Private career college links key partnership

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This article was published 21/04/2022 (1457 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

After a year of operation in Brandon, LINKS Institute has welcomed a key partner, bringing with her years of business expertise and knowledge to the private career college.

Tami-Rae Rourke, a Brandon resident and local entrepreneur, finalized an equity partnership agreement with the institute, investing in the company’s holding corporation.

John Jackson, president, and chief executive officer of LINKS Institute, said Rourke’s role as an investor will be a critical addition to the team. The fledgling college currently offers training to the public to become community and social service workers and also offers a medical unit clerk program.

“A lot of her background is in relationship building in rural and remote communities,” Jackson said.

“She’s developed a deep and extensive network. As we seek to expand, perhaps open new locations, I think those backgrounds and those relationships will be useful.”

Rourke began her entrepreneurial career selling dollar-store products on eBay prior to joining the information technology (IT) industry. She co-founded I-NetLink Wireless in 2001, which then became NetSet Communications, a former rural high-speed internet company with CEO and co-founder Charlie Clark.

NetSet Communications would eventually be sold to Xplornet Communications in 2017. Following that sale, Rourke, Clark and Donovan McIvor retained ownership of the telecom towers in the province, and TowerCo Canada was founded.

Over the next four years, TowerCo Canada would eventually sell in 2021 as Rourke and her partners oversaw streamlining and tightening of operational costs, while growing the recurring revenue side of that business.

Jackson said Rourke’s investment will give him the opportunity to focus more time on LINKS Institute in addition to managing a counselling service in Brandon as a registered psychiatric nurse by trade.

“Obviously, on the financial side, it allows me as the CEO to prioritize my time in the business,” he said.

“Having someone with whom to engage in strategic partnerships, I have been the founder and wore many hats over the past couple of years. Having someone else on board is going to be great.”

Rourke said after watching Jackson create and rapidly build up the business, her level of intrigue and appreciation for the business model drew her interest to invest.

“I see a lot of growth and capacity in this sector, with mental health being on top of mind in our current social environment,” Rourke said.

“I am excited to assist in the growth, while maintaining the true focus on providing outstanding quality of education, and thinking outside of the box to create something new and exciting.”

In recent months, LINKS Institute has been able to open an in-person centre for their vocational-based training. Jackson said since July 2021, the private career college has taken in 30 students and sees the demand growing.

He has found Rourke’s involvement in the public sector very encouraging for his team, based on her time with service at Brandon University, the Brandon Chamber of Commerce and Brandon Career Connections. Rourke held the role of the Brandon Chamber of Commerce president over the course of the 2017-2018 year.

“Tami is a very well-known community entrepreneur and someone who you see has given extensively to the community,” he said.

“We’re really interested in keeping that community-based grassroots style. She has a lot of experience scaling business, recurring revenue models and things like that.”

Jackson is working on ramping up the institute’s program lineup, workplace training, organizational learning and the addition of a content library subscription for those who enrol. He said the institute has plans for a future standalone career college in Brandon and didn’t rule out the possibility of expansion into other provinces.

“This first location of mine I anticipate we’ll outgrow fairly quickly,” he said as he laughed.

» jbernacki@brandonsun.com

» Twitter: @JosephBernacki