Assiniboine prepared to welcome thousands over the coming year

Assiniboine Community College is projecting another lively academic year as the fall term kicks off on September 4. The college is prepared to welcome an estimated 4,000 students in programs delivered on campus and by distance for the 2018-19 academic year.

Thousands more will be enrolled in community-based programs and Continuing Studies courses throughout the coming academic year.

“September is an exciting time for the entire college community, as we welcome many students starting or resuming their studies,” said Dr. Deanna Rexe, vice-president academic at Assiniboine.

“We currently have wait lists in 18 programs and continue to see strong demand across disciplines from health to agriculture to trades.”

New student orientation kicks off this week across Assiniboine’s campuses, helping students to successfully transition into life as a college student and ease first-day jitters. Hundreds will participate in academic and social activities including campus tours, program orientations, and barbecues.

The college has expanded the combined intake for its Culinary Arts and Hotel & Restaurant Management programs this September, bringing on four new instructional staff members across the two programs. Nearly 100 first-year students will commence their studies in these two programs at the Manitoba Institute of Culinary Arts.

And while many students are beginning or returning to classes this fall, the college starts programs at various points throughout the year. Many of these programs are based in communities where Assiniboine does not have a permanent campus.

The college is pleased to note several programs being funded this coming academic year by Indigenous & Northern Affairs Canada through the PSPP (Post-Secondary Partnerships Program) funding envelope. These programs will be delivered in partnership with First Nations communities over the coming year.

Combined, these programs have received funding totaling more than $1.7 million:

• Medical and Office Administration in Long Plain First Nation
• Emergency Medical Responder and Comprehensive Health Care Aide in Waywayseecappo First Nation
• Applied Building Construction in Peguis First Nation
• Applied Plumbing Installation at the college’s Parkland campus (Dauphin) in partnership with West Region communities

“Extending post-secondary education outside of urban areas gives Manitobans the opportunity to study closer to home, which offers tremendous benefit to the students, their families and the entire community,” said Rexe.

“Community-based education continues to be an area of strength for our college and we look forward to new and growing partnerships with communities while responding to the needs of the provincial labour market.”

The college has five campuses across the province: three in Brandon, one in Dauphin and one in Winnipeg and last year operated programs in more than two dozen communities across Manitoba.

Nearly 1,500 individuals graduated from Assiniboine this past academic year, up more than 50 per cent from five years prior. Assiniboine’s 2018 graduate satisfaction and employment survey showed that 93 per cent of recent graduates have jobs, making on average nearly $48,000 a year.