There have been occasions when sisters Kayla and Marsha Kindrat head to a work site and they’re met with a look of shock and surprise. Kayla is a Level 1 Apprentice Plumber and her older sister is a certified Red Seal Journeyman Plumber and both work in Brandon, at All Around Plumbing and Heating Electrical. “The look of surprise isn’t a bad thing” says Kayla. “People are just sometimes surprised to see two women plumbers on the job. They are surprised in a good way. People have been really supportive. They say things like ‘good for you. That’s awesome.’ They say encouraging things.” Contactor’s Corner owner Geoff Gregoire says, “they both have great attention to detail and interaction with our customers.  Our customers love working with Marsha and Kayla. They bring a unique dynamic and are a great part of the team here.” Both Marsha and Kayla have come to the trade through Assiniboine Community College. Marsha completed her program in 2016 and was the inspiring factor that led Kayla to enroll. Kayla wanted to be able to work with her hands, to analyze problems and develop solutions. She says that part of the job is very satisfying. It gives her a really good feeling of accomplishment when a renovation is complete.  She adds, “being able to contribute my skills and knowledge into a trade that is so male dominated definitely gives me the drive to push as hard as I can. It’s less expected, so showing what women can do in the trades is a huge motivator to continue on.” Of the 14 students Kayla went to school with there were only two women in the class, herself included. Statistics Canada’s Labour Force survey (2018) cites just 4% of women currently employed in trades. In Canada, Newfoundland and Labrador boast the highest percentage of women in trades, at nearly thirteen percent. To learn more about programs and supports for women considering a career in trades, visit www.womenapprentices.ca. And to learn about the programs offered in Brandon, visit www.Assiniboine.net. Kayla knows that she has the unique opportunity to inspire other women and girls just as her sister has done for her. “I definitely look up to Marsha. She’s such a strong, independent person. I’m proud to say that my sister is the one who got me where I am today.” To read more stories about women in trades, or to learn about opportunities for employers to get involved, contact the Office to Advance Women Apprentices in Manitoba, or click through their links at womenapprentices.ca.

On September 24, 2020, the MJHL announced an official partnership with Farmery Estate Brewery. At the time it was shared that the two organizations had "teamed up to create an MJHL branded product that will be sold across the province with a portion of the proceeds going towards the Farmery Scholarship Award." The MJHL Farmery Light Pack, featuring custom labels of The Manitoba Junior Hockey League team logos, is now available at beer vendors and liquor marts throughout the province. We're kicking off the MJHL season with the launch of our MJHL Farmery Light beer, available now at our Craft Beer Store off Highway 16! Get $20 off 24s of MJHL Farmery Light until this Sunday! Ps. head over to our Instagram to enter a GIVEAWAY for a jersey and game tickets???? pic.twitter.com/G33RhsCtJT — Farmery Brewery (@FarmeryBrewery) October 9, 2020

We want to spread the important message that a strong workforce is an inclusive one, including people with disabilities. DEAM is an excellent opportunity for Employment Service Providers and Canadian Employers to demonstrate their ongoing commitment to Canadians with disabilities and to help promote employment inclusion in our country. Disability Employment Awareness Month (DEAM) https://www.supportedemployment.ca/deam is an annual awareness campaign that takes place each October. The purpose of Disability Employment Awareness Month is to promote employment inclusion for people who experience disability and to celebrate the many and varied contributions of workers with disabilities. The employers in the Westman area are well recognized for their inclusive hiring practices but we need to continue to create further awareness through campaigns like DEAM. At Career Connections www.cciwestman.ca the question “How will my barrier affect my employment possibilities?” is a frequent topic of discussion in their support process. We often utilize the analogy of asking them to imagine they are a pie. We ask them, if you cut a piece of that pie and took it away, do we want to focus on that one piece or do we focus on the rest of that pie? That one piece of pie represents their barrier, but there is still so much left that represents the skills and qualities that could be utilized in an employment opportunity. The staff at Career Connections strive to build employment relationships with their clients and employers in the Westman area based on a foundation of matching skill qualified individuals with employers that have opportunities to match those abilities. “Disability Employment Awareness Month is a great time for employers to evaluate the benefits of working with organizations like CCI to help fill workforce needs. Here at Progressive Westman, we have been partnered with CCI for the past 5 years to help fill holes in our organization. I honestly cannot explain how beneficial it is both for our business and the individual, you just have to give it a try for yourself.” Spencer Day Progressive Westman Brandon Chamber of Commerce President Employers that identify with a need for information and hands on resources and Hire For Talent https://hirefortalent.ca/main/toolkit/inclusive-workplaces/173-the-benefits-of-inclusive-workplaces is one of many resources available to employers that want to create and maintain an inclusive workplace. Here are some benefits to creating an inclusive workplace. “Employers that apply inclusive design principles and take steps to develop more inclusive workplaces will make employment more accessible, leverage the benefits of diversity, create healthier workplace cultures for all employees, boost the value of their human capital and provide opportunities for all employees to learn about inclusiveness and accessibility.” If you are an employer in Westman looking to support the diversification in your employment team, please contact Tracy Williams, Executive Director at Career Connections www.cciwestman.ca 204-728-9594 or twilliams@cciwestman.ca if you would like to learn more. (submitted)

BRANDON, Man. (October 19, 2020)— Assiniboine has received a major donation of $1 million from Sunrise Credit Union, the largest philanthropic donation in the college’s history, to support agricultural training opportunities at the college. “This is a strong partnership because we naturally align with Assiniboine Community College in our values and visions. Our joint commitment to supporting the agricultural community is key to the economic strength of our region,” said Sunrise Credit Union President & CEO Tim Klassen. “Expanding the agricultural educational programming at Assiniboine will not only help keep students in rural Manitoba, it will help meet the demand for highly-skilled workers in this field.” The vision for expanding agriculture at Assiniboine comes in the form of the Prairie Innovation Centre for Sustainable Agriculture. This facility is Assiniboine’s response to labour market demands in agriculture and will enable the agriculture sector to continue to be an economic driver in the Canadian and Manitoban economy. “The college has long focused on providing leadership in agriculture and this donation is a significant step toward this major undertaking in expanding training to meet current and emerging labour demands,” said Mark Frison, president at Assiniboine.  “The Prairie Innovation Centre brings the next generation of ag, environment and technology forward.” The Prairie Innovation Centre will combine indoor and outdoor learning spaces for seamless, hands-on training experiences and aims to expand seats from less than 300 to more than 800 students in agriculture, environment and related technology programs. “Partnerships like this, between industry and post-secondary, are paramount to supporting our economy and labour needs,” said Ralph Eichler, Minister of Economic Development and Training. “Agriculture is an important industry and an economic driver in our province. With this strong showing of industry support, the agriculture sector is in good hands.” With expanded agricultural offerings, the college will also be able to grow the opportunities and vision related to agriculture careers. “Agricultural careers extend far beyond farming and this will provide a venue to turn students’ heads toward the great possibilities in agriculture and food production,” said Johanne Ross, Executive Director of Agriculture in the Classroom Canada, who serves as co-chair of the Prairie Innovation Centre Campaign Cabinet. “This Centre will surely create an increased interest in agriculture and related careers that will support industry demands and bring Western Manitoba to the forefront.” This major donation from Sunrise Credit Union kicks off a large capital campaign to provide a home-grown hub for agriculture innovation and build the academic heart of agricultural and environmental education in Western Manitoba. “In Manitoba, agriculture connects us all, directly or indirectly,” added Glenn Young, Chair of Sunrise Credit Union’s Board of Directors. “A community’s ability to foresee, adapt to, and leverage changing conditions to their advantage is a key to economic resiliency. The Prairie Innovation Centre is the right project at the right time. As our roots are in agriculture, Sunrise Credit Union is excited to support this important project.” (submitted)

October, 2020 — Co-op members and customers recently pumped up the community. Thanks to your support, Co-op has donated $12,300.00 to local food banks as part of Fuel Good Day on Sept. 15th. During the day, Co-op committed to donating 10 cents from every litre of fuel sold and $1 from every Co-operative Coffee or Big Cool purchased at all Heritage Co-op Gas Bars. This year’s donation was split between the following food banks, Minnedosa Food Bank, Samaritan House, Helping Hands Food Kitchen, Wawanesa Food Bank, Shoal Lake Food Bank, Riverdale Harvest Food Bank and the Southquill Health Area Food Bank. “As a locally owned and operated business, we’re proud to give back and get behind local initiatives that are working to address the needs of our community,” said Lorne Zacharias, General Manager of Heritage Co-op. “Thank you to our members and customers for the support you’ve shown during Fuel Good Day. In these unprecedented times, it’s amazing to see what we can accomplish when we all work together.” Fuel Good Day was celebrated at more than 400 Co-op Gas Bars throughout British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and northwestern Ontario, with each local co-op supporting a community organization or initiative. This year, Co-op locations across Western Canada donated over $565,000 from Fuel Good Day, with nearly $2.5 million donated to more than 400 local charities and non-profit organizations since 2017. For more information please visit www.fuel.crs (submitted news release)