Grads urged to embrace change, not fear AI

Artificial intelligence may change the workplace, but it will not replace the value of adaptable workers, Assiniboine College president Mark Frison told more than 690 new grads on Friday.

The future, he said during the college’s largest graduation ceremonies of the year, belongs to those willing to adapt, not those who fear change.

A total of 285 graduates of the Peters School of Business and Russ Edwards School of Agriculture & Environment attended the morning ceremony in Assiniboine Credit Union Place at the Keystone Centre.

About 407 graduates of the adult learning and upgrading programs, continuing studies, school of trades, School of Health & Human Services and school of nursing attended the afternoon ceremony.

The grads are part of Assiniboine’s graduating class of 2,273 students from across Manitoba this academic year.

Speaking at the morning ceremony, Frison said there are growing concerns about AI and its impact on employment, and urged students not to be discouraged by predictions that technology will eliminate careers.

“There are a lot of people out there who are trying to make money off scaring folks about artificial intelligence and how it will take their jobs,” Frison told the Sun after the ceremony.

He said similar fears surfaced when personal computers and the internet emerged, but workers adapted and new opportunities followed.

“The best recipe for having a job in the future is having a job in the present, being engaged at work, having a track record of producing,” he said. “Even if your technical profession migrates, you’ll be there to migrate with it. Having gone through a post-secondary program, you learn to learn, so you will adapt to what’s next.”

Frison said this year’s graduating class reflects Manitoba’s workforce needs, particularly in health care, early childhood education and other high-demand sectors.

“When you look at the number of graduates in each discipline, it’s impressive,” he said. “A lot of people will be entering the workforce that Manitoba needs.”

According to the college, 194 practical nursing graduates and 178 comprehensive health-care aide graduates completed their programs this year, adding 372 new health-care workers to the provincial labour force. Another 268 students graduated from early learning programs.

The ceremony also recognized outstanding student achievement.

Business administration-accounting graduate Kristina Ivanova received the Governor General’s Medal, awarded to the student with the highest overall academic average in a diploma program.

Ivanova credited the honour to hard work, dedication and the support of instructors and classmates.

“I’m really grateful to have received the award,” she told the Sun. “It means a lot. It provides me encouragement for my future studies and in my future career to continue working hard.”

Currently working in accounting with BDO, Ivanova plans to pursue her CPA designation after continuing her university studies.

The Lieutenant Governor’s Silver Medal, recognizing leadership, scholarship and character, was awarded to Liam Musgrave, also a business administration-accounting graduate.

Musgrave said volunteerism has been a central part of his life growing up in the small community of McCreary.

“It really takes a village to move a mountain,” he said in an interview. “It’s something that’s so deeply integrated into my life.”

Through volunteer initiatives and a non-profit organization he founded, Musgrave has helped organize community events and fundraising efforts while supporting local recreational facilities and residents in need.

“Help your neighbour, help those in need, help others,” he said. “That’s what really drew me in.”

The student voice at the ceremonies came from valedictorians Keira Stephens and Alec Walters, who reflected on the shared experiences that united graduates from different programs.

“We walk away with diplomas and papers that prove to the world we know how to succeed,” Stephens, a media and communications graduate, told the audience.

“But more importantly, we walk together with one another.”

Stephens spoke about balancing school, work, family and personal commitments, while emphasizing the importance of friendship and collaboration throughout college.

“No one gets enough credit for being able to do the balancing act of life,” she said.

She encouraged graduates to remember the challenges they overcame together and to look ahead with confidence.

“To my fellow grads, for what it’s worth, this is only just the beginning,” Stephens said.

Friday’s ceremonies celebrated graduates from more than 75 certificate, diploma, apprenticeship and post-graduate diploma programs offered across 19 locations in Manitoba. The college reported that 19 per cent of its domestic graduates this year are Indigenous.

“Graduation is more than a milestone — it’s a launch point,” Frison said in a statement. “Our graduates are stepping into careers and communities with the skills, confidence and resilience to make a real difference.”

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