Big day for ACC graduates
Advertisement
Read this article for free:
or
Already have an account? Log in here »
We need your support!
Local journalism needs your support!
As we navigate through unprecedented times, our journalists are working harder than ever to bring you the latest local updates to keep you safe and informed.
Now, more than ever, we need your support.
Starting at $15.99 plus taxes every four weeks you can access your Brandon Sun online and full access to all content as it appears on our website.
Subscribe Nowor call circulation directly at (204) 727-0527.
Your pledge helps to ensure we provide the news that matters most to your community!
To continue reading, please subscribe:
Add Brandon Sun access to your Free Press subscription for only an additional
$1 for the first 4 weeks*
*Your next subscription payment will increase by $1.00 and you will be charged $20.00 plus GST for four weeks. After four weeks, your payment will increase to $24.00 plus GST every four weeks.
Read unlimited articles for free today:
or
Already have an account? Log in here »
Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 15/06/2018 (2878 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
Thursday marked the largest Assiniboine Community College graduation ceremony ever.
More than 1,300 students graduated from the college this year, and Assiniboine has seen a 50 per cent increase in graduates since 2013.
There are a couple of factors behind the spike in the number of graduates, according to Assiniboine president Mark Frison.
In 2013, the college set out a plan to double the number of graduates by 2025.
“Manitoba has the lowest education attainment rate in the country, and so we need more people to go to college and university in order to meet the demands of the economy and society,” Frison said.
“We knew that our contribution to that was we needed to grow, so we set up a deliberate plan to do that.”
A big contributor to that growth has been an increase in the number of international students — from 30 in 2013 to more than 500 this year. Some of them have come from Korea, Ukraine and South Africa.
No matter what part of the world they are from, it was smiles, hugs and handshakes all around for about 350 graduates who came to the ceremony at Westoba Place on Thursday.
A red sign on the lower level said of Westoba Place read “Congratulations Graduates” in cursive letters.
“Footloose” played lightly in the background as the friends and family members of the graduates paraded in.
The ceremony marked the end of an era for graduates, and the beginning of something new.
Graduate Michelle Brown has already started a job in her field.
Brown, who graduated from the practical nursing program Thursday, is working in long-term care at the Wawanesa health centre.
“I’ve always wanted to be a nurse,” she said. (I’m) very relieved to graduate.”
Allan Gonbf also graduated Thursday, with a heavy duty equipment technician diploma, the same program and same college his dad graduated from. Although he hasn’t yet found a job, he has a good idea of what he would like to do.
“I like working on big things,” said Gonbf, who hopes to find a job on a farm or in a shop.
The future looks bright for the new graduates, Frison said, in part because of how connected Assiniboine programs are to the labour market.
“We try to make sure that the programs have a direct line of site to jobs that are available,” Frison said.
Last year, 94 per cent of graduates were employed nine months after graduating, he said.
Frison had a message for the newest members of the workforce to take into their careers.
“Be passionate, take pride in the profession you’re in,” Frison told graduates. “You’ve got to love what you do in life, and if you don’t, find something else to do.”
» mverge@brandonsun.com
» Twitter: @Melverge5
» mverge@brandonsun.com
» Twitter: @Melverge5