ConnectED conference inspires students

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This article was published 21/02/2025 (288 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The ConnectED conference, held Thursday at the Clarion Hotel, was a “transformative experience” for students from Brandon University and Assiniboine College.

Organized by the Brandon Chamber of Commerce in collaboration with both institutions, the event brought together 24 industry professionals and about 84 students for mentorship and networking opportunities.

For many attendees, the event was a platform to explore career paths, expand professional networks, and gain insight into local businesses and industries.

Kendal Giesbrecht, a fourth-year chemistry student at Brandon University, attended the conference hoping to make connections and explore a potential career.

“I’m still unsure of what I want to do after graduation, so this was a great opportunity to learn about businesses in Brandon that I didn’t even know existed,” she said.

Her expectations were met.

“It was a transformative experience because I had some great conversations about where my chemistry degree could take me. I learned about Greenstone and their research and development opportunities, which I had no idea about before today,” Giesbrecht added. She plans to follow up on contacts she made, particularly with Agriculture Manitoba, in hopes of securing summer employment.

Kristen Nerbas, a financial services student in Assiniboine’s business administration program, said she came to the conference looking to learn about industries outside her primary focus. “I was able to hear about different aspects of business that I don’t see in my day-to-day studies,” she said.

Nerbas was particularly intrigued by insights into the IT sector and gained a new appreciation for the behind-the-scenes aspects of business operations. “I’ve already connected with a few people on LinkedIn. I now have new contacts in my community that I can reach out to for advice and guidance,” she told the Sun.

For Carson Zavitz, a history and English student at Brandon University, the conference was an opportunity to engage with professionals from diverse fields.

“It’s my first time here, so I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I knew I wanted to meet different people. I’d say my expectations were fulfilled,” he said.

Although he did not meet professionals directly aligned with his studies, Zavitz appreciated learning how his skill set could be applied in fields like public service and human resources.

“This experience has helped me develop interpersonal skills and a better understanding of what’s out there,” he said.

Assiniboine student Jordan Nunes told the Sun the value of the networking was immeasurable.

“One of the key takeaways from today was getting to exchange information with local businesses. As a student who’s still figuring things out, it was great to hear stories from professionals and get their advice,” he said.

Nunes, who aspires to a career in finance and relationship management, believes the event helped him lay a foundation for his future career.

“Brandon may be small, but you’ll keep seeing the same people at these events. Establishing relationships now will be beneficial in the long run,” he added.

Parth Daneja, an Assiniboine business administration student specializing in marketing, saw the event as an opportunity to gather insights on launching his own business.

“I learned about funding, business plans, and who to reach out to. These were all things I didn’t know before,” he said.

Daneja was able to connect with professionals who offered to provide guidance even beyond the conference. “Some executives even asked for my resume and mentioned potential job openings. That level of support is invaluable as I prepare to graduate,” he said.

The structured networking session allowed students to have direct conversations with industry professionals in their fields of interest, Brandon University’s Co-operative Education Program co-ordinator Cora Dupuis told the Sun.

“We expected that these micro-connections would be formed and strengthened,” Dupuis said. “A simple conversation at this event may lead to an opportunity down the road, or even just provide a new piece of knowledge that could be crucial for a student’s career path.”

The event was organized to address labour scarcity among other issues witnessed by businesses in the city, chamber vice-president Jennifer Ludwig told the Sun.

“As a chamber, we advocate on behalf of our membership to find out what we can do to help issues like labour supply and what’s going on with trade in the U.S.,” she said. “Our role is to facilitate information-sharing between those who possess it and the members.”

The city is large enough to achieve meaningful progress but small enough for key players to come together, she added.

The goal, she said, is to create those connections between the business managers and allow students to find out what they need to do to fulfil their goals and dreams for a career.

» aodutola@brandonsun.com

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