Skip to content

RBC pledges $330,000 to student success at Cambrian College

Funds will be used to enhance programming, purchase equipment
cambrian_college_exterior
Cambrian College in Sudbury

SUDBURY – Sept. 22, 2021: Today’s college students are the leaders of the future, and to give them a boost, RBC Future Launch is committing $330,000 in funding over three years for student initiatives at Cambrian College.

“Our collective prosperity will depend on today’s young people and their ability to take on a future that brings with it unprecedented technological and economic change. Additionally, entrepreneurship will be what helps us thrive in the future by creating jobs and wealth in our communities,” said Scott Simon, RBC regional vice-president for Northern Lakes. “That’s why through RBC Future Launch, we’re working together with educators, community leaders, industry experts and employers to encourage new ways of thinking and approaches to drive long-term, sustainable solutions and ventures in the world of work for future generations. We’re excited to partner with Cambrian College to help pave the path to ensure workforce security and stability, today and into the future.”

As part of this initiative, Cambrian College will develop a host of new and exciting opportunities for students, including:

  • an expanded Work-Integrated Learning Education Program, designed to integrate optional co-op education opportunities for students in trades, technology, health care and business-related programs, as well as enhanced mandatory placements for programs currently in operation;
  • the creation of the Cambrian Leadership Academy, offering enhanced job-readiness and leadership training to interested students in Cambrian’s 80+ programs;
  • the development of a stackable credential course in Small Business Entrepreneurism, where students in a variety of programs will be provided with the opportunity to investigate the world of being their own boss, creating wealth and generating economic value to their communities through job creation and consuming/providing services;
  • the integration of digital competency badges that can be shared by graduates on LinkedIn or displayed in ePortfolios. These badges speak to the unique skills built in to each program that may not be obvious to employers simply viewing an applicant’s area of study (i.e. Photoshop, entrepreneurship, event management etc.); 
  • funding for new equipment needed to support learning and research outcomes for all of the initiatives listed above and more.

“Once again RBC Future Launch is here to support Cambrian as we strive to be a top destination for students,” says Cambrian College president Bill Best. “This new program is tailored to our goal of offering students more work-integrated learning and experiences, preparing them for great careers in an ever-changing workforce.”

“Today’s announcement is a huge plus for Cambrian and our students,” explains Sidney Shapiro, professor and program coordinator of Cambrian’s Business and Crime Analytics programs. “Some of our newest programming is already leading-edge and thanks to RBC, we’ll continue to be ahead of the game when we’re teaching our students about current industry trends and techniques. We’ll be teaching in real time with what employers want and knowing what they need in the future.”

This new initiative has local employers excited as well.

“At HARD-LINE, we develop technology that makes the mining process much safer and more productive,” says Claude Sharma, HARD-LINE’s public relations and communications specialist.  “We already recruit directly from Cambrian College and with our global operation, this funded program is a perfect fit for us as an industry partner already utilizing tomorrow’s technology ideas to advance mining far into the future.”

About Cambrian College

Cambrian College is Northern Ontario’s largest college, with more than 80 programs. Cambrian’s main campus is in Greater Sudbury, with satellite centres in Espanola and Little Current. For more information about Cambrian College, visit www.cambriancollege.ca.