloud computing, you can share the cost with hundreds of other businesses and use those software applications to run your day-to-day activities." Cloud computing hasn't eliminated the need for information technology experts—it's simply changed the type of expertise required, says Swanson. "Companies need a well-trained person who can determine whether you have a hardware or a software problem," he adds. "We're going to train people in how to manage software properly. The landscape is changing for sure." Herzing will announce course dates for these new programs as soon as Manitoba Education and Advanced Learning approves them. Another industry in high demand is supply-chain management and logistics. The college recently launched a program to help fill the need for training in this area. "A lot of people are still unfamiliar with this industry. The public is unaware how much is done to get goods to the consumer on time and in good condition. It's a very significant part of business today," Swanson says. The course is a one-year certificate program that includes an eight-week internship. "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," says Swanson. "We don't see any problem with our graduates getting employment in this field. It's a really good opportunity." ■ "Many of the things we do support students who may struggle in other institutions. Our instructors take extra time to meet with students after class." Students from Herzing College record their Crack of Dawn Sports Show podcast. photo by darcy finley

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