EDUCATION GUIDE
SUPPLEMENT TO THE FREE PRESS • SATURDAY, DECEMBER 7, 2024
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RED RIVER COLLEGE POLYTECHNIC
for Better Career Opportunities W hether you’re looking to advance in your career or shift gears to try some- thing new, upskilling or reskilling can propel you along your path. BOOST YOUR SKILLS BY JENNIFER MCFEE
sometimes in person. They’re very much focused on flexible, accessible and quality learning to help people get those new and emerging skills that are out there.” With advancements in technology, jobs are transforming, so education needs to adapt too. “When I took my education 30 years ago, the idea at that time was that you go to school early to take your degree, di- ploma or certificate and then you’re set for your career,” Meier says. “Now with the changes happening in the workplace and the adoption of new technology, we know that model of education isn’t really going to work anymore. We need to be able to access reskilling and upskilling while you’re employed to hone your skills.” With an eye on the future, RRC Polytech recently added two new post-graduate programs in advanced manufacturing and mechatronics. “This is very focused on emerging areas. We’re supporting industry professionals in the manufacturing area for Industry 4.0 technology. The curriculums include artificial intelligence, robotics and new composite technologies. There are other aspects as well around data analytics and machine learning.” With advancements in technology, jobs are transforming, so education needs to adapt too.
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Fred Meier, president and CEO of Red River College Polytechnic, explains the difference between the two terms.
“With upskilling, you already have an existing skill and you’re looking to upgrade it. Reskilling is focused on people who are looking to change the existing skills they have into a different type of profession or career path,” he says. “Upskilling allows learners to gain some of those practical skills to advance the career that they’re in.”
Either way – no matter whether you’re looking to upskill or reskill – RRC Polytechnic can help. “Reskilling helps them to start a new career. We provide oppor- tunities in both of those areas, and it really depends where the learner is at in that particular moment.” Opportunities abound at RRC Polytech, which offers more than 150 full-time and part-time pro- grams with degree, diploma and certificate options.
“We also have pathway or bridg- ing programs as well as micro-cre- dential programs for people that have existing employment and are looking for something part-time,” Meier says. “They’re sometimes available online and
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