Beginning this fall, 32 students in skilled trades will begin their journeys as Canerector Scholars.

The Canerector Foundation is making a five-year, $500,000 investment in Mohawk College. Established by the Hawkins family, owners of Canerector Inc., the Foundation is a registered Canadian charity that has donated over $20 million to deserving causes since its founding in 2019.

“My family has been heavily involved in philanthropy for many years,” says Amanda Hawkins, CEO of Canerector, and the third generation of her family to lead the company. 

“Setting up the Foundation was our way to give back and help communities in Canada and around the world thrive. Our support typically falls within three primary pillars. These include housing, healthcare and, of course, skilled trades.”

Amanda Hawkins, CEO of Canerector

In addition to the scholarships, Canerector Foundation is funding an eight-week Women in Skilled Trades program at the Mohawk College’s Marshall School for Skilled Trades and Apprenticeship that will allow women to explore various trades, develop confidence in those disciplines, benefit from hands-on workshops and mentorships, have opportunities to pursue a post secondary diploma, and meet with potential future employers.

“Manufacturing and skilled trades are the backbone of the North American economy,” says Hawkins, who took over Canerector, a group of more than 50 companies, in 2015.

“Helping to support the next generation entering related fields is one of the ways we put this belief into action. The Foundation selected Mohawk College because we appreciate its focus on offering students a solid education in sought-after trades coupled with practical workplace experience – a winning formula for future success.”

Along with Mohawk College’s selection for inclusion in the prestigious Schulich Builders Scholarships for Skilled Trades announced last fall, the distinguished Canerector Scholarships will be an important recruitment tool for the college, says Lorna Somers, Vice President, Advancement & Alumni Engagement.

“We are thrilled to be a beneficiary of the generosity of the Canerector Foundation. This investment will help Mohawk College attract top students to skilled trades education, while addressing a critical shortage in this essential sector. We are grateful to have been chosen to partner on important initiatives to build the workforce of the future.”

Beginning in September, the Foundation will support 32 students each year for a minimum of five years. Students in one- or two-year skilled trades programs will have the opportunity to vie for these scholarships that will provide $2,000 per year, along with a $1,000 graduation bonus.

A key part of the scholarships is a mentorship program that sees recipients mentor the next group of recipients. It is an opportunity to develop leadership skills, as well as building networks and community.

“Our ultimate vision is that Canerector Scholars will enjoy long and rewarding careers in their chosen field. For the here and now, we hope our support removes barriers to simply getting started or upskilling,” says Hawkins.

According to BuildForce, a national industry organization, it’s estimated that close to 260,000 construction workers will retire by 2029. And about that many new apprentice recruits are needed to keep pace with demand in the skilled trades, according to the Canadian Apprenticeship Forum.

The shortage of skilled trades workers means that sometimes students are lured to jobs before they finish their programs, says Samara Young, Associate Dean, Building Systems and Sustainability.

“By offering a graduation bonus, we are hoping to encourage students to stay in school so they get accredited and earn a diploma. That foundation will help them over the long-term in their career paths and trajectories.”

Over the course of the five years, the Canerector Foundation will change the lives of 160 - students, along with many more women who will participate in the introductory program.

“Partnering with forward thinking and innovative stakeholders to create opportunities for more people to explore the skilled trades and STEM fields is in the DNA of Mohawk,” says Young. “Being recognized and supported by the Canerector Foundation for our work in this sector will allow us to do even greater work.”

Hawkins says STEM and skilled trades offer rewarding career opportunities.

“Whether you’re passionate about creating, fixing, or discovering, a path in STEM or skilled trades can lead to a fulfilling and dynamic career. These fields are essential to our economy, driving innovation and building the infrastructure we rely on every day. You'll have the chance to work on exciting, hands-on projects and solve real-world problems, often with the latest technologies. Plus, there’s strong demand for skilled professionals, meaning excellent job prospects and competitive salaries.”

The Foundation’s investment in an eight-week Women in Skilled Trades program is important to Hawkins, too.

She remembers the impact of a group that spoke to her Grade 5 class about engineering had on her. It’s crucial to introduce kids and youth to careers they might not otherwise be aware of, says Hawkins, who has a background in mechanical engineering.

Established in 1947, Canerector is a group of over 50 companies that design and manufacture industrial products across a wide range of industries. Financially secure with no debt, Canerector focuses on reinvesting in their businesses, not selling them. Canerector businesses are empowered to operate autonomously, and benefit from a network of peers, business insights and incentives.

This story originally appeared in Momentum Magazine.

Animation Program Coordinator, Charlie Bonifacio (centre), with faculty members Todd Jahnke (left) and Darin Bristow (right).

Veteran animator Charlie Bonifacio has been charged with enhancing the program curriculum to train next generation of animators with strong base of foundational animation and storytelling skills. 

Attracting best-in-class faculty and revamping the curriculum to align with industry needs are the twin pillars of a reinvention of the Animation program at Mohawk College. 

A critical step was bringing renowned animator Charlie Bonifacio on board as program coordinator in July 2023. Over a 50-year career, he has worked for major studios in the U.S., Ireland and Spain and trained many of the animators who went on to work at the big American studios, including Disney. His long list of credits include Inspector Gadget, The Land Before Time, Mulan, Lilo and Stitch, Hunchback of Notre Dame, 9, Gnomeo and Juliet, and FernGully: The Last Rainforest. He was also animation director for the first Care Bears movie. 

Landing a highly respected industry leader to guide this transition is a major coup for the College, says Dr. Lisa Funnell, Associate Dean of Creative Industries. 

“Animators are all humble people, so it's very difficult to get them to talk about themselves. Charlie won’t tell you this, but he’s a big deal.” 

He’s got extensive teaching experience at Sheridan College, his alma mater, where he played a key role in building the college’s diploma program into a degree program that is internationally renowned.
 

Bonifacio’s industry connections have allowed for the recruiting of a strong program advisory committee members at Mohawk College, which includes creative leads from Pixar, House of Cool, DreamWorks, Pipeline and Ubisoft. 

Darin Bristow, who joined Mohawk College in September, had a long career as a producer, creative director and development executive in TV and film and served as chair of the program advisory committee at Sheridan for almost a decade. 

Bonifacio, pictured with one of his sketches of Mushu from Disney’s Mulan, describes his animation work on the feature film, as one of the highlights of his career.

He’s also built a faculty team of “Avengers,” says Bristow, who have strong industry track records and expertise in the foundational and advanced aspects of animation and storytelling. 

“That’s what lured me here. I jumped at the opportunity. If we continue to follow that momentum, there's some very exciting things on the horizon.” 

Bonifacio says he comes from a diploma program and taught for years within one, so revamping Mohawk’s program is a challenge close to his heart. 

In conjunction with Dr. Angela Stukator, a former Associate Dean of Animation at Sheridan College, Bonifacio mapped Mohawk’s program, evaluating what works, what doesn’t, what needs to be moved around and what needs to be added. 

“The cultural industry in Hamilton is growing, from video games, to animation to film, this is a great place to be in that creative space,” says Funnell. “Our job is to make sure that we are going to be providing these companies with those skilled animators who've been well trained and have the hard skills and soft skills to be successful so they can jump in from day one and pick up the work and run.” 

The major elements of the reinvention of the advanced diploma in Animation at Mohawk College is the shift from a singular focus on 3D animation to include 2D skills and a renewed emphasis on guiding students through developing their own voice or technical skills through producing a capstone project. 

“Some students may go on to become concept designers or directors, but from a foundational perspective we want to be producing good animators, riggers, model builders and set designers,” says Bonifacio. “We will give our students the ability to get an industry job by teaching them those fundamental principles.” 

Bonifacio says he noticed that animation schools would graduate 200 students but only three or four would know how to actually animate. 

“If they wanted to animate in the industry, they don't have the portfolio to do that. They end up doing an extra year of online courses and animation training so they can get an animation job. We're going to make sure that animation performance and storytelling permeates all of the program and all of the courses.” 

The Animation program launched 14 years ago as a two-year 3D animation program, an adjunct to the Graphic Design program. 

With more animation work outside of Toronto now and more interest in 2D traditional animation, Mohawk College’s program expanded to three years in 2019. 

The present overhaul of the program will be a multi-year process with the first group of students under the new system beginning in September 2024. Changes will follow that cohort through to graduation. 

There will be an enhanced focus on drawing skills in every year. Drawing teaches the elements of composition, pose, expression, colour theory and understanding the frame, says Bonifacio. That’s important even within computer generated animation. 

“We really consider drawing as a foundational skill. If you're going to be in a visual art, drawing is primary and it felt like it was secondary,” says Bonifacio, who has worked with 2D hand-drawn animations most of his career, but then learned 3D computer-generated animation along with digital drawing. 

“So we're going to do both. We're going to keep really strong computer animation going on and enhance drawing for storyboards and design drawing. Drawing is the basic language of visual storytelling, so we're going to increase the amount and quality of drawing instruction.” 

2D is seeing something of a comeback for its comic-book, storybook aesthetic. It’s especially popular in Europe, where recent 2D movies have enjoyed critical and audience success, including the 2019 Christmas movie Klaus, where Bonifacio served as an animation supervisor. 

“They've always loved to do 2D movies in Europe. They're a drawing culture, where here in North America we’re less of a drawing culture. There’s been this resurgence of late and the desire for 2D aesthetic is permeating bits of computer animated movies or even live action. I think we’re at the beginning of the resurgence.” 

The country’s feature film industry is centred in Montreal and Vancouver, but there is a growing local creative industries ecosystem, including Hamilton-based animation company Pipeline Studios, which is focused on 2D TV series, along with a number of studios in Toronto. 

Mohawk College offers a program that compliments, not competes with, the other animation programs, and the close proximity of the GTHA renders the Hamilton-Burlington corridor a burgeoning region for animation education. 

Sheridan receives upwards of 2000 applications per year for only 200 coveted spots, says Bonifacio. 

“They accept people at the ninetieth-percentile of portfolios. People will work for two or three years to try and get in. There are many talented applicants with tremendous potential and a desire to learn how to visualize and draw who don’t get in.” he says. 

Bonifacio encourages students interested in animation to consider Mohawk College as well. The focus will be to find the potential talent and build their skills from the ground up. 

“We’re designing a program we hope will become known for our focus on storytelling and animation performance.” 

Animation professor Todd Jahnke, who joined the faculty full-time in 2019, is another of Bonifacio’s former students and is thrilled to see him join the program. 

“Charlie's the exact person with the skill set we need. We have to differentiate ourselves from all the other schools in the province offering animation. And so we're offering a hybrid approach where we’re still teaching 3D, but we're certainly bringing a lot more traditional style animation into the mix. That's really what it's all about.” 

The technical work of animation is time-consuming – it can take weeks to come up with seconds of film or TV. But that work is out there for those who love it, says Jahnke. 

“We are saying, look, if the program is called animation, we should be animating. And the students who really want to animate, they should consider coming here.” 

For information on Mohawk College's Creative Industries programs including Animation and to register, visit Mohawk College Programs.

This story originally appeared in Momentum Magazine.

Ron McKerlie

When Ron McKerlie departs Mohawk College for the last time as president on July 31, it will be almost 10 years to the day since he assumed the role.

There is much to reflect upon from that decade of leadership and the results it’s had on Mohawk, across Hamilton, around Ontario and from one side of Canada to the other.

But McKerlie isn’t focused on the past because there is still work to be done in his final few months. That includes meetings with donors and building capacity for the future. 

“As our student numbers have grown, it's been more and more challenging to accommodate additional students. And the challenge now is we're launching the School of Climate Action in September 2025. That will require significant space as well and our skilled trades and health programs which are also growing quickly.”

Of course, McKerlie will be tasked with helping the next president get settled into their new role leading the College.

“A smooth transition is really important to me. We've done, I think, a lot of good work as a College over the last decade. The culture we've created is vibrant and productive. We've got a leadership team that's considered to be one of the very strongest in the college sector. It's like we've got our performance dial cranked up to 11 right now. I also want to ensure the people within the College feel like they're supported through the transition, because uncertainty is challenging and can be unsettling.”

Shortly after he was hired by the Board of Governors, McKerlie determined he needed to raise Mohawk College’s profile.

“One thing I found out right away was we were not as visible in the community as we should be. Mohawk was doing all these great things and we aspired to do even more. Telling our story became a priority.”

Not only does Mohawk College tell its story better now, but that story has taken on national prominence.  

With Canadian Colleges for a Resilient Recovery (C2R2), Mohawk has assembled a cross-Canada coalition of 15 college partners, received $50 million in government funding, raised scholarships and grants, and attracted the support of industry associations. C2R2 committed to training 10,000 Canadians into low-carbon economy jobs through the delivery of 80 microcredentials.

But the coalition overdelivered, providing almost 170 microcredentials and trained nearly 20,000 Canadians through its national platform Quick Train Canada.  

He’s also proud of strides the college has made to embed Indigenous ways of knowing and learning into the operations and culture of the College, along with other equity, diversity and inclusion initiatives that have positioned Mohawk as a national leader.

McKerlie says he’s been blessed with a Board of Governors that has supported bold investments in climate action, including a climate action plan, the building of Canada’s first net-zero institutional building in The Joyce Centre for Partnership & Innovation and the future School of Climate Action, along with access to education initiatives led by the ground-breaking City School. 

“One of legacies I leave behind is the high-performing senior leadership team we’ve got in place. Whomever comes next has that incredible team behind them along with a strong Board willing to support, trust and empower a leader.”

Before arriving as Mohawk College’s eighth president, McKerlie had 35 years of experience in the public and private sector. He held two posts as a provincial deputy minister and was senior vice president of eBusiness at Bank of Montreal, vice president of eBusiness at Rogers and interim president and CEO of Ornge.

Not surprisingly, he cites the pandemic as his most challenging time as a leader.

“So in 46 years as a leader, I've never had a harder time than the two years we spent managing through the pandemic.”

But Mohawk was well prepared when COVID-19 turned everything upside down, says McKerlie. Ongoing work to advance virtual learning allowed the college to get 25,000 lesson plans online in a week.

“Could you imagine if we did not have any online courses, and all of a sudden, overnight, that's the only option? I will always be grateful for the foundation that had been laid, and the tremendous dedication of our faculty and staff who made the transition happen so quickly and smoothly for our students.”

As President, preparing the organization to be ready for where the future is going to be, is crucial. And the future of learning has to be highly flexible, says McKerlie.

Less than half of learners now come directly from high school and more than half are working or already have post-secondary education.

“So one size doesn't fit all the way it used to 20 years ago. We have to offer a range of learning options that best suit our students.”

Groundbreaking ceremony for the The Joyce Centre for Partnership & Innovation 2016

Under his watch, Mohawk College has expanded its range of credentials to include degrees, post-graduate certificates and short-burst microcredentials. It’s also moved learning beyond the college campus, including personal support worker, occupational and physiotherapist assistant training at Schlegel Villages and massage therapy in community clinics.

It allows for real-world, frontline experience for students and immediate workforce development for industry partners.

McKerlie, who lives in Burlington with his wife Lynn, has relished playing a significant role in the community beyond the walls of Mohawk College, including Hamilton Anchor Institution Leadership (HAIL) and serving as chair of both the Mayor’s Blue Ribbon Task Force on Workforce Development and the Mayor’s Task Force on Economic Recovery.

“What I love about Hamilton most is there is grit here. There are real people. And these real people are willing to work together. The egos don't get in the way in this city. So people will reach out and make things happen,” he says.

(l-r) Mohawk President Ron McKerlie, Ornge COO and Deputy CEO Rob Giguere, Hamilton Mayor Fred Eisenberger, John C. Munro Hamilton International Airport President Vijay Bathija and Aviation student Richard Eissler. 2017

Mohawk’s progress on advancing its applied research impact, embedding experiential learning opportunities into each student’s journey and bringing learners into the Mohawk fold who haven’t traditionally seen themselves in post-secondary programs, are all differentiators for the College.

City School by Mohawk works with industry partners to realize the education and workforce potential of people from priority communities across the city at neighbourhood sites at Eva Rothwell Centre, Hamilton Public Library and others including our two Mobile Classroom units.

“It’s daunting for some people to come up the Mountain and to come into an environment like this, which is a big campus. A smaller classroom in their own neighbourhood is less risk and much more achievable.”

McKerlie takes a great deal of satisfaction that City School students have gone on to diplomas at the College and then jobs in the community.

“One mom came up to me who was the second generation in her family on Ontario Works and she had just completed the early childhood education worker program. She said her son, who was about 10 at the time, had already decided he was going to come to Mohawk College. To me that’s success; to help somebody get the education they need to get the job that they need to break the cycle of poverty.”

Out of the success of City School, McKerlie championed Challenge 2025, which applied the made-in-Hamilton model to access initiatives in Vancouver, Winnipeg and Halifax.  

2018 Partnership Dinner and Challenge 2025 announcement.

“The goal in poverty reduction and tackling homelessness and climate change, is not to try to tackle these problems yourself, but to see if you can bring solutions that can be adopted elsewhere, because these are nationwide and global problems.”

His wish is that Mohawk College continues to play an oversized role in innovative education and problem-solving. 

To that end, McKerlie says his greatest accomplishment is in helping to assemble a team of bold thinkers and risk-takers. It has paid off in numerous ways, including the Centre for Professional Advancement that delivers education and specialized rapid training in health care, the cutting-edge Unmanned and Remote Sensing Innovation Centre, the Centre for Aviation Technology campus at Hamilton International Airport and the opening of the Centre for Integrated and Advanced Medical Imaging in partnership with McMaster University.

In his tenure, Ron McKerlie attended over 200 convocation ceremonies where he shook the hands of more than 50,000 graduates.

“It is a joy to see how the College has come into its own. Mohawk is something special. It is a special jewel here that is doing some amazing things and is doing it not only in the community, but on the national stage.”

As he embarks on the next chapter, McKerlie will fill his time with travel, bringing his skill set to serving on boards and contributing to climate action. But he says the most important role he’ll have in retirement is being a grandfather to two boys, ages four and seven.

“I've had a lot of great titles in my life: senior vice president, president, CEO, deputy minister, and grandpa is the title I love the best.”

This story originally appeared in Momentum Magazine.

Techsploration, delivers hands-on, mentor-led programming for young women in grades 9 to 12

Mohawk College is working on multiple fronts to expose elementary and secondary students to the skilled trades in the face of an ever-intensifying talent shortage.

The average age in trades such as construction and industrial services is about 55. When the projected growth in the economy is also factored in to the wave of impending retirements, it’s estimated that Ontario will be short about 400,000 trades and technology workers over the next 10 years.

A skilled trades labour gap that has been 40 years in the making is only intensifying, says Paul Armstrong, Chief Operating Officer at Mohawk College.

“I would say that more recently, in the last five to 10 years, the acuity of the problem has continued to get more challenging. We still have a real challenge in being able to destigmatize the trades. They are extremely rewarding careers with a wide range of opportunities but young people and oftentimes, their parents or influencers, see them as undesirable for a variety of reasons.”

Automation and computerized controls have transformed many skilled trades jobs, says Armstrong. 

When it comes to filling the talent pipeline, Armstrong says it’s important to provide opportunities for introduction to the trades for young people and then promoting various educational pathways, including apprenticeships, certificate and diploma programs and routes into degrees.

Dual credit programs are an important entry point to the trades, says Dr. Cebert Adamson, Vice President, Academic at Mohawk College.

“They allow high school students to earn college credits while they're still in high school. They get hands on experience and can see a trade and practise a trade. It also gives a chance to make an informed career choice by getting that exposure.”

Dual credits and pre-apprenticeship programs often appeal to students who are hands-on learners.

“They begin to see a future that really opens up a world of possibilities. Because there's a huge labour gap across the country that needs to be addressed.”

To address that gap, Mohawk College partners with local school boards and takes a leadership role with workforce development initiatives, including industry education councils in both Hamilton and Halton and Skills Ontario that have a mandate to help build awareness and capacity. In fact, Armstrong just completed his time as chair of the board for the Hamilton Industry Education Council and is now chair of the board of directors for Skills Ontario, which last year connected with approximately one million elementary or secondary school students.

“We have to work together so that we're not all replicating and wasting resources, trying to do the same thing,” says Armstrong. “We’re destigmatizing and telling the story of the trades, I'm very proud that we're working hard collectively. We all have a role to play in changing the narrative, influencing decision making, and hopefully creating that funnel that gets individuals interested in the trades earlier in their decision-making process.”

Mohawk College faculty work alongside high school teachers to train students for the Skills Ontario trades competition, acting as coaches, judges and technical experts.

Key to solving the workforce challenges in the trades is knocking down barriers and ensuring that women, newcomers and racialized and marginalized communities find their place.

Change is happening. According to numbers from the province, apprenticeship registrations increased by 24 per cent in 2023. That historic increase in apprenticeship registrations included a 28 per cent jump among women.

Tours and information sessions hosted by the College attract about 3,000 high school students to Mohawk College's Stoney Creek Campus for Skilled Trades each year.

“They get to practice with various trades,” says Adamson. “A virtual welding simulator is always a hit and they get to see the electric vehicle lab and aviation and make some manufacturing pieces through our 3D lab. They get plenty of hands-on time with equipment and tools.”

In addition to the hands-on skills, students hear from people in the field and learn about potential career trajectories.

Beginning in the fall, every high school student in the province will have to finish a technology and trade credit in order to graduate. Mohawk College will be a resource for local schools, says Adamson.

  Mohawk College’s other youth-oriented engagement programs include:

• Put Your Future in Motion

A community program designed to introduce elementary and secondary students to advanced skills and exciting careers in the automotive and smart mobility sector. Part of Ontario Vehicle Network’s (OVIN) Regional Future Workforce Program, the program aims to involve students from local school boards in grades 5-12 as well as parents, educators and the community. Attendees can participate in skills-building and awareness activities and explore careers in the connected world, sustainability, and automotive industries taking place at the Fennell Campus and summer camps at Mohawk College’s Stoney Creek Campus.

The Put Your Future in Motion program also connects girls attending local high schools with role models and employers in the automotive skilled trades and technology industries.

• Skills Ontario Summer Camp

A week-long day program where youth entering grades 7-9 get to explore careers in skilled trades through interactive games, industry tours and entrepreneurship programs. Campers take part in hands-on workshops led by Skills Ontario counselors and Mohawk College professionals that introduce them to a variety of topics in the industrial, construction, motive power, service, and technology sectors. Through hands-on activities relevant to the skilled trades, campers develop communication, problem-solving and teamwork skills.

• Techsploration

Mohawk College has entered a partnership with Techsploration, an award-winning not-for-profit organization headquartered in Nova Scotia that delivers hands-on, mentor-led programming for young women from diverse backgrounds in grades 9 to 12 with the goal to increase the number of women working in science, engineering, trades, and technology-related occupations. One-week summer camps using a mobile classroom offer the opportunities for students to try different trades, including welding, electrical and woodworking.

• Inspiring Young Minds

Alongside elementary teachers in the Hamilton Wentworth District School Board, Mohawk College faculty develop and teach tailor-made hands-on activities with learning outcomes that align with curriculum for students in grades six to eight. Professors in welding, millwright and automotive mechanics also explain their trades and share their own career journeys and the opportunities that exist in their fields. The Mohawk College-HWDSB project raises awareness of skilled trades programs in secondary school and highlights post-secondary opportunities, including apprenticeships.

• Jill of All Trades

This program seeks to empower young women and female-identifying students in grades 9-12 to make informed career choices through hands-on experiences in skilled trades. Hosted by Mohawk College for the first time in Fall 2023, this event provided a safe and engaging learning environment where female mentors, faculty and students engage in trades workshops. At the event, students from area high schools were given the opportunity to learn more about the trades and chose three workshops among 12 available options that provided a taste of potential career paths in everything from sheet metal to aircraft structural maintenance.

• Honour the Work

Mohawk College recently hosted Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board educators for a daylong "exploring the trades" elementary educator event, conducted by Honour the Work, an organization that promotes skilled trades education by providing books, equipment and lesson plans that introduce the trades to elementary students.

This story originally appeared in Momentum Magazine.

Justin Turco met up with Zacharie Cloutier in The Agency,  an experiential learning program and facility operating out of room i205 at Mohawk College’s Fennell Campus

In this Q&A, 2013 Advertising graduate Justin Turco speaks with second-year student Zacharie Cloutier. Turco is Associate Creative Director at global ad agency T&P^m and has worked at a number of other agencies, including TAXI, McCann, and UNION. His clients have included some of Canada’s most recognized consumer brands. Cloutier won bronze in The One Show’s Young Ones Student Awards in New York City last year and is a finalist for two submissions once again this year.

Momentum: What made you decide to study Advertising at Mohawk College?

Justin: I feel like I've noticed that a lot of people sort of end up in the industry by accident, which is true for me and how I ended up at Mohawk. I was born and raised in Hamilton, so I've always been aware of Mohawk and lived right down the street from it. I went to Mohawk’s website, and Advertising was at the top of the list. I had a background in art and design already and I saw terms like Art Director, and I was like, I don't really know what that is but I like art, so I decided to give it a whirl.  I was in my mid-20s at the time and I was just eager to go back to school and kickstart the next chapter of my life. I’m very glad I did, obviously.

Zacharie: I grew up really enjoying art, but I thought I would go to school for manufacturing robotics. Then COVID hit post-secondary schools and I took a gap year. I was watching some YouTubers and I realized that making ads is kind of interesting. My mom had a friend in the program and I hopped on a call and they explained to me what it was all about. I was like, sounds good to me, so it's just somewhat accidental for me as well.

Justin to Zacharie: Have you found any part of the program particularly challenging?

Zacharie: For me, it's setting a work life balance and dealing with self-doubt. So questioning, am I actually any good? Am I good enough? The other thing is, especially this year, I took on a lot and at times it has been hard to manage my own personal life with work. I was working really, I would say, not healthy hours, but part of that was me choosing to do that for the awards competitions. It got better recently, but it was initially just finding that balance. I’m still not great at it. I’ll think, I should take an hour break and then I’ll work another five hours straight.

Justin: It's definitely a learned experience. I’m go, go, go and I’ll bite off more than I can chew. It took me a couple years to learn how to manage that. I think a big part of being a creative in general is that self-doubt, but that's not a bad thing. That’s the kind mentality that I think pushes you, and if you can overcome that or learn how to work around that, I think it's incredibly beneficial.

Zacharie to Justin: Is there anything in the industry that frustrates you about the day-to-day of working at an agency?

Justin: It really is different everywhere. Every agency is different and the role of an Art Director could differ from agency to agency, depending on how big or small the shop is, and how much responsibility you need to take on as an Art Director. I don't know if it's a frustration, per se, but the biggest challenge I see, especially with students coming into the industry, is they forget that this is a business. We're in the creative stream and we're doing creative things, but we're also trying to sell something and our clients are paying us to do that for them. There can be a lot of ego that comes with this idea of being an “artist”, and you find people that forget the business side of the industry that we're in. But that duality is definitely part of the fun.

Zacharie to Justin: Are there any skills or talents that you find new people coming into the industry lack?

Justin: As a result of COVID I’ve spoken with a fair amount of students that aren't super keen on going into the office. Don’t get me wrong, I’m a huge fan of the hybrid work model, but I do think that, especially when you're starting out, it's important for juniors to be around people that are more senior than them. I think I learned everything about this industry by being around people that were better than me and that have been doing it for a lot longer than I have.

Justin to Zacharie: What excites you and makes you nervous about working in the industry?

Zacharie: I'll start this off with what excites me. The sense of freshness is exciting to me. Being able to work with different clients and being able to create different things and to try out different programs is a lot of fun in school. Knowing that I can continue with that and try new activations or different types of campaigns and throw different things up against the wall. As for the parts that scare me, I’m worried about getting in to the industry, and I’m hearing that there is a high turnover at some top agencies. That to me is a little nerve wracking. Then I’m also worried about how AI will evolve and how it will be used.

Justin: I've come to realize that “turnover” is something that you can't control. I try to just roll with the punches and lump that into the unpredictability of the every day and see that as a good thing. It keeps every day exciting. But, at the same time, meet and talk to everybody you can. If someone reaches out with a job opening, talk to them. Even if you might not be interested in that opportunity, you may be interested in the next one, and you'll be the first one that they turn to.

Zacharie to Justin: Artificial intelligence is here to stay. Do you see it as a supportive tool to take on mundane takes and save time or do you see it as a main source of production?

Justin: You know, I know probably as much about AI as you do. I do use it almost daily, to do quick mockups or things like that. Instead of spending three hours looking for the right Google image, I can just prompt something and get the same, or better, result in 15 or 20 minutes.

To be honest, and maybe this is wishful thinking, but I don't think it's going to take the place of me being involved in the creative process. I shouldn’t rely on a machine to come up with a vision; it's my vision that should be realized. And I think there's going to be a creative human that still needs to ideate and figure out what those AI prompts are, in order to articulate bringing my work to life the way that I envision it. For example, whether we turn to a director to bring some humanity to a project, or have AI play a role in making the process more efficient, we're relying on an outside set of “skills” to bring our vision to life on behalf of our clients. The biggest caveat, though, is the importance of learning how to use it responsibly ethically. It is, perhaps, the biggest debate that people are still having. There’ll be some trial and error, but that's part of something new coming into the picture.

Momentum: How did Mohawk prepare you for your career?

Justin: I think Mohawk, and the Advertising program in particular, does a great job of putting the emphasis on the ideation process. That's something that I think really stands out when I see people who also went to Mohawk in the industry. Mohawk grads really learn to think from the “big idea” and how that trickles down into fully integrated campaigns.

Momentum: Is there something you wish you could go back and tell young Justin at the same point in his school career that Zach is?

Justin: If I could go back and say, here's how to achieve, you know, the work life balance you're looking for, here's how to avoid yourself taking on more than you can chew and doing too much and overworking yourself, then I might if I could. But, at the same time, I think that's something that you have to learn. I don't think that's something you can go back and just say, just chill, it'll all be OK. I think you figure out how to be more efficient by doing. Sometimes you have to work through the trenches before you can see that  light at the end of the tunnel.

Momentum: What is the value to students in taking part in the industry awards programs?

Justin: When I was at Mohawk, I believe my class was the first one to work on the Young Ones brief and win an award, which was incredibly exciting for us and the program. When you're a student, and all you're trying to do is put together a really awesome portfolio, it's an amazing opportunity for a really big portfolio piece. I think it’s also one of those opportunities where you're going to get to experience a real brief-to-execution process that you find in agencies. And to see Mohawk College win is so awesome. As a grad, I'm like, that's my school! As soon as you say you went to Mohawk College, there's so much credibility there because you're surrounded by award-winning work that’s come from the table right next to you.

Zacharie: The main motivation is to just put your name out there. Within my year there is a lot of competition and we try to beat each other, but it’s in a very healthy way. My big motivation for doing a lot of the awards is just to get as many pieces as possible. When I go to apply for jobs, they set me a step above and make me stand out from the crowd. After you’ve worked crazy hours, the end result is really rewarding.

Momentum: What is the greatest lesson or piece of advice you got that you carry with you?

Justin: I truly think having talent is only 50 percent of what's needed to succeed in the industry. I think being the type of person you’d want to work with yourself is the other 50 percent. You can be the most talented person in the world but if nobody wants to work with you, if you're abrasive, if you're sharp, if you're rude, you just won’t last in the industry, because nobody wants that sort of poison in their office culture.

Zacharie: I think the biggest one that helped me coming off of the heels of my first year is get comfortable with the fact that you're not going to be number one each time. You’re going to  have moments where you're going to fall flat. I just tell myself I’m just going to do it and just see where it goes. If it's not great, I get to see where can I improve from and if it's good, then cool, keep building off that. I say it, but I don't always follow it, but I think that's something I try to remind myself of.

This story originally appeared in Momentum Magazine.

Janet Shuh, Dean of Continuing Education, Academic Quality and the Centre for Teaching and Learning Innovation at Mohawk College and Dr. Dawn Martin-Hill, professor and founders of the Indigenous Studies program at McMaster University, in front of digital XR display.

The XR Innovation Studio works with the Indigenous water research initiative at McMaster University to create immersive digital world.

The XR Innovation Studio at Mohawk College is bringing cutting-edge technology to traditional storytelling in partnership with Ohneganos Ohnegahdę:gyo, an Indigenous water research initiative led by Dr. Dawn Martin-Hill, professor and founder of the Indigenous Studies program at McMaster University. 

The result is an immersive virtual depiction of the Haudenosaunee creation narrative using extended reality (XR). Users are transported on an odyssey down the Grand River by canoe, their journey marked by stops at a longhouse and knowledge centres, before travelling forward in time to the present and witnessing the world around them change. 

“The goal is to share how the water was prior to colonialism and industrialization and show how it can be clean again if we can motivate younger generations to make better decisions and choices to bring her back to health,” says Martin-Hill. 

A committee of elders, including clan mothers and language speakers, offered cultural guidance as the project unfolded over the past three years. 

The broader Ohneganos Ohnegahdę:gyo initiative provides scientific findings of water quality and biology, including plants and fish, through data collected through sensors monitoring by the research team, along with actionable solutions. 

“Gathering data is useless if the public cannot understand or access the information, Ohneganos was dedicated to knowledge transmission and training,” says Martin-Hill. 

Alongside the science, Haudenosaunee elders shared knowledge about how the Grand River has changed through colonization and what it will take to clean it up. 

“The hope is this leads young people back to the water and gets youth of all backgrounds to understand this is a resource on which all life depends. We are trying to transmit the importance of freshwater and how little of it there is around the planet. So just getting some of those really important facts into young minds. That’s what the elders wanted.” 

The technical skill in VR at Mohawk College allowed the McMaster vision to communicate and engage around water research and Indigenous knowledge to be realized, says Janet Shuh, who is Dean of Continuing Education, Academic Quality and the Centre for Teaching and Learning Innovation.

Mohawk College’s XR Innovation Studio is dedicated to the development of virtual learning experiences for education, training and professional development using XR technologies. XR (extended reality) is an umbrella term that encompasses all immersive technologies: virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), and mixed reality (MR). 

XR technology allows for the creation of realistic environments for training and education. Learners, both students and those undertaking workplace training, can engage in hands-on learning experiences without risk or constraint and without the need for expensive physical equipment. 

The College’s XR program is comprised of three primary pillars that include: integrating the technology into curriculum (12 courses so far integrate XR technologies), undertaking applied research with industry partners, and lastly providing co-op students with hands-on experience and build competencies in XR development. 

“Mohawk College is at the forefront of academic technology innovation and experimentation,” says Shuh. This investment, in part, is being driven by the College’s three-year Digital Learning Strategy launched in 2022. 

“Creating an innovation engine is a key aspect of our Digital Learning Strategy. XR is where we’re investing our energy in terms of innovation, so partnerships such as the one with McMaster are critical to driving that pedagogically driven academic technology innovation agenda. At the same time, we’re training students who will be the future talent that will fuel the growth that is coming in this cutting-edge sector.” 

Fiona Leigh, a Software Development student who will enter her fourth semester in September, has completed a four-month co-op, along with an eight-month work term in the XR Innovation Studio. For much of that time, she’s been working on the Grand River project. 

One of the challenges was to match the visual experience to the narration in both English and Mohawk languages, says Leigh. The audio could not be changed. 

“It was a lot of making sure the timing was right, along with making sure there are no collision issues. Inside the experience, you're resting on top of a lot of objects, and you're moving from between environments. There's a lot that has the potential to go wrong where you just fall into the middle of nowhere in the VR world.” 

In addition to all that, the creation of densely wooded terrain with lots of textures means the experience takes time to render within the VR headset. 

“That requires a lot of optimization and changing lighting values to make sure it runs smoothly.” 

Working on the project confirmed that she’d like to work in XR development, likely in gaming, says Leigh. 

“It was great to be able to get more experience in the field to solidify my choices, because now I can continue to do that if I want, because I have the experience.” 

The collaborative nature of the project was important for Leigh’s skill-building, too. 

“It was great to get experience talking to people about software on a technological level, as well as have conversations where I was gathering social and cultural information, and trying to understand their point of view and how they experienced things rather than just talking code language.” 

Other work completed by the XR Innovation Studio include: 

• An application that allows Power Engineering students to practise high-risk scenarios in a safe and controlled environment; 
• A simulation for learners in the Aerial Tower Communication Specialist micro-credential where learners go through the steps of donning personal protective equipment and safety checks before climbing a communication tower and experiencing an authentic sensation of working at great heights; 
• XR escape rooms for nursing, construction, and math programs in which students tackle a series of educational puzzles in order to escape; and 
• The re-creation of an in-person fluid mechanics lab for Building Construction Sciences through the use of state-of-the-art scanning tools to capture the physical lab and its equipment and then creating digital replicas through 3D modelling.  

This story originally appeared in Momentum Magazine.

Elevating Devices Program Coordinator, Alan Bennink, and student, Melissa Brosnan work on an elevator control panel .

Mohawk College is one of just two colleges in the province offering a two-year diploma that trains future elevating devices mechanics 

With the significant demand for housing, and buildings and cities only getting taller, a lot rides on developing the skills of future elevating devices mechanics to serve the vertical transportation industry. 

Mohawk College’s Marshall School of Skilled Trades & Apprenticeship offers a two-year Mechanical Technician - Elevating Devices diploma program and an Elevating Devices Mechanic Apprenticeship program. 

The programs cover all aspects of training, including electrical, electronics, programmable-logic-controllers, hydraulics and mechanics, that are required for installing, maintaining and servicing elevating devices. 

A third cohort is now finishing the diploma program, bringing the total to about 100 students graduating from the program launched in 2020. Mohawk has also offered the in-school training for apprentices in the field since 2019. 

Mohawk College, one of Ontario’s largest educators in skilled trades, is among only two colleges in the province, along with Durham College, offering a diploma in the field and one of just two non-union delivery agents in Canada approved to offer the apprenticeship. 

It’s important to attract people from all walks of life, says Isowa.

“Mohawk College puts a great deal of effort into reaching diverse groups, including young people in high school, people from diverse backgrounds, women and girls, and second-career learners to introduce them to skilled trades careers, like Elevating Devices Mechanic, that they may never have thought of,” she says.

Alan Bennink, Program Coordinator of Elevating Devices, who teaches alongside five other faculty members, says the industry is booming, including on the residential front.

“Ground costs money, and houses, like most other buildings, are going higher and higher. As people get older, many don't want to climb stairs anymore. When you have a three- or four-storey house, at minimum, you want a dumbwaiter to carry stuff, but in a lot of cases, you probably want a full elevator to take you up and down. As a result, the demand for private residence elevators has grown substantially.”

The housing crisis, which will require more dense, multi-level housing, along with expanding transportation, healthcare and office infrastructure, will all result in more demand for skilled labour to build, install and maintain elevators and escalators.

All that construction also requires hoist devices to carry materials and workers up and down.

The College’s large Elevating Devices Mechanics Lab is equipped with three working elevators, an escalator, accessibility lifts and elevator controls. Much of the equipment has been donated by industry partners. Students in the program also have access to electrical, electronics and hydraulics labs.

Graduates are being trained to work in the maintenance and repair sector, as well as for elevator and parts manufacturers and installation companies. The program can also lead to sales or inspection jobs.

Annually, more than 100 post-secondary students and apprentices are studying through Mohawk College’s elevating devices programs.

Bennink, who came to Mohawk College about five years ago after a 23-year career in the industry, says elevators are sophisticated devices that rely on computer controls and electronics.

“I usually say most elevator mechanics do more complicated electrical work than about 50 per cent of the electricians out there. And it’s work that people rely on for their safety.”

Bennink says there are great careers, locally, nationally and internationally, to be found in the elevator industry.

“I don’t know anybody who has left the trade after becoming fully licensed. There is a high retention rate and six-figure in salaries. For me, it’s been a great career. It gave me variety, challenges to solve and the ability to work on my own and earn at a high level.”

With the program being so new, survey data about post-graduate employment is limited, but Bennink says he’s learned through conversations with students that roughly half of them secure jobs with regional companies before they even graduate.

Finlay Rae, who graduated from Mohawk’s Elevating Devices Mechanic diploma program in April 2023, now works as an apprentice with Delta Elevator, covering the territory from Brantford to Windsor.

Like many, Rae, 20, was hired before finishing his diploma. He says he knew in high school that he wanted to work in trades.

“I was better with my hands and at thinking more mechanically,” he says. One of his guidance counsellors had taught someone who became an elevator mechanic and when Rae looked into it, he was interested.

“You get to do something different every day and there is so much to learn.”

Mohawk College is helping to address a huge industry need.

Recent government employment data projected as many as 700 job openings in the elevating devices field from 2021 to 2025 — just in Ontario — with half of those being new positions.

A 2018 provincial taskforce report determined a shortage of mechanics is leading to poor maintenance and long elevator outages. Just one in five elevators in the province met all safety requirements.

As well, provincial legislation now requires that elevators return to service within 14 days, and within seven days in long-term care facilities and seniors’ residences.

“Elevators are definitely an important mode of transportation. And I think we're so used to elevators that we forget they are a mode of transportation just like a car, and they need to be maintained,” says Melissa Brosnan, a second-semester Elevating Devices Mechanic student.

Melissa Brosnan reviews schematics as she services one of the lab's elevators.

“They need to be running, and they need to be fixed on time because people depend on them. When an elevator breaks, people still need to go up and down. So it's definitely a very, very important trade.”

Brosnan is immersed in learning the basics and theory behind elevators and their maintenance and repair. It’s a fascinating career change for Brosnan, who had been working as a funeral director for a little more than 10 years.

“It’s a big change but it’s an exciting one. It's definitely challenging, but I'm learning a lot and gaining valuable experience.”

Brosnan says she was drawn to the program because of the job opportunities in the field, driven by looming mass retirements.

“There are so many places to grow, whether you're working in the field, or you're selling or inspecting, even consulting, so I thought it was a good opportunity to get an education in a field that’s seeing growth and development.”

After deciding she wanted to pursue a trade, Brosnan did research, talking to people working in different fields, including a friend working on elevators. She found out about Mohawk College’s program and applied at the last minute. She makes the trip in each day from Toronto.

“The trade is booming right now and it's a good time to get into it."

This story originally appeared in Momentum Magazine.

Clockwise from top left: Tyler Thiem, student; Evan Weidner, student; Tyler Sowden, Technologist; Noey Dang, student;  Irene Amog, Professor, Building and Construction Technology and Engineering  Technology; Oscar Padron-Janica, student.  

The Construction Materials Lab is the first post-secondary institution in Canada approved by the Canadian Council of Independent Laboratories to test aggregate used in a wide range of infrastructure applications.

This past fall, Mohawk College became the first post-secondary institution in Canada to be certified for testing of aggregates used widely in the building and construction industry for asphalt and concrete designs. 

The College’s Construction Materials Laboratory, located at the Fennell campus, was certified by the Canadian Council of Independent Laboratories (CCIL). CCIL, a non-profit organization representing independent, private-sector testing laboratories in Canada, offers the largest laboratory certification program in the country. 

The lab is used for both applied research projects within the construction industry, as well as teaching in the Civil Engineering Technology, Civil Engineering Technician, Architectural Technology, Architectural Technician and Transportation Technology programs. 

This certification means the college has met the standardization and interlaboratory testing requirements of the CCIL Aggregate Laboratory Certification program and is qualified to perform six tests under Aggregate Quality Control Laboratories (Type C) and five tests under Aggregate Physical Property Tests (Type D). 

Irene Amog, a faculty member in the college’s School of Engineering Technology and Aviation, led the certification process along with Tyler Sowden, the technologist for the college’s Building and Construction Sciences program. 

Preparation for the certification process was time-consuming and very detailed, says Sowden. It required proving the lab could complete all the tests, that its equipment worked within the specifications that are required in the industry and that all the necessary calibrations and maintenance is being performed on the equipment. 

The lab also had to produce a quality manual that documents the step-by-step handling and reporting of the materials, along with a maintenance manual showing the calibrations and logs for each piece of equipment. Amog and Sowden had to prove their ability, through written and hands-on tests, to perform and teach the testing methods. 

The lab will be audited every two years to maintain its certification, but all the time and effort is worth it, say Amog and Sowden. 

There is a growing demand in Ontario for applied research expertise in aggregate materials testing and applied research. 

The lab’s certification benefits students, who get hands-on training and the chance to be certified in industry testing – an advantage in the construction sector – but it also benefits industry partners who get the credibility of third-party testing of new materials. 

Amog, who has more than 25 years of experience in testing and quality control in the construction materials industry, says Mohawk College’s primary goal in seeking certification was to provide students the opportunity to get certified. 

“I come from industry and trying to get new employees certified, especially students who often only work for consultants and contractors for a short period of time, was really difficult.” 

The testing work exposes students to new materials in a practical way, says Sowden. 

Students Tyler Thiem and Oscar Padron-Janica weigh and test the specific gravity of aggregate samples.

“Unlike other schools, we’re able to offer our students hands-on training, rather than just watching demonstrations, or scaled-down simulations. Our students get the feel of doing actual full-scale material testing procedures and have the ability to work with the equipment.” 

Providing third-party testing supports applied research projects for industry partners, says McIsaac. 

“Hamilton and our surrounding communities are recognized as a hub of innovation for the aggregate industry. As the first and only college in Canada to have been certified, we now can offer the industry the talent and expertise they need.” 

The 3,500-square-foot lab, located at Mohawk’s Fennell campus, includes equipment to wash materials, sieve sets to grade materials into specific sizes using mechanical shakers, and ovens that can dry up to five kilograms of material at a time. 

Three students in the Civil Engineering Technologist program have now achieved the certification. They have been integral to a partnership with aggregate giant Lafarge Canada to test recycled granular material for its compaction, durability and performance in road construction compared to newly extracted natural material. 

“I'm amazed as to how quickly our students were able to learn the proper procedures and put a system together to test all the research samples,” Amog says of the students who achieved top marks on the certification exam. 

Amog says that if testing can prove that recycled material is equal to or better than virgin aggregate in meeting industry specifications, it will cut maintenance needs, reducing costs, improving safety and providing environmental benefits. 

Recycled aggregate has carried a stigma in the industry because it used to contain other construction materials such as lumber, steel slag and even other foreign material that undermined its performance. 

While recycled material has been used on 400-series highways overseen by the Ministry of Transportation, many municipalities have been reluctant to adopt the materials, says Amog. 

“Lafarge wants to have credible third-party testing data showing this material passes all the requirements.” 

Students Evan Weidner and Noey Dang load fine aggregate into a rotary sifter to perform a sieve analysis.

Fifth-semester Civil Engineering Technology students Tyler Thiem, Oscar Padron-Janica and Evan Weidner work within the Construction Materials Lab and have all earned CCIL certification. 

Each is scheduled to graduate in December after a co-op term and final school semester. They all say the testing certification will help them stand out for jobs. 

“I value this lab experience because it's more working experience on top of the co-op itself,” says Thiem. “I was eager to join this research team because it's another opportunity to further my knowledge in this field.” 

Weidner says working in the lab has given an opportunity to work closely with faculty and to network in the industry. 

“We’ve been able to visit big industrial settings such as the Lafarge plants. Meeting with their managers has opened up new opportunities for networking, to see what's out there in the industry and just get your name out there.” 

Padron-Janica says he’s interested in both the design and materials testing side of civil engineering. The certification has immediately paid off in a summer co-op at Lafarge. 

“Getting the certification, plus that core experience in the lab, has given us a pretty wide angle of expertise. The certification is a huge bonus on our resumés.” 

This story originally appeared in Momentum Magazine.

Paul Armstrong, Chief Operating Officer, Mohawk College and Cheyanne Hammell with her award at the Colleges Ontario Higher Education Summit in Toronto.

Cheyanne Hammell completed an Architectural Technology diploma in 2007 and is the third Mohawk alumnus to win in the technology category since 2018.

Cheyanne Hammell, who graduated from Mohawk College’s Architectural Technology program in 2007, says it was a shock and honour to receive a 2023 Premier’s Award in the Technology category. 

It is the third win for a Mohawk College graduate in that category since 2018. 

The Premier’s Awards recognize recent and past college graduates in seven categories who have made outstanding social and economic contributions. They were presented at the Colleges Ontario Higher Education Summit in Toronto in November. 

Hammell, a Special Projects manager at PCL Construction, Canada’s largest construction company, says she went to the large gala not expecting to win. 

“I looked at the list of nominees ahead of time, and they were all so impressive. I honestly went there assuming it was not going to be me. So when they said my name, I was definitely shocked to say the least.” 

Hammell says she’s proud that her win reflects well on Mohawk College, her employer and women in technology and trades. 

She has been dedicated to opening doors for women throughout her career through mentoring, speaking to students and volunteering with a variety of women in trades groups. She is only the third woman ever to win in the technology category, including fellow Mohawk College alumnus Kathy Lerette, who won in 2019. 

At PCL, Hammell leads highly customized and unique projects for premiere clients in the Toronto area, overseeing a team of 40 people undertaking 25 to 30 complex projects at any time. She led the design of the $135-million Lakeridge Gardens in Ajax, the first long-term care home built under Infrastructure Ontario’s Accelerated Build Pilot Program. It was completed in just 13 months during the pandemic and was recognised with local and global industry awards for from the Toronto Construction Association and Engineering News Record. 

She also led PCL’s implementation of a complex, $200-million baggage handling and sorting system for the Greater Toronto Airports Authority and a $16-million renovation of the CN Tower observation level in 2017. 

Hammell says her education at Mohawk prepared her with technical skills but also the leadership qualities that have helped her succeed. 

She was the PCL Toronto recipient of the prestigious Robert Stollery Leadership Award in 2020, given to one rising project management star per year who models excellence and inspiration for all of PCL. 

In 2022, she was named to On-Site Magazine’s Top 40 Under 40 in Canadian construction and is a Toronto Urban Land Institute (ULI) Women’s Leadership Initiative Champion. 

Hammell, who says she is inspired by her mother, a retired commercial pilot who also broke down gender barriers, is grateful for her time at Mohawk College. 

The College’s history of wins in the Premier’s Awards in the technology category, she says, “is a testament that we're well prepared to enter the industry and the way that we've been educated and prepped for that workforce entry has allowed us to set an example and start off on the right foot and work towards success and helping make a difference.” 

Rebecca Beatty, Program Coordinator of Architectural Technology and Architectural Technician, says the three-year technologist co-op program offers a broad and deep education. It covers all the building disciplines – architectural, structural, and building systems, and incorporates building science and sustainability, history of architecture, and management. 

Students choose from a design and construction management stream in their final year. 

“In the world of construction, there are fewer women. It's great that Cheyanne has been able to smash through that glass ceiling,” says Beatty. “I also think there's an acknowledgement among employers now that having diverse voices is beneficial and helps them grow.” 

Beatty believes Hammell’s Premier’s Awards win will encourage girls and women to join the sector and demonstrates that Mohawk provides the skills to achieve senior role. 

“It highlights the fact that we're producing graduates that have a set of skills that they can ladder up into management and senior roles. All of our Architectural Technology graduates complete a capstone project. And they have to each take on and lead one aspect of that project. That's where they develop some of those leadership, time management, communication, and presentation skills.” 

The three-year Architectural Technology program includes three terms of paid co-ops and that leads to 95 per cent of graduates being employed in the field within six months or pursuing additional credentials through our educational pathways, says Beatty. 

“We have very high employment rates compared to other architectural technology programs in the province right now.” 

This story originally appeared in Momentum Magazine.

Mohawk College shines as college and two of its employees take top honours in 3 of 10 categories at CICan’s annual Awards of Excellence.

Colleges and Institutes Canada (CICan) announced its 2024 Awards of Excellence recipients, spotlighting innovation and exceptional performance within our pan-Canadian community and Mohawk College and two of its employees came away big winners. 

Among the gold medal recipients were CityLAB Hamilton and Mohawk College, who took top spot in the Program Excellence Category, and staff members Tara-Lyn Dinyer and Greg Gagnon, who earned gold in the Leadership Excellence for Faculty and Leadership Excellence for Non-Managerial Staff categories, respectively. 

CICan’s Awards of Excellence celebrate a select group of member institutions and individuals each year for their exceptional achievements within Canada’s largest post-secondary network. These awards honour those who exceed expectations in key areas vital to Canada’s social, cultural, and economic prosperity. 

Program Excellence Award 
Gold: CityLAB Hamilton, Mohawk College 

The Program Excellence Award recognizes programs across Canada that demonstrate innovation, portability, sustainability and effectiveness. Mohawk College nominated CityLAB Hamilton after seven years of successful collaboration. 

“The national recognition of the City LAB program underscores the significant community-building efforts of our student-led initiatives,” said Mayor Andrea Horwath. “Our long-standing partnership between the City of Hamilton and Mohawk College is a testament to the great work that can be done when we join forces to build a better Hamilton for today and future generations.” 

Originating as a pilot project in 2017, CityLAB Hamilton is a collaborative innovation program between the City of Hamilton, Mohawk College, McMaster University and Redeemer University. This program unites students, faculty, and civic leaders to develop innovative solutions to city-identified projects that align with the City’s Strategic Priorities. 

CityLAB officially transitioned to a permanent program in 2022 with support from Hamilton City Council. Annually, the CityLAB program engages approximately 450 students in experiential learning projects that meaningfully address civic challenges, yield tangible community benefits and cultivate a long-term sense of civic responsibility. CityLAB projects tackle complex challenges and pioneer new solutions while mentoring and inspiring the next generation of leaders. 

“We are delighted that CityLAB Hamilton has received this national recognition,” said Dr. Cebert Adamson, VP, Academic, Mohawk College. “We are proud that Mohawk College students and staff are involved in the innovative projects being done through CityLAB, and we are proud to share the story of our collective success with other Canadian colleges by way of our nomination. One of the criteria for this award is a program’s ability to be replicated in other regions. This recognition shines the spotlight on another innovative Hamilton collaboration that may be replicated across the country.” 

"This award highlights the strength of our CityLAB partnerships and celebrates our commitment to innovation and student engagement," said Marnie Cluckie, City Manager. "It's a proud moment for all involved, showcasing how collaboration can address real-world challenges and strengthen our community." 

Experiential learning through CityLAB allows students to explore careers of interest while developing transferable interpersonal skills and work habits that will benefit them in the future. 

The City of Hamilton and Mohawk College value the ongoing partnership created through CityLAB Hamilton and look forward to continued collaborative successes. 

Leadership Excellence Award for Faculty 
Gold: Tara-Lyn Dinyer, Mohawk College 

Leadership Excellence Award for Non-Managerial Staff 
Gold: Greg Gagnon, Mohawk College 

Dinyer, program coordinator for the college’s School of Health and Community Services, is a remarkable educator who inspires everyone she meets. She has developed innovative teaching solutions and created unique partnership opportunities in the Health, Wellness, and Fitness industry. She is the creator and organizer of an experiential learning opportunity called Fit to Pitch, she has inspired students to start their own businesses and she has built strong connections with industry at the same time. Now entering its 8th year, the competition has become a signature event at the college. 

Gagnon, a technician with Mohawk College’s Accessible Learning Services, has a reputation for going above and beyond to ensure students with accessibility needs have what they need to succeed. Throughout this time, he has strongly advocated for accessibility at the college and across the broader postsecondary community. Greg has profoundly impacted the lives of the many students who rely on the services and support he provides to succeed and thrive in their post-secondary journey. 

“Congratulations to Tara-Lyn and Greg. This is an impressive achievement and a proud moment for our college,” said Mohawk College President and CEO Ron J. McKerlie. “These honours demonstrate their incredible commitment to Mohawk College students and their college experience.” 

Click here for a full listing of 2024 CICan Awards of Excellence Recipients . 

This story originally appeared in Momentum Magazine.

From Left to Right: Tim Clement, Automotive Shop Technologist; Kristy Hurley, Program Manager; Bob Brown, Motive Power 2^nd Year Program Coordinator and Automotive Professor; Rebecca Isowa, Associate Dean, Electrical, Transportation and Innovation; Chris Pinard, Automotive Service Technician Program Coordinator and Automotive Professor; Bryan Ledgerwood, Manager, Early College Initiatives.

The Electric Vehicle and Smart  Mobility Lab will train next-generation automotive service  technicians and support research.

A  revolution is underway in the way we drive and Mohawk College is stepping up to ensure the workforce is in place to serve 
that future.

The federal government has mandated that all new vehicles sold by 2035 must be zero-emission. Meeting that target will require a massive shift in skills within the automotive industry. 

Mohawk College’s Electric Vehicle and Smart Mobility Lab is meant to directly tackle that challenge.

“The lab exists to provide education and training to automotive professionals that enables them to work on these new vehicles,” says Rebecca Isowa, Associate Dean – Electrical, Transportation & Innovation. 

The EV and Smart Mobility Lab is currently offering an Electric & Hybrid Vehicle Service micro-credential, which is an upskilling course that provides current licensed Automotive Service Technicians with the specialized skills required for the service, repair, and maintenance of electric and hybrid vehicles. This micro-credential is one of the first of its kind in the region, with funding from the Canadian Colleges for a Resilient Recovery (C2R2) in collaboration with BCIT. 

As of March 31, nearly 100 licensed automotive service technicians have completed the training and acquired the skills necessary to support the transition to a zero-emission future. 

The micro-credential covers high-voltage safety procedures, high-voltage vehicles, battery systems, motors, inverters and control systems, charging systems, hybrid and electric powertrains and HVAC systems specific to high-voltage vehicles.

“The face of automotive technology is constantly changing,” said Kristy Hurley, Program Manager at the Marshall School of Skilled Trades and Apprenticeship at Mohawk College. “It’s evolving rapidly now with the introduction of electric and hybrid vehicles, hydrogen technology and alternative fuels.” 

All the work underway on the electric vehicle (EV) front supports Mohawk College’s strategic commitment to make a measurable impact on 
climate change. 

“We are focused on greening the trades,” says Isowa. “That can only happen through the intersection of technology and the people who will work in the industry.”

Hurley says future micro-credentials are being created in hydrogen fuel cells, battery repair, EV diagnostics, wind turbine, and advanced driver assistance systems, among others. There are also plans for consumer-facing EV micro-credentials.

“That is alongside a comprehensive upgrade to the Automotive Service Technician curriculum to embed EV and hybrid technology into the education and training of postsecondary students and apprentices.” 

There are also enormous opportunities in rolling out EV training in Mohawk College’s Truck and Coach Technician program and plans are also underway for a space dedicated to applied research in battery 
research and repair. 

Electrification will impact all manner of mobility – vehicles, trains, boats, farm and construction equipment – but it also requires entirely new infrastructure to power it. 

“It will be nice to have a million EVs on the road, but how are we going to charge them and will the grid support them?” says Isowa. 

“We are also actively engaged in education and training for upskilling of tradespeople like electricians and others from the construction side. This is a monumental shift in the technology and the infrastructure needed to support it to make sure it’s successful. We are developing programs to lead to careers that don’t even exist yet.”

Significant infrastructure investment

Mohawk College has made a significant investment in its Electric Vehicle and Smart Mobility Lab, which includes vehicles, trainers, and specialized high-voltage EV tooling systems. 

“We have an enormous space for our lab,” says Chris Pinard, Program Coordinator and faculty member in the Automotive Service Technician program, and a developer of the Electric and Hybrid Vehicle Service micro-credential. 

“We have four working bays with hoists and  lots of extra space to park vehicles as well as fully functional charging infrastructure. We also have a dynamometer on which we can drive an electric vehicle in class and scope and watch in  real-time what’s going on in the inverters.” 

Automotive Professor Bob Brown, and students Paul Vandervelde and Patrick Bareuther analyze live data from a vehicle on the lab's dynamometer.

There is also an embedded classroom in the middle of this entire shop, along with a bay dedicated to advanced driver assistance systems that include sensors and cameras. 

“The technology is new, but in many ways electric vehicles are less complex than an internal combustion engine vehicle, which is a huge bonus, but they are far more dangerous to work on in terms of working on high voltage. Automotive technicians have always worked on electrical systems, but now they’re working with 400 volts instead of 12 volts, so the safety component is critical.” 

Wearing special electric safety gloves, Licensed Automotive Service Technicians Zach Vermeer, Matt Pazzi and Tate Morgan work on a an EV battery under the watchful eye of Automotive Professor Chris Pinard.

With a focus on safety, the Electric and Hybrid Vehicle Service micro-credential includes a six-hour module completed before coming to the lab for 30 hours of hands-on work. Pinard says discussions have begun around a second level EV micro-credential, which will focus on diagnostics, powertrain, and HVAC systems. 

There is some fear of the unknown among licensed automotive technicians when it comes to electric vehicles, says Cavan Cook, who worked with Pinard to co-develop the current micro-credential and helped with planning and implementation of the lab space.

That can easily be overcome with training, he says. “It’s no different than anything; as soon as you get comfortable with it, you realize there’s nothing magical when you open up the hood. It looks like a bunch of wizardry, but when you start to dissect it, piece by piece, it’s just a power here and a ground here. It’s no different than a 12-volt battery.”

Cook is the owner of Wired Auto Works in Smithville, a shop that handles EV diagnostics, repairs, and after-market module programming, along with traditional mechanical repairs.

“When it comes to EVs at our shop, it’s more just making customers know that these cars can be taken apart, and fixed, just like it was before.”

Licensed Automotive Service Technicians Matt Pazzi and Paul Vandervelde train on servicing an electric vehicle battery.

Ahead of the curve 

During this time of transition, there is also an aging of the existing workforce and a growing shortage of licensed automotive technicians.

Mohawk College is working to address that challenge with its Put Your Future in Motion program. The initiative, launched in spring 2023, is designed to introduce elementary and secondary school students to in-demand careers in automotive and smart mobility. 

The program was supported through funding from the provincial government through the Ontario Vehicle Innovation Network’s Regional Future Workforce Program.

Put Your Future in Motion, which connected with more than 1,000 students in its first nine months, included a summer camp for grades 7 to 9 students, and skills-building and awareness activities to help grades 5 to 12 students explore career opportunities in the automotive field.

The program also partnered with Techsploration, a Nova Scotia based not-for-profit that aims to connect young women and gender-diverse youth to opportunities to participate in life-changing career exploration programs that actively highlight employers committed to creating a more diverse, skilled workforce. A total of 70 grade 9 youth participated and were connected with role models and employers in the automotive skilled trades and technology industries for a week-long mentorship. 

“I think Mohawk College is ahead of the curve in electric vehicles,” says Mike Tipert, Service Manager at Queenston Chevrolet Buick GMC. He sits on the program advisory committee for the college’s Motive Power Technician program, which he also graduated from. 

Tipert supports all efforts to draw more people into the automotive field. He has hosted a Put Your Future in Motion event along with partner dealerships and his shop currently employs seven co-op students from both school boards, including three going into a Level 1 Ontario Youth Apprenticeship Program at Mohawk College.

Of the 13 technicians and five apprentices at Queenston Chevrolet Buick GMC, five are EV- certified and three more will be by June.

“Technicians have to be critical thinkers now. They have to be hands-on with computers. All the diagnostics are done through computers. It’s different than it used to be, there are still the mechanical repairs that have to happen, but EVs require a different breed of technician.”

The change is like nothing the industry has seen before, says Tipert. “Drastic changes are coming at us very quickly and that’s where the technical training is so critical.” 

The Mohawk College difference 

Mohawk College will be contributing to research in batteries, battery storage and alternative fuels such as hydrogen and clean-burning fossil fuels, because there is no one single, worldwide solution to the climate change crisis, says David Santi, Dean, Marshall School of Skilled Trades & Apprenticeship.

Ultimately, Santi wants graduates of Mohawk College to stand out by how they think about climate change and the environment, how they think about equity, diversity, and inclusion, and how they think about Indigenous knowledge and how it can be used in the context of climate and environment.

“I want a waiting list of people committed to this who want to get into our school. And it doesn’t matter if you’re in the health sciences area, engineering, skilled trades, business… everything you do here will be built around this because this is a huge societal problem that we have and it will take all of us to get together to face it.”

This story originally appeared in Momentum Magazine.

Civil Engineering Technology student, Frankie Colombe is completing his final semester at Mohawk College before moving to Queen’s University to complete his Engineering degree. 

Civil Engineering Technology student among first to take advantage of a new precedent- setting pathway between Mohawk College and Queen’s University 

For some students, their post-secondary journey is direct and simple. For others, it’s more of a journey and may involve multiple layers of study and credentials, perhaps even at different institutions. 

Pathways recognize, simplify, and enhance that winding road. 

Mohawk College has over 30 articulation agreements with Ontario institutions and more than 200 pathways overall, which allow students to transfer into programs at other post-secondary institutions – both domestic and international – and receive credit for courses completed at the College. 

Most programs offered at Mohawk College also have Internal Pathways, which show how the program can lead to future credential choices, including graduate and professional studies, without having to repeat prior learning. 

A total of 148 Mohawk College students utilized external pathways during the 2022-23 academic year, including Frankie Colombe, who is one of the first students taking advantage of a new precedent-setting diploma-to-degree pathway with Queen’s University. 

The new pathway, Engineering Bridge, sees graduates of Mohawk College’s Civil Engineering Technology program heading to Queen’s University, in the Department of Civil Engineering at Smith Engineering. The Kingston-based university’s engineering program is considered one of the best in Canada. 

“The concept around engineering technology diploma transfer to accredited engineering degrees has never been explored from a pathways perspective in Ontario, so this is ground-breaking,” says Janet Shuh, Dean, Continuing Education and Academic Development. She oversees the pathways portfolio and articulation agreements at the College. 

The bridge is open to Engineering Technology graduates or students who have completed three or more semesters of their program. 

Developing this multi-institution pathway not only involved much collaboration between Mohawk College, Queen’s University, and other provincial colleges, but also required the review and approval of the Canadian Engineering Accreditation Board (CEAB) who accredit professional engineering degrees in Canada.

Colombe is in the midst of completing his last semester of Civil Engineering Technology at Mohawk College, along with his second transition course through Queen’s, to get him ready for full-time degree studies. 

Once he’s finished in April, he will move to Kingston to start a full-course load in the summer on his way to a Queen’s degree. Altogether, he will earn an advanced diploma and a degree in five years. 

Colombe says when he learned about the types of jobs available to him in his field, he decided he wanted to expand his learning to advance his career options. His program coordinator, Rocco Carbone, suggested the bridge option. 

This pathway is attractive, says Colombe, because it will get him into a job faster. 

Colombe isn’t sure what he wants to do after graduation but he’s leaning towards infrastructure work at the government level. He hopes his degree from Queen’s will differentiate him as a job candidate. 

“The benefit to students is really huge, because they're entering into not only a highly reputable engineering school, but also a path to securing a professionally accredited degree,” says Shuh. “Then they can write their professional engineering exams after they've completed their studies and secured the professional experience necessary.” 

Part of Queen’s motivation in developing this pathway with Mohawk College is to provide increased access to underrepresented groups, including, but not limited to, Indigenous, mature, and first-generation post-secondary students, says Shuh. 

The development of this pathway was funded by the Ontario Council on Articulation and Transfer (ONCAT) and Shuh says other colleges and universities are exploring engineering pathway agreements. 

“There are a lot of economies of scale and a lot more positive impacts on students, if it's happening at a sector-level versus one-off institutional agreements. ONCAT would like a future state where these pathways are available to all colleges and universities with specific programs to make that bridge province wide. So that's why this particular engineering pathways project has received quite a bit of funding from ONCAT, to facilitate that objective and open opportunities to more students.”

Smoothing the path 

Pathway agreements allow for a much smoother transition than if students were directly applying to a university for advanced standing themselves, says Pathways Coordinator Natasha Moledina. 

“Instead of having to collect course outlines, learning outcomes, and all their other information to then go to the university where they must assess every single credit transfer, with an established agreement, all of that is already sorted out. It’s already laid out how courses at Mohawk College will be applied toward their degree program.” 

In most cases, a pathway requires a minimum program average and some universities require a letter of recommendation for an applicant. 

Educational pathways allow students to complete a diploma and then degree in a condensed timeframe. In the case of two-plus-two agreements, students complete a Mohawk College diploma in two years and then enter the third year of a four-year degree program at a pathway partner institution. That saves money and lets students move to employment or further education in a faster timeframe. 

“It also allows students to get the best of both worlds—a college education and a university education. Specifically, students get the benefits of hands-on learning, placement or co-ops, and smaller class sizes before they head off to university,” says Shuh. 

The College continues to build new pathways, and has new ones in place with McMaster University, Laurier University, Brock University, and Queen’s University. 

It’s all governed by the Pathways & Credit Transfer department, which helps students understand the options available as they discover new interests and aspirations through their educational journey into, within, and beyond Mohawk College. 

The Pathways office also supports academic and program areas in developing pathways and participates in provincial-level transfer projects and initiatives to enhance student mobility between, and within, colleges and universities in Ontario, nationally, and abroad. 

In some cases, says Moledina, institutions approach Mohawk College with a proposed pathway and in others, the College pursues arrangements in highly sought-after programs or where there is an existing partnership with a university. 

“There's a real connectivity within the community of post-secondary institutions in Canada, I would say, particularly in Ontario, where there's lots of partnership opportunities and program opportunities for collaborations,” says Shuh. 

“We also work very collaboratively with Mohawk College International, where we are working with an international post-secondary partner.” 

Establishing pathways is an exacting, collaborative, and complex process that has to be aligned to the protocols and policies of both the sending and receiving institutions. Every course in the program has to be evaluated to confirm how they line up to the degree requirements of the university.

Students explore booths at Mohawk College's Educational Pathways Fair.

Educational Pathways Fair showcases breadth of options 

Each year in mid-January, Mohawk College hosts the Educational Pathways Fair, which features more than 35 institutions, from Ontario, elsewhere in Canada, and abroad. Students are able to get their questions answered regarding credit transfer, admissions, and deadlines. This year, more than 400 students attended. 

This annual pathways event is an important recruitment and marketing tool for various programs at Mohawk College as well as other post-secondary institutions, says Shuh. 

“Definitely students should take advantage of the Fair because they can make connections with many different institutions at one time. Further, students can access recruitment and pathway specialists who are prepared to answer questions they may have around program admissibility and admission.”

More than 400 students attended the fair which featured 35 different institutions.

Other pathway options

Other newer pathways include a bridge between Mohawk College’s Business Administration – Accounting or Business – Accounting programs and the accredited accounting program at Brock University. It was formally established in 2022. A student leaving Mohawk College with a two-year diploma is granted credit for one full year or two semesters at Brock, and a student leaving with a three-year diploma is granted one and a half years or three semesters. 

The accounting pathway allows students to choose a co-op option on their way to earning the credential necessary for a chartered professional accountant (CPA) designation. 

Another innovative pathway is that between Mohawk College, Laurier University and McMaster University that sees two-year General Arts and Science students advance to the third year of an Indigenous Studies degree at McMaster or Laurier. 

One of the longest standing pathways is the Mohawk College to McMaster University Bachelor of Technology partnership. The degree completion program provides an opportunity for students who have completed an advanced three-year Technology diploma with a minimum cumulative GPA of 75 per cent to then complete a degree in business management.

Degree completion requires finishing 24 courses, including seven management courses. All courses are offered during evenings and Saturdays at McMaster University or online.

There are also pathways that lead from the Biotechnology Advanced Diploma program at Mohawk College to enrollment in year three of the four-year Bachelor of Technology – Biotechnology program at McMaster, and from Mohawk College’s Child and Youth Care program (CYC) to advanced standing in the Bachelor of Arts in Child and Youth Studies program at Brock University.

Certain pathways also see Mohawk College acting as the receiving institution. For instance, Communications Studies students at Brock University can come to Mohawk College for its post-graduate certificate in Public Relations during their third year. Brock recognizes that year as part of a three-year degree.

“As the College expands our own degree offerings, then we'll want to be looking at new pathways, both internally and from other institutions into our degrees,” says Shuh.

This story originally appeared in Momentum Magazine.

Amanda White, Acting Director, Centre for Indigenous Relations, Knowledge and Learning, and Kerry Wabange, Human Resources Strategic Partner and Indigenous Specialist.

Mohawk College launches new Centre for Indigenous Relations, Knowledge and Learning and commits to embed Indigenous learning outcomes into all programs.

Mohawk College is making a deep and wide-ranging commitment to Truth and Reconciliation with the new Centre for Indigenous Relations, Knowledge and Learning (CIRKL) and an ambitious plan to embed Indigenous learning outcomes into each of its programs. 

Meaningfully advancing Truth and Reconciliation is among six aspirations contained with Mohawk College’s 2022-2025 strategic plan. 

CIRKL is a significant piece of achieving that aspiration and will lead the way in ensuring that all academic programs include land-based Indigenous ways of learning, says Amanda White, Acting Director, Centre for Indigenous Relations, Knowledge and Learning. 

“We have broad support and commitment from the College’s executive and senior leaders, and among faculty, staff, and students. There is acknowledgement that this is the right path to take,” she says. 

Building relationships is foundational to the work of CIRKL. 
 

The College’s approach to reconciliation, as well as its ambitious commitment to climate change action, is built on the framework of “Two-Eyed Seeing”. 

The concept is that faculty, staff, and students can learn to see from one eye with respect for the strengths of Indigenous knowledge and ways of knowing, and from the other eye with the strengths of Western knowledge. This dual understanding is meant to benefit all and find common ground, while upholding Indigenous perspectives as autonomous and equal. 

“We're not just looking to be included in the systems that are in place right now, we want to change the systems because those systems weren't built for us,” says White. “It’s really about different ways of doing things from that Indigenous lens.” 

Embedding learning outcomes 

A critical step forward is the establishment of seven Indigenous knowledge learning outcomes (IKLOs) that were developed through two years of deep consultation with Elders, Knowledge-Keepers and Indigenous leaders of Six Nations, Mississaugas of the Credit, and the urban Indigenous community, along with faculty, staff and students at Mohawk College. 

IKLOs will help all college learners, regardless of their field of study, better understand Indigenous peoples, histories, cultures, and realities by the time they graduate. They present an opportunity to decolonize curriculum and education and to make education safe for those who are underrepresented. 

“We know, through the work that was done through the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, that education has historically been weaponized against us,” says Carlie Myke, Acting Manager, Centre for Indigenous Relations, Knowledge and Learning. 

“We need to be able to see ourselves, our ways of knowing and our ways of doing things reflected in institutions. We need to be able to see our histories and our true history reflected in what is taught. Seeing that we have prioritized Indigenous ways of knowing and doing in content and curriculum, I think that that's very meaningful.” 

This work has also been heavily influenced by the success of similar learning outcomes developed by Confederation College. The CIRKL team was mentored by Confederation’s Indigenous leaders to learn about the challenges and opportunities in implementing the IKLOs. 

With support from CIRKL, consultations with each of the College’s academic areas have begun through the Centre for Teaching and Learning Innovation (CTLI), which will contribute to plans that will introduce and build content around such things as residential schools, treaties, royal proclamations, the First Nations principles of ownership, control, access, and possession, and wise practices around engaging with Indigenous communities. 

Also being closely examined is the College’s approach to research involving Indigenous people or communities. 

Too often, research focused on Indigenous people or practices or culture includes gathering and extracting data without the community understanding what has become of the information. 

“There must be understanding that we own and control how that information can be used, how it's protected, how we share it. It's meant to govern the idea of data sovereignty. As we say, nothing about us without us,” says White. 

The Hoop Dance Gathering Place at Mohawk College's Fennell campus.

Indigenous visibility 

CIRKL is located at the Fennell campus, where a new indoor Indigenous gathering place is to be opened this spring. It will be the site of meetings, gatherings, and events, in conjunction with the outdoor Hoop Dance Gathering Place, which opened in 2016. 

“It's important that our staff and students from our communities see themselves reflected at the College and that they belong here. These spaces are about visibility,” says White. 

That will be augmented with more representations of Indigenous language and artwork and extended to the Stoney Creek campus and the Institute for Applied Health Sciences at McMaster University. 

When it comes to faculty and staff, the College’s people strategy includes seven pillars and Truth and Reconciliation is at the heart of each, says Kerry Wabange, a Human Resources Strategic Partner and Indigenous Specialist. 

Her work includes developing and training HR staff and leaders in cultural fluency, reviewing all employment policies and practices to ensure Indigenous worldviews are included, and integrating Indigenous knowledge and practices into employment procedures. The goal is strong recruitment and retention among Indigenous candidates. 

“In order for HR-focused reconciliation to be meaningful it is imperative that as Indigenous employees, we see ourselves reflected in the work environment as well as the policies, procedures and programs. Additionally, there should be an authentic sense of belonging and cultural and psychological safety so that we can confidently bring our whole selves to work.” 

This story originally appeared in Momentum Magazine.

Instructor Darren Hyland (black shirt) along with Construction Engineering Technician – Building Renovation program students Jeron Melville, Jack Donald and Han Shao.

Students in Mohawk College’s Construction Engineering Technician – Building Renovation program have spent two semesters making two CityHousing Hamilton townhouses fit for new tenants. 

Mohawk College and CityHousing Hamilton have once again partnered on a project that is renovating city-owned units to allow for move in by people in need of affordable housing. 

The program’s students began work on two townhouse units on the west Mountain in the first week of October. 

Once complete, the newly remodeled units will see families on the CityHousing waiting list get the safe and affordable housing they need. 

The 65 students, in their final year of the Construction Engineering Technician – Building Renovation program, split their time between their shop and lab at the Marshall School of Skilled Trades & Apprenticeship at the Stoney Creek Campus for Skilled Trades. 

The students are required to finish 112 hours of hands-on work to complete their two-year program. 

These real-life projects give the students an opportunity to work in a environment where floors aren’t quite level, door frames are not straight and they have to work within a timeline and budget. 

“What better way is there to get them on the tools in a real-life situation?” says Mohawk College faculty member Darren Hyland, who teaches the third-semester Building and Renovation - Practical course. 

“They get all the experience of a job site and learn what it's  like dealing with clients.” 

The students have done everything from taking the lead on inspecting the property and assessing the work to be done to demolition of kitchens and bathrooms to installing flooring, drywall, baseboards and cabinets, and painting. 

Mohawk College received federal funding from the Innovative Work-Integrated Learning Initiative and the Co-operative Education and Work-Integrated Learning (CEWIL) iHUB to support the partnership with CityHousing. The funds supply the students with CSA safety boots, high-visibility long-sleeve shirts, construction safety glasses, dexterity gloves, hearing protection, and N95 respirators. 

“There is a great feeling of satisfaction with this and the students understand it too,” says Hyland. “Families in need will live here soon.” 

Joewayne Watson is working in the three-bedroom unit. He had been working as a personal support worker when he decided to build on some experience in the renovation sector by returning to Mohawk College. 

Joewayne Watson, Student, repairs a damaged wall in one of the units.

Students complete a daily journal entry that includes before and after photos, how the team worked together, and what comes next. Instructors also evaluate specific tasks. 

Andres Orjuela is working at a four-bedroom unit a few doors down. 

He is an international student from Colombia who has a background in industrial design and was attracted by the structure of the program. 

Andres Orjuela, Student, prepares a to install hardware on a newly installed door.

“Seeing the final results here will be awesome. I know people who have lived in affordable housing, so it feels good to give good units to someone who really needs it.” 

CityHousing is the largest provider of social housing in Hamilton, managing 1,100 properties and 6,974 units that house more than 13,000 tenants across the city. 

There is a backlog  of vacant units in need of repair, says Brian Kinaschuk, head of the maintenance unit at CityHousing. Budget restrictions, the City’s procurement process, and the state of disrepair in some of the units makes it difficult to address the backlog even during a time when the wait list is thousands deep. 

The partnership with Mohawk College, and another with Habitat for Humanity that sees high school students working on units, allows CityHousing to get units back out for rent faster than it could otherwise, Kinaschuk says. 

“Mohawk College is an important part of the solution,” he says. “The partnership is valuable to our community because tenants can get into these units more quickly and also for the students because they get hands-on learning.” 

Since 2009, Building Renovation Program students have worked on projects with several local organizations including Habitat for Humanity, Indwell, Delta United Church, Christian Horizons, and Kiwanis. 

The CityHousing partnership comes out of CityLAB Hamilton, an innovation hub that brings together students and academic and civic leaders to co-create a better Hamilton. Mohawk College is a partner in CityLAB, along with the City of Hamilton, McMaster University, and Redeemer University. 

CityLAB matches students and faculty with City staff to develop innovative solutions to city-identified projects that align with the City’s strategic priorities. That includes transit, climate change, housing, cycling infrastructure and green spaces. 

Since it was founded in 2017, CityLAB has undertaken 220 projects, involving 3,122 students – including 1,449 students from Mohawk College. Those students have amassed more than 32,500 hours.  

This story originally appeared in Momentum Magazine.

The Centre for Integrated and Advanced Medical Imaging solves clinical, educational and research challenges through deep institutional partnerships.

The new Centre for Integrated and Advanced Medical Imaging (CIAMI) will provide desperately needed MRI services in Hamilton, educate in demand MRI technologists through hands-on learning, foster innovation and new research discoveries.

Developed through a partnership between Mohawk College, McMaster University and affiliated hospitals, Hamilton Health Sciences (HHS) and St. Joseph’s Healthcare, CIAMI serves as a model for a new generation of healthcare.

It’s more than a place, CIAMI is an approach to improving MRI services in the community that addresses backlogs, educates the next generation of MRI technologists and conducts critical research.

Located at the Mohawk-McMaster Institute of Applied Health Sciences (IAHS) building on the university’s main campus, CIAMI includes a newly installed GE Healthcare Signa 3T advanced MRI suite, only the second of its kind in Canada. 

Long-time partnership

CIAMI builds on a long tradition of partnership in healthcare education between McMaster and Mohawk College that includes the province’s first collaborative degree in Nursing, the IAHS facility itself, which opened in 2000, and the first fully integrated diploma-degree program in Medical Radiation Sciences in 2004.

“Those early years of the Mohawk-McMaster partnership paved the way for exceptional successes in education and research. CIAMI is a great example of how strong partnerships and meaningful collaborations can succeed in amazing ways,” says Mohawk College President and CEO Ron J. McKerlie. 

“Both Mohawk and McMaster are committed to moving the region forward,” says David Farrar, President of McMaster University. “Individually, we have great capacity in that regard, but together we have massive power.”

According to Wendy Lawson, Associate Vice President Academic & Dean of the School of Health & Community Services at Mohawk College, CIAMI will revolutionize medical imagine training, discovery and care in the community.

“We envision a future in which front-line allied health professionals are actively engaged in research and one in which teams of clinicians, radiologists, academic researchers an technologists work together to solve problems and propel technological advances in the expanding field of diagnostic imaging,” she says. “Above all, we envision a future in which specialists collaborate across disciplines to train the healthcare professionals of the future, make exciting research discoveries, and provide better healthcare for all.”

Mohawk College’s commitment to producing Future Ready graduates through experiential learning, applied research and interprofessional education will flourish at CIAMI, says Lawson.

City-wide collaboration 

The partnership behind CIAMI is a true citywide collaboration, says Leslie Gauthier, Vice President of Clinical Support Services and Surgery at HHS.

“This will have a huge impact. It’s a different way of thinking about education and clinical needs.” 

Launching this initiative – which has been  about 10 years in the making – has taken the input of 19 working groups, more than 100 people and hundreds of meetings.

“With CIAMI, we are being responsive to community needs and we have connected with community partners on a level that is unprecedented,” says Laura Thomas, Associate Dean of Allied Health and Medical Radiation Sciences at Mohawk College. “

MRI: Standard of care

MRI provides a more in-depth anatomical picture than other forms of diagnostic imaging and is especially useful for imaging of the spine, joints and organs, such as the kidneys, liver and ovaries.

“There was just one MRI in Hamilton when I trained. It’s now a proven technology that many doctors rely upon for diagnosis,” says Dr. Karen Finlay, Chief of Diagnostic Imaging and Nuclear Medicine at HHS. Hamilton is now home to 10 MRIs, including the one at CIAMI.

But the need is much greater. Non-urgent patients are waiting up to a year to get an MRI.

The lack of health human resources, the most limiting factor, has long been one of the biggest challenges.

Under supervision of registered technologists, students get real-world training on clinical cases and the site will offer a space where existing healthcare staff in the city can train to add MRI to their skill set.

Mohawk College’s accelerated training for upskilling healthcare professionals – within the Centre for Professional Advancement – has already helped 82 existing diagnostic imaging staff fast-track their paths to learning MRI.

As well, Mohawk College’s first MRI technologist post-graduate certificate program launched this fall with a cohort of 24 students.

Improving efficiencies

The whole idea for CIAMI came about when  Mohawk College Chief Operating Officer Paul Armstrong, then Dean of Health Sciences, met McMaster University professor Mike Noseworthy for a coffee more than a decade ago. They hashed out a dream for an MRI at IAHS that would combine clinical, educational and research functions.

“It was a crazy idea but I’m elated to see what it’s become,” says Noseworthy, who is Director of Medical Imaging Physics and Engineering at St. Joseph’s Healthcare and a professor in McMaster’s Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering. “This is a unique model. McMaster and Mohawk College have a special relationship that has allowed this to happen.”

He’s been working MRIs for 35 years and always wished there was a dedicated MRI that could be used for research and education.

Noseworthy says the last piece of the concept came from radiologist Dr. Julian Dobranowski, who suggested the MRI should focus on nonurgent cases.

Dobranowski was chief of radiology at St. Joseph’s Healthcare and is now Chief of Medical Imaging at Niagara Health. He is also chair of medical imaging at McMaster University and an adjunct professor at Mohawk College. He serves as the provincial lead at Ontario Health for cancer imaging and for access to care for MRI and CT. His mission is to improve efficiencies and cut wait times.

The relevance of CIAMI is that it will cut wait times while still giving space for training and research.

“It’s important that CIAMI is outside the hospital system,” says Dobranowski. “The hospital is taking care of ICU, ER, ward patients and outpatients coming in for MRIs. We now have an option for lower acuity patients. When we take them out of the hospitals, it leaves more spaces for acute patients.”

The new MRI – a 3 Tesla unit that features a magnet 60,000 times more powerful than the magnetic pull of the Earth – has enhanced artificial intelligence features, an audio system, and a monitor that can stream television or a movie for patients who have to stay completely still up to an hour. It also features a wider bore that accommodates larger patients, along with those with claustrophobia.

When it’s in research mode, engineers and scientists can access the back end of the operating system to study and improve its operation and output, as well as design new components.

The MRI will be used to assess physiological processes such as muscle and brain activity or the behaviour of diseases. Researchers will be able to investigate new efficiencies within the MRI magnet as well as design hardware to support patient diagnosis.

Proof of concept

St. Joseph’s Healthcare’s MRI, which had been primarily used for medical research through the hospital’s Imaging Research Centre (IRC), stepped in to take clinical cases under the CIAMI program beginning in 2022.

“St. Joseph’s Healthcare was instrumental in the implementation of the proof of concept for CIAMI,” says Cheryl Livingston, Chief of Diagnostic Services at the hospital. “We worked out what patients would be suitable, the gains that could made through this model and the benefits to the overall hospital sector.”

By extending the working hours of the MRI and staff, St. Joe’s took on 1,500 to 2,000 hours of clinical MRI work a year or about 6,000 MRI scans under the CIAMI program, targeting those who had been waiting the longest.

As MRI proves to be increasingly useful as a clinical tool, that research directly leads to the growing demand for MRI services that far outstrips capacity and leads to long wait times. Dobranowski believes CIAMI will serve as a model of care for other communities struggling to manage demand. 

“The mindset here was our institutions coming together to do the right thing to solve a problem. All affiliations were just left at that door. There’s no reason this can’t be replicated across the country.”  

This story originally appeared in Momentum Magazine.

Mohawk College’s Applied Research Pathway, Centre for Emerging Research Initiatives and applied research training modules offer a suite of supports for applied researchers.

Fostering a culture of research is a key strategic priority of Mohawk College and that happens on a number of fronts: backing established researchers leading key campus centres of innovation; helping emerging researchers firmly get rooted in their field of inquiry; and growing the ranks of researchers by inviting new people into the fold.

The goals are to provide more opportunities for applied research to students, to collaborate with more industry partners and to improve the rigour and success of the research that is undertaken, says Cristina Gage, Dean of Applied Research.

Mohawk College is home to subject matter experts in a realm of fields, including remote sensors, internet of things, drones, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, digital health, additive manufacturing and many others.

Converting that knowledge into an understanding of the demands, standards and rigours of research through Mohawk College’s Applied Research Pathway, a structured approach that builds the skills of new researchers – and the subsequent benefits to students and industry who can join that exploration – is a powerful model, says Andrea Johnson, who is general manager of the recently created Centre for Emerging Research Initiatives. 

“We know we have untapped resources of expertise amongst our faculty experts and we wanted to create more access to research training to develop their research skills and knowledge that can solve real-life challenges.”

Mohawk College, through IDEAWORKS, its applied research and innovation division, provides resources, support, mentorship and services to faculty, staff and students across the spectrum of research experience.

“Mohawk College has developed a flexible toolbox that supports researchers. The majority of our researchers work within defined innovation centres that employ professional staff,” says Jeff McIsaac, Dean of Engineering Technology & Aviation.

The Applied Research Pathway, developed by Johnson and McIsaac, operates in five levels, beginning with novice researchers, then emerging researchers and working all the way up to established researchers who are leading large projects and building a career in the field.

Researchers complete training and research activities and hit key milestones to move through to the next stage.

“We have researchers across the spectrum of experience, from someone just starting out who needs training and skills development and assistance in finding partners and building relationships to undertake their first project to those who have completed dozens of projects and are managing 10 to 20 researchers and a multi-million dollar budget,” says McIsaac.

“Those two researchers have a completely different set of needs, so with the Applied Research Pathway, we can identify where in the research journey they are and align our supports with that of the needs of 
the researcher.”

An element of the research pathway is a series of applied research training modules that are now open for enrollment to anyone, including individuals, industry and other institutions, and provide the resources for those who want to take on research activities but may be intimidated.

“How do you start? How do you pose a research question? How do you get funding? These are questions that someone new to research would have,” says Gage. “We know there are faculty and staff who 
are interested in research but haven’t had dedicated training.”

The modules also cover research ethics, how to protect intellectual property, how to apply for grants and how to achieve research objectives that create value for the region, province and country.

“The idea is to give back to the entire applied research community with training and knowledge. More applied research knowledge is better for everyone and makes the sector stronger. We really believe in the value of applied research and what it brings to businesses, community organizations and start-ups.”

Babitha Thampinathan, who teaches cardiac sonography part-time at the Institute for Applied Health Sciences, took the applied research modules earlier this year. She is exploring the integration of AI technology, such as a simulation mannikins to evaluate the impact of simulation-based learning.

“I have always planned to do applied research at the school and coming out of the pandemic, I renewed my commitment. I have participated in some clinical research but that’s different from finding an industry partner and funding.”

She said the modules were accessible, sequential and systematic and included videos, hands-on “drag and drop” activities, readings and self-assessments.

“I now understand the terminology of applied research, along with budgets and working with deliverables to research partners. I have referred my colleagues who don’t have a research background and they found it really helpful, too.”

Thampinathan credits the modules with helping her secure two grants, one through the IDEAWORKS Catalyst Fund and the other through an external funder. “I think it’s great Mohawk College has opened this up to external researchers. That is forward thinking and it shows the strength and value of applied research at the college.” 

This story originally appeared in Momentum Magazine.

10 Mohawk College students are among the first recipients of scholarships of $20,000-$40,000 from the prestigious Schulich Foundation.

10 students at Mohawk College – and 100 at 10 colleges in Ontario – are the first group of recipients of the Schulich Builders Scholarships for Skilled Trades.

The scholarships provide $20,000 for one-year certificate students and $40,000 for those pursuing two-year diplomas, covering tuition, tools and living expenses. Schulich Builders, as they are called, get access to leadership training, mentorship, career planning and networking opportunities.

The vision – similar to the Schulich Leaders scholarship program in STEM programs at the university level – aims to grow a network of ambassadors and advocates for the skilled trades.

Schulich Builders is the Schulich Foundation’s first foray into supporting college students. The Foundation, founded by Seymour Schulich, has donated in excess of $350 million to postsecondary institutions and to education access programs.

Mohawk College and nine other Ontario colleges chosen to be part of the program awarded five $20,000 and five $40,000 scholarships this year.

“We are so excited to be among the small group welcoming the first Schulich Builders,” says Katie Burrows, Vice President of Students, International and Alumni. “We are grateful to the Schulich Foundation for putting its faith in Mohawk College and in the college system in general. With the help of our donors, alumni, and premium partners, we are committing to deliver for our students and the community.”

She says 45 per cent of Mohawk College students report that financial pressure represents the greatest barrier to the completion of their education.

The scholarship is open to high school, mature and second-career students. Recipients are chosen by a committee at the receiving colleges.

Based on their letters of support, applicants are evaluated on work ethic, integrity, aptitude and interest in the skilled trades, along with financial need.

Schulich Builders offers an unmatched opportunity on many fronts, says Lorna Somers, Executive Director of the Mohawk College Foundation. 

“The Schulich Foundation is one of the most generous philanthropic organizations in our country. How wonderful that we can now add Mohawk College students to those benefitting from the Schulich Foundation’s response to a crisis for our country. ”

Mohawk College: “The gold standard”

When the leaders at the Schulich Foundation realized that the incredible opportunities, salaries and career paths within the skilled trades weren’t translating into more young people entering those programs in colleges, they decided they could make a difference, says David Goodman, Vice President at the Schulich Foundation.

“We were just scratching our heads. Why aren’t more high school students considering the skilled trades? Many are going into fields with a much lower ability to make a high wage. We feel it’s because of a lack of awareness of the opportunities.”

The Foundation reached out to colleges and collected data, finding that many skilled trades programs are not at full enrollment and apprenticeship and journeyperson paths are not promoted as much as they should be.

“This signalled to us that we could be advocates and champions of the skilled trades as a viable and rewarding career path.”

A prestigious scholarship program will hopefully change perceptions for students, parents and educators, says Goodman. A worsening skilled trades shortage is especially dire at a time of a housing crisis and the critical need to shift to a low-carbon economy.

“And we are seeing a massive disruption to the future of work from AI (artificial intelligence). It means that many professional roles that have traditionally been aspired to by young people are seeing huge downsizing worldwide. The skilled trades is work that isn’t done by software.”

Goodman has very high praise for Mohawk College, calling it “the gold standard” and a “massive asset for Ontario and Canada.”

“It is at the top of the skilled trades game. It has incredible facilities, faculty and leadership. If we could sprinkle what happens at Mohawk College across the country, we would go a long way to addressing this shortage. It feels kind of magical in a way.”

Somers says there are many leaders within and outside Canada who are proud to have been trained in Schulich schools and faculties or who have benefitted from a Schulich Leaders Scholarship.

“They are all recognized by their training as being exceptional leaders, and committed to giving back and changing the world we live in.”

Up close with two Schulich Builders

Mackenzie Booker applied this summer for a one-year Construction Techniques certificate carpentry program at Mohawk College. She was working as a 
carpentry labourer in the Yukon at the time and decided it was something she wants to pursue as a career.

But Booker, 22, wasn’t sure she could afford to go back to school full time.

She got an email from Mohawk College that listed scholarships and bursaries and decided to apply for the Schulich Builders program.

“I was really surprised to get it. I didn’t think there was a chance that would happen,” says Booker, who lives in Woodstock with her mother and grew up in Windham Centre. She didn’t tell anyone she was going to college until she also shared she was receiving the scholarship.

“This takes a lot of the stress off me financially and will help me focus on school.” She plans to enter a two-year diploma program following her certificate and to eventually pursue a Red Seal designation. She most enjoys the framing side of carpentry.

“I like being there at the beginning of the build and I like to work outside, too.”

Booker says she already feels connected to the Schulich Builders network and looks forward to the doors it will open for her.

“It’s really cool to be part of this.”

Ben Wernaart of St. Williams, Ont. was also surprised to win a scholarship. He was awarded $40,000 for a two-year diploma in Manufacturing Engineering Technician – Automation (Industrial Mechanic Millwright).

“I couldn’t believe it when I opened the email. I was kind of in shock for a minute. I read it through again and then I called my mom.”

Wernaart decided to come to Mohawk College after three years at another college. He heard good things from a friend about the Manufacturing Engineering

Wernaart, who has Type 1 diabetes, says the scholarship also gives him the freedom to focus on his health because he’ll have time to go to the gym and get enough sleep.

The 22-year-old plans to pursue a career as a millwright and says the skilled trades offer amazing opportunities. “If you’re hard-working  and willing to listen and learn, there is so much room to move up quickly. There can be a fast progression in your career.”

Wernaart knows that earning the scholarship will open doors. “I don’t have to worry about anything else but doing well here. I will learn everything I can and hit the ground running when I graduate.” 

2023 Schulich Builders Scholarship Recipients

Mackenzie Booker is a recipient of the $20,000 Schulich Builders Scholarship. A resident of Woodstock, Ontario, Booker is studying in the Construction Techniques program this fall.

Ben Wernaart is a recipient of the $40,000 Schulich Builders Scholarship. A resident of St. Williams, Ontario, Wernaart has entered the Manufacturing Engineering Technician – Automation program this fall.

Ayden D’Orio, of Milton, Ontario, is a recipient of the $40,000 Schulich Builders Scholarship. A graduate of St. Francis Xavier Catholic Secondary School in Milton, D’Orio has entered the Manufacturing Engineering Technician – Automation program this fall.

Caleb Kiprutto, of Burlington, Ontario, is a recipient of the $40,000 Schulich Builders Scholarship. A graduate of Burlington’s Aldershot School, Kiprutto will be studying in the Electrical Engineering Technician – Power program this fall.

Rajae Richards, of Oakville, Ontario, is a recipient of the $40,000 Schulich Builders Scholarship. A graduate of Oakville Trafalgar HighSchool, Richards is studying the Building Renovation Technician program this fall.

Isaac Shaw, of Smithville, Ontario, is a recipient of the $40,000 Schulich Builders Scholarship. A graduate of Blessed Trinity Catholic Secondary School in Grimsby, Ontario, Shaw will be studying the Manufacturing Engineering Technician - Automation program this fall.

Ryan Cassalman, of Trenton, Ontario, is a recipient of the $20,000 Schulich Builders Scholarship. A graduate of Trenton High School, Cassalman is studying in the Construction Techniques program this fall.

Tanner Mifsud is a recipient of the $20,000 Schulich Builders Scholarship. A resident of Ancaster, Ontario, Mifsud is studying Heating, Refrigeration & A/C Techniques this fall.

Nathan Morris, of Milton, Ontario, is a recipient of the $20,000 Schulich Builders Scholarship. A graduate of St. Francis Xavier Catholic Secondary School in Milton, Morris is studying in the Construction Techniques – Plumbing program this fall.

Tyler Weir is a recipient of the $20,000 Schulich Builders Scholarship. A resident of Brantford, Ontario, Weir is studying Heating, Refrigeration & A/C Techniques this fall.

This story originally appeared in Momentum Magazine.

Mohawk College celebrates faculty and staff who have published books for National Authors Day on November 1.

For the first time, Mohawk College is  recognizing the authors in its midst.  Dr. Lisa Funnell, Associate Dean of Creative Industries, figures it is long overdue.

She got the idea when Graphic Design professor and professional illustrator Leif Peng showed her his just-published book The Art of the REAL Tom Sawyer.

“I had no idea that he had published a book and it got me wondering how many others at Mohawk had written books,” she says. She reached out to fellow associate deans to compile a list of authors among faculty and staff. “I was excited and impressed by the number of names that came back. We need to recognize the talent at Mohawk College and they deserve to be celebrated.”

The result was a celebration honouring about 20 Mohawk College authors in conjunction with National Authors Day on November 1. They have written everything from course textbooks to adult fiction to children’s stories.

Funnell hopes that the creativity and thought leadership of Mohawk College faculty and staff become better known in the community, alongside its leadership in education and 
applied research.

Funnell knows first-hand what it takes to put a book out into the world. She has seven in print, two more under contract, and another in progress. Her work centres on representation and identity in the film industry and she is an expert in gender and feminism in the James Bond series.

“It’s so different from other forms of writing to write and publish a book. It’s a painful and arduous process. It requires deep contemplation, organization and a long period of edits and revisions.”

Peng’s book documents the impact of Thomas B. Sawyer, whose high-energy images of “happy people with happy problems” appeared in newspapers, magazines and on billboards, fridge magnets and TV. He worked for 30 years in obscurity before abandoning illustration to become an award-winning filmmaker and TV showrunner/screenwriter.

“Leif is so respected in his field,” says Funnell. “I am inspired by the success of these authors and I think others will be, too.”

Dr. Anne-Marie DePape

Title: Charlotte’s Shadow, 2022

Role at Mohawk: Coordinator and Professor in Brain Disorders Management and Mental Health & Disability Management 

I wrote this children’s book alongside Christine Quaglia, a Social Worker at the University of Windsor. We had the idea for almost 20 years to write this book and when COVID hit and others were baking and watching Netflix, we decided it was time.

The book is about a young girl named Charlotte and her dog Shadow. It is told from the perspective of Shadow, who sees Charlotte as larger than life. The book takes children on an adventure as Charlotte goes through her day: mailing a letter, returning a book to the library, and going to her grandmother’s house. It is not revealed until the end that Charlotte uses a wheelchair and that Shadow is her service dog.

I have a background in working with children with disabilities as part of my training as a Developmental Psychologist. Christine has lived experience with a physical disability in addition to her work of supporting students registered with Student Accessibility Services. We met in university and I noticed early on the way that children interacted with her. They had great curiosity about her wheelchair and just asked questions. Christine is so open and loves to show them how her wheelchair works and how she can elevate herself. It creates a teachable moment, and for some kids this might be the first contact they have with someone with a disability.

I had a couple full circle moments where graduates of our programs, now working in elementary schools, tell me how they have incorporated Charlotte’s Shadow into their curriculum. It was the first time that some children saw themselves represented in the books that they read. Disability is not often talked about in children’s literature. When it is discussed, characters with a disability are not always portrayed in a positive way or as primary characters of children’s stories. I think it is really neat that Mohawk College brought us together in a celebration of authors. There is so much talent here. This takes us out of our silos to form a community together.

There may be people thinking about writing a book and I hope this community inspires them to do so.

Carla LaBella

Title: The WOW Book – Ways of Optimizing Well-Being (to be published Fall 2023)

Role at Mohawk: Coordinator of General Arts and Science, Professor of Psychology

This will be an optional book in our Positive Psychology course. I co-created this course in 2018 with my colleague, Tulsie Raghubir-Mamouzellos. At the time, we wanted something to support our course but 
we weren’t happy with the books that were out there.

So I took the materials and my approach to Positive Psychology as I teach it, and turned it into a book. These are tools that I’ve applied in my own life and shared widely with my students and colleagues.

I started writing this book during COVID. That was really the motivation for the book because so many students and others, with and without a mental health issue, struggled during the pandemic.

The book includes a foundational introduction to Positive Psychology and the mind-body connection and explores the many ways we can enhance our wellbeing. Anxiety, sadness and anger are all part of being human. The goal is to help readers build a toolbox so they can better navigate these experiences.

This is my first book, so it’s been a challenging, vulnerable experience. It’s putting yourself out there and there is no way to know what the reception will be. But I’m excited about how it will be used and the impact it may have on others.

I am happy that Mohawk College hosted this authors event. It’s valuable because we have so many talented professors and staff members. It’s nice to have that recognition that people are doing great work. This might inspire people to take on some writing.

John Corr

Title: Eight Times Up, 2019

Role at Mohawk: Professor of Communication and Global Studies

Eight Times Up is my first novel. It’s children’s fiction, written about a boy who trains in the martial art aikido.

I trained in aikido for about 20 years. It’s given me so much. Aikido teaches students how to handle conflict assertively, but without aggression. It’s as much mindful as physical. You learn to defend against your own fear, doubt, hesitation, and surprise.

In Eight Times Up, the main character is a boy named Riley who struggles with anxiety. His father offers him the chance to try aikido, hoping it will help him build resilience and cope with the feeling of being overwhelmed.

The intended audience is readers aged 9-12, but adults enjoy it too. I showed the first draft to a writer-in-residence who encouraged me to send it out. The second publisher I sent it to picked it up. Even though the story is about resilience, I don’t think I could have persevered through 100 rejection letters before getting published.

Writing can be either the best feeling in the world or the worst. It’s so immersive. To me, writing feels like getting lost in a novel that only ends when you want it to. The best part of the two-year-long editing process was arguing with my editor about my characters’ feelings and actions. It meant so much that she cared about the characters as much as I did.

When it came out, I was afraid of two things: that nobody would read it and that anybody would read it. It’s such a personal book. But it’s opened up so many connections and relationships that wouldn’t have happened otherwise.

The book was short-listed for the Hamilton Literary Awards in 2020; was named a TD Summer Reading Club “Top Ten” selection (2020) and a CANSCAIP/Ontario Library Association “Best Bets” Book (2020); and was listed in the Bank Street College of Education “The Best Children’s Books of the Year” (2020).

This recognition for Mohawk College’s authors is vital. It reveals a whole layer of culture that can percolate through and inspire students. If you can’t see it, you can’t be it!

Dr. Sharon Kamassah

Title: Yielding: Life Unraveled, 2021

Role at Mohawk: Manager, Workplace Equity and Inclusion

I’ve always been a writer but I’ve always written in my closet. I’m an introvert. I teach and I have a business but I’m just as happy in my room with the door closed surrounded by books. During the time of COVID, I experimented with writing a book that isn’t fixed in time, that isn’t fixed in location and speaks in different voices. It also explores what it means to have aging parents.

The way my character deals with loss is totally different than how it came about for me. I thought her reaction would be how I would react in a similar situation but I was so wrong.

I self-published the book and dedicated it to my mother. It hurt me that she never knew me as a writer. When she passed in 2021, I just felt that I had to get it out there before 
the year ended.

During the editing stage, I gave it to my daughter to read. She was my first reader and she hated it completely. I felt totally decimated and was tempted to keep the manuscript in my closet. After losing my mother though, I decided that regardless of whether it’s everybody’s cup of tea or not, to just get it out there! Even if it reaches only one person, I’ve reached one person it resonates with and that’s success enough.

My mother had her first stroke at 58. It seemed like she never enjoyed a life beyond hard work up until that point. She is my template so I have to be careful and mindful of the decisions I make based on the lessons I’ve learnt from her. I don’t want any regrets.

I’ve done a lot in my life but I’ve never taken the time to reflect on it. Writing, however, is very reflective. It’s in your mind, heart and spirit. To have my words out there is to be exposed. Some of what I’ve written is me, but some of it is not and the reader doesn’t know which is which. I see continuing to write, doing this vulnerable work, as a step in the right direction. I know it’s part of my growth.

Knowing that there is this community of writers among my colleagues here at Mohawk College is affirming and a huge resource for our college community.

Stephen Metelsky

Title: Undercover: Stories from the Underworld of Law Enforcement, 2021

Role at Mohawk: Professor of Criminology

I had a 21-year career in policing and spent much of that in undercover work where I primarily worked as a handler. A handler is a supervisor who writes an operational plan, oversees safety and coordinates the investigative and surveillance teams.

Undercover really came about by accident. I was working with a collaborator on another project and we interviewed 30 to 40 people. As we kept editing down, I realized that five or six interviews would have to be cut. They were all undercover operatives and the stuff was incredible, but it didn’t fit in the project. So, I asked my partner if I could use the interviews. I was originally going to write a column, but then I decided it was a book.

I reached out to some friends in the undercover world and they came on board, too. My own connections and experience opened doors. There are about a dozen people in the book. It’s a nice mix of stories, timelines and geography.

This book puts readers in the front seat of some incredible stories. When you are infiltrating organized crime networks, gangs and drug dealing organizations, anything can happen in a millisecond. I think for some people in the book it was cathartic to talk about their experience. I want the public to know that the men and women who do this don’t get extra pay and they don’t get on the front page or the six o’clock news. They risk their lives to put really bad people in jail.

With this book, it was such an honour and privilege to tell these stories and such a responsibility to tell them right.

I’ve been writing crime stories for magazines and newspapers for years. Every aspect of my life has been true crime. I’ve lived it from the inside, I went to school for it and now I teach and write about it. I don’t glorify crime or criminals. I’m most interested in bringing cold cases back to the public domain. I’m a proponent of victim rights. I’ve seen the pain and suffering of families.

I am extremely humbled to be among the authors being recognized. It’s an honour to teach at Mohawk College.

This story originally appeared in Momentum Magazine.

Mohawk College’s transformational Climate Action Plan sets a net-zero target for 2035, along with advancing sustainability within student learning and applied research.

A Climate Action Plan releasing this fall is Mohawk College’s transformational roadmap to fight climate change and prepare for a low-carbon economy on three fronts: direct operations, education and training, and applied research and partnerships.

The plan’s target is to achieve net-zero carbon in direct operations – buildings and fleet – by 2035. The plan also focuses on embedding sustainability and climate action into curriculum across the college’s programming, providing extracurricular opportunities and encouraging a sustainability mindset.

“We are training our students to lead and participate in the coming transition to the low-carbon economy,” says Allison Maxted, Manager of Sustainability.

A new comprehensive School of Sustainability and Climate Action will advance education and training elements that are foundational to the Climate Action Plan.

“What sets our Climate Action Plan apart is that it looks at climate action in a holistic way,” says Maxted. “The impact of an educational institution extends well beyond its operations. We are critical to the workforce development and applied research that will move us forward.”

Mohawk College has made it a strategic pillar to make a measurable impact on climate change, says Henry Colyn, Chief Building and Facilities Officer.

“The Climate Action Plan is a roadmap to a destination. We have set aggressive targets for our operations, including an 85 per cent reduction in Scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 based on a 2007 baseline. To achieve that, we are making a significant investment in technology.”

That includes an additional electric boiler, along with conservation efforts and systemic changes to campus practices. Every future deferred maintenance and capital decision will be guided by the plan’s targets. The multilayered strategy will focus on electrification, conservation, storage and on-site generation.

“Our targets are ambitious but they are achievable. It will require a great deal of planning,” says Colyn.

The Climate Action Plan also sets out a proposal to grow the college’s research impact in the realm of climate solutions.

Mohawk College is working with more than 25 companies on complex and challenging decarbonization strategies, along with a number of municipal governments, start-ups and small clean-tech businesses, says Kate Flynn, General Manager of the Centre for Climate Change Management (CCCM).

“The whole plan is about the successes we’ve had and how we will dive into the next deeper level and lead in this space. The next phase is about expanding our advanced research and doing more things better.”

CCCM is the centre of this research, along with the Energy & Power Innovation Centre, the Sensor Systems and Internet of Things (IOT) Lab, and the work of Tony Cupido, who holds a research chair in sustainable building technologies.

“There are so many facets because climate change touches many aspects of our economy,” says Flynn. “We are engaging in more research across the college in interdisciplinary spaces.”

Each of the Climate Action Plan’s pillars has a sponsor from the College’s Senior Leadership Team. A college-wide Steering Group will oversee the implementation of the plan and provide knowledge and expertise to ensure commitments to sustainability and climate action are reflected in planning and decision-making.

Working groups will advance specific areas and the plan identifies guiding principles for incorporating Indigenous concepts of relationships and sustainability.

The Climate Action Plan builds on a longstanding legacy in sustainability. Mohawk College has had a comprehensive environmental management plan in place since 2011 – the first college in Ontario to do so – and has prioritized climate action within its overall strategic plan.

It has been named one of Canada’s greenest employers 10 years in a row and holds a STARS® Gold rating from AASHE (Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education) for sustainability achievements.

Mohawk College has also founded Canadian Colleges for a Resilient Recovery, a national coalition of 14 colleges, cégeps, institutes and polytechnics that is leading the transition to a low-carbon economy, and opened The Joyce Centre, Canada’s first net-zero carbon institutional building.

“Mohawk College serves as a model of what an institution can look like as it moves into the next phase on climate action,” says Flynn.

Five years of The Joyce Centre for Partnership & Innovation

The Joyce Centre for Partnership & Innovation, Canada’s first net-zero institutional building, has inspired many other such buildings and has welcomed thousands through its doors since it opened five years ago.

That includes everyone from local elementary school children to engineers and scientists from across the world, says Tony Cupido, Mohawk’s Research Chair in Sustainable Building Technologies.

He’s led hundreds of tours and the building has hosted numerous conferences for organizations that promote zero-carbon, lowenergy buildings, as well as engineering and architecture groups.

“With respect to its design and construction, this building was ground-breaking. Nothing on this scale had been done before. From a knowledge point of view, this building has contributed a great deal. I think it’s fair to say that virtually every Ontario university and college, and many others, have visited The Joyce Centre.”

Cupido recently led a tour for Hamilton Mayor Andrea Horwath and her team who are searching for efficiencies in the city’s operations of fire halls, police stations, arenas, community centres and other public buildings.

The Joyce Centre has served as a “backbone for student learning” within curriculum, capstone projects, and applied research, says Cupido.

Students have analyzed the performance of the water quality produced by the rainwater harvesting and filtration system, the building’s system of solar panels, the green roof, and its geothermal heating and 
cooling system.

“The thrill is the interest of students in this building, the projects they do and the outcomes they find. Seeing students learn from this building is very rewarding. They will have better knowledge about what buildings can be because they’ve lived and breathed in this building.”

There is now five years’ worth of data on the building’s performance, says Henry Colyn, Chief Building and Facilities Officer. Data is submitted each year to the Canada Green Building Council in order to maintain the building’s zero-carbon certification.

“We have an amazing team of people who operate that building. It’s very technically advanced and it requires technically advanced people skilled in energy, electrical, mechanical and building automation to operate it. It’s not just built and left to run, it needs constant monitoring and adjustment. The ongoing success of this building is 100% due to amazing facilities team we have assembled to operate it.” 

This story originally appeared in Momentum Magazine.

Homebuilder Steve Stipsits of Branthaven Homes is backing a five-year initiative through City School by Mohawk.

A distinguished alumnus is supporting City School by Mohawk and skilled trades training and recruitment at the college with a $1-million donation.

Steve Stipsits, president of local homebuilder Branthaven Homes, says the ongoing housing and housing affordability crisis cannot be solved unless the skilled trades shortage is addressed.

“There is an acute shortage already and a major wave of retirements is about to begin. We can’t build the housing we need without the skilled trades.”

Stipsits, who made the donation along with his wife, Elizabeth, says investing in City School will get more people trained – up to 1,200 individuals – while also tackling engrained poverty in some of the most vulnerable neighbourhoods in Hamilton.

The nationally recognized City School model, which offers tuition-free programs, breaks down barriers and makes postsecondary education accessible to those who need it most, says Stipsits.

“It’s the greatest vehicle I have ever seen to break the cycle of multigenerational poverty.”

Branthaven’s donation with matched funding from Mohawk College’s partnerships and government funding allows for a $2-million, five-year workforce development plan to create and accelerate educational and employment pathways for people in marginalized communities into the residential construction sector.

The investment means more students will be able to access the training and resources that can lead to meaningful, family-sustaining careers in the skilled trades.

“City School is the first step, a point of entry into what can be a direct career path or ongoing education or apprenticeship training,” says Emily Ecker, Associate Dean of Community Partnerships and Learning.

City School has trained more than 4,000 students since its 2015 inception.

Stipsits, who graduated from the Architectural Technology program at Mohawk College in 1984, has been named a Distinguished Alumnus and a Distinguished Fellow of Mohawk College. He now leads Branthaven, which was founded by his parents Albert and Judith, in 1971.

“I have a strong affinity for Mohawk College. I never cease to be amazed at how many at Mohawk College are doing the right thing. They go the extra mile to help people in our community. They see a need and step up to help.”

This story originally appeared in Momentum Magazine.

Canadian Colleges for a Resilient Recovery’s Quick Train Canada is providing a suite of upskilling, reskilling options for workers across the country.

Canadian Colleges for a Resilient Recovery (C2R2) is a nationwide effort led by Mohawk College to coordinate, amplify and accelerate the training and research necessary for the transition to a clean economy.

That foundational organization of 14 partnering colleges, cégeps, institutes and polytechnics from across Canada with strength in climate action and sustainability has now launched Quick Train Canada, a fully funded suite of microcredentials. They cover a wide variety of sectors, including agriculture and agri-food, transportation, natural resources and environment, clean technology, construction and industry development.

Through in-person, virtual and hybrid offerings, learners can choose from microcredentials offered at institutions across Canada. The goal is to train 10,000 people.

“As smart technology advances and the clean economy rolls out across the country, existing industries are adapting to remain competitive and new industries are gaining a strong foothold in the economy,” says Mohawk College President and CEO Ron J. McKerlie. 

Mohawk College founded C2R2 in the fall of 2020 and now acts as its coordinating secretariat.

“Quick Train Canada offers short, agile training targeting those already in the workforce. For some individuals, it might not be feasible to go back to school for a diploma or degree, but with the flexibility of microcredentials it is possible to upskill into a new position or a new industry,” says Adrienne Madden, Coalition Manager of C2R2.

In November 2022, the coalition received $46.5 million in funding from Employment and Social Development Canada under its Sectoral Workforce Solutions Program to support an education solution for all Canadians.

“The power to make a large impact quickly is 100 per cent the reason for the coalition,” says Paul Armstrong, Chief Operating Officer for Mohawk College and C2R2 Steering Group Co-Chair. “The members share an honest commitment to removing barriers and applying a national approach so that we can respond quickly to match the needs of a quickly changing economy.”

Each member institution leads in curriculum development, training and applied research within its own realm of expertise.

“That kind of coordinated effort on this scale has never been applied within the college system before. It’s a very efficient model because it eliminates duplication and the unnecessary expenditure of resources. Fourteen institutions are acting as one,” says Armstrong.

A key pillar of C2R2 is one of fostering inclusion, diversity and equity to ensure equitable access to opportunities. In order to ensure that C2R2’s work reflects the needs of business and industry, the coalition has established a national industry advisory council that brings together the voices of large industry sectors, Indigenous peoples, youth and other underrepresented groups.

So far, more than half of Quick Train learners identify as being among an equity-deserving group, which includes women, Indigenous people, racialized and visible minorities, people with disabilities, 2SLGBTQIA+ and newcomers.

“There is strength in this shared mission, this shared vision to work together and in the commitment to EDI (equity, diversity and inclusion),” says Christine Watson, Vice President, Academic at Red River College Polytechnic (RRCP) in Manitoba, one of C2R2’s founding members.

RRCP offers microcredentials in electric vehicle (EV) technology, EV communications and computer systems, building envelope science and working in social innovation andconsultation with Indigenous communities. It will soon roll out courses in hydrogen production, diesel exhaust emission reduction systems and hydrogen fuel cell vehicles.

“We know other colleges have expertise that we don’t have so it’s an opportunity to leverage our strengths and to call upon the capacity, resources and expertise of all the other colleges,” said Watson, who co-chairs the C2R2 steering group alongside Armstrong.

“This is the right time and these are the right offerings. Demand has been high for our training options. The majority of our learners are employed and are looking for shortburst training for new jobs or new fields. And because the federal government has backed this model, Canadians have access to training in a way they never have before,” she says.

“We are so impressed by the vision and leadership that Mohawk College and Ron and Paul brought forward. We cannot take this on individually. It has to be a collaborative, collective response.”

The need for this type of skills training is enormous.

The C2R2 secretariat team centred at Mohawk College is made up of nine people, including staff seconded from four member institutions. That secretariat provides administrative, communications and government relations support to the coalition and its associated groups, leads all grant applications, handles all day-to-day operations, and drives business development opportunities. 

This story originally appeared in Momentum Magazine.

In this second Q&A in the series, Momentum invites a Mohawk College alumnus to speak with a current student to share advice, wisdom and understanding of how things change and how they stay the same. In recognition of the college’s focus on building success in its Athletics department, former MVP volleyball player (2003-2008) and Hall of Fame member Peter Sniuolis, who graduated from Architectural Technology in 2007 and then earned a Mohawk-McMaster Bachelor of Technology, speaks with current varsity player Turner Neame, who started at Mohawk in 2020. He has finished a two-year Construction Engineering Technician – Building Renovation program and is playing his third year on the volleyball team. He is an OCAA and CCAA all-pro academic player and plans to seek his Red Seal as a carpenter.

Peter to Turner: What was it like to be on the team during COVID? 

That was my first year on the team. We had a full pre-season but then got shut down. We did Zoom calls online as a team and played online video games together. We really got to know each other and then in the second semester, it was crazy. We played nine games in four weeks and we had quick playoffs. If anyone had any symptoms they had to wear masks on the bench but not on the court. Some practices we had to wear them, too.

Peter to Turner: What kind of equipment do you have access to?

Matt Ferreira, our athletics director, is pushing a culture of excellence. We have two full ball carts, a serve machine and our weight room is amazing. We just got new Mountaineers jerseys with new colours and the gym floor was repainted with the new branding. We have a varsity change room, an athletic lounge where athletes can study and have access to massage therapists and trainers.

Last year, at the start of the season we had a mental coach who talked to us about handling stress and on-court regulation. Those tips and tricks were definitely helpful, especially for first-years who are coming from high school or club volleyball. The mindset of excellence we have now isn’t all about winning, but always striving to win.

Turner to Peter: What was the equipment like during your playing time?

We had six balls in my initial year, including one that wasn’t round and had the outside peeling off, and we played in rejected Team Canada jerseys that were too big for us. Back then we didn’t have a serving machine, so we all have bad shoulders now because we were our own serving machine. Definitely didn’t have access to the resources that are currently available.

Turner to Peter: What was your record?

In my five years at Mohawk, I think we lost about six league games. We had a strong team every year and we pushed for provincials and nationals each season. We medalled once at nationals. This success can be attributed to our coach, James Bradley who shaped us into a perpetual championship team.

Peter to Turner: How is your team looking this year?

We came fifth last year and fourth the year before that. We are definitely going in the right direction with our program and our team. We are looking for a medal this year. We have five recruits this year who are looking solid. We have a decent number of veterans, which leaves the rookies time to get better. We know Humber College is going to be good, they always are. Fanshawe College is going to be good. They have a five-year setter who has come back for his last year after being CCAA player of the year. We lost both setters after the COVID year so I had to step in to be a setter. I’m only 5-foot-8, so blocking wasn’t fun. I’m now a libero, a back-row defensive specialist.

Turner to Peter: Do you keep in contact with your teammates? 

We were and still are extremely tight. I have a small family, and when I was getting married I invited about 25 people to the wedding, all from volleyball. We still go to the cottage together, we play rec volleyball, softball, and continue to do things together. They are probably my best buddies. You’ll never lose contact with these guys. You’ll be groomsmen at each other’s weddings and 
there for each other when you have kids. That was the greatest benefit of playing team sports in college.

Turner:

We are great friends and I think COVID made that even stronger. I was a groomsman for our team captain from last year. His groomsmen were all volleyball guys. Does that friendship help you on the court?

Peter:

I think it was the key to our success. We were always a smaller team but a lot of it came down to how close we were and how we played as a team. That relationship definitely allowed us to win games we shouldn’t have.

Turner to Peter: How did sports impact your career? 

I ended up as a Professional Engineer currently with the roads department at the City of Hamilton. Sports have been huge for me. My time there has gone a long way in the real world helping me understand people and how they work. Some people need constant reinforcement, others don’t. Some people need you to scream at them, others need a pat on the back.

Wherever you work you are going to be part of a team. Through sports, you learn to relate to people and how to talk to people. I was a quiet person before volleyball, but that changed after the first year. The intangibles you don’t get in school, you get in sports. You learn to work with people who are different than yourself. You can’t teach it, you learn it.

Peter to Turner: What has volleyball taught you?

There will always be conflict. You have to get over it quickly and problem-solve quickly and move on from it. I was also quiet in first year but I found myself being a veteran in second year. I had to step into a role of leadership and help guide new people. That was good for me.

How did you each manage the commitment of varsity sports with a college workload?

Turner:

You are so busy that you have to be efficient and take any time you have to keep up on your work. I did lighten my course load last year so I didn’t drown. Making lists and taking time on the bus (on the way to games) to do readings has really helped me. I use the athletic lounge to do some work in a quiet space.

Peter:

I knew I wanted to go into the BTech program so I had to work a bit harder to get my grades up following my first year. You give up a lot as a student athlete. We practised from 10 p.m. to midnight and then 
I was back up for an 8 a.m. class. There’s definitely sacrifices you make, but you gain friendships and social aspects through the team considering we’re always together. It was all worth it.

Turner to Peter: What was the old rec centre like?

We loved playing there. The roof was lower than it is now and there were stands only on one side. It was a great facility. But to see how far it’s come with the David Braley Athletic and Recreation Centre facility now, is really cool. The resources available to students is something I wish we had. Hopefully, we played a small part in pushing things in that direction.

How about the fan support?

Peter:

So in my first year, I remember the BlackBerry Bold with a screen for text messaging was just released, so we could text, which was strange. There was no social media and you had to build relationships in person. I’m happy that none of that was around when I played. I’m not a social media guy now so I think (all the social media attention on athletes) may have been a challenge for me. We had loyal fans come out to all of our games and lack of social media contributed to that. We didn’t need as many fans to come out to fill the gym and make it exciting.

Turner:

I don’t use social media much either but I do love the highlight videos the Athletics department produces. It’s pretty cool to see them after a game. A lot of students now watch the games on livestream so there isn’t a crazy amount of fans at the games, other than parents and other athletes. But definitely, during playoffs, the gym is packed. It’s a big gym, so there is a lot of space to fill.

Turner to Peter: How was your transition from being a student to working?

My biggest advice is to remember you are a student first and an athlete second. If you do well in the classroom, you’ll play better and you set yourself up for success. It’s very difficult to play volleyball professionally, so the chances of making a living are slim, but you will make a living based on your academics. Sometimes it’s about finding something you don’t hate to do, rather than what you love to do. I studied engineering, became a Professional Engineer, and ended up initially designing roads and bridges and quickly found out it wasn’t for me. Now I’m in roadway maintenance and I enjoy it. Also, take care of your body now. My knees are giving out on me at 39 – it catches up to you. 

This story originally appeared in Momentum Magazine.

The Insurance graduate is the second Mohawk College student in a row to win honours at the provincial and national levels.

Adam Longboat’s initiative around Truth and Reconciliation activities at his co-op placement helped to earn him provincial and national co-op student of the year awards for 2022.

Longboat, who has since graduated from Mohawk’s Insurance program, earned the awards through Experiential and Work Integrated Learning Ontario and Co-operative Education and Work-Integrated 
Learning Canada.

Last year, Brittany Gaudet won both awards and Longboat is Mohawk’s third winner since the awards were instituted in 2010. Longboat, who is Indigenous, completed his co-op at Swiss Reinsurance in Toronto and made his mark there, said his nominator and supervisor, Dipika Deol.

“He surpassed the responsibilities of his role as a co-op student, contributing to other functional areas and to the evolution of our culture. Under our guidance as his manager and sponsor, Adam successfully applied himself, shaping his co-op term by proposing his own agenda, projects, and content for (inclusion and diversity) initiatives,” she wrote.

He played a key role in Swiss Reinsurance’s week of events to observe the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. He invited elders to talk about residential schools and the history of the Haudenosaunee people.

Longboat also shared his own experiences with anti-Indigenous racism. “I just want people to understand where Indigenous people are coming from, why people feel hurt,” Longboat said in a Hamilton Spectator story about his co-op awards.

“I just want my kids to grow up in a world where people understand.” Among his other accomplishments during his co-op, he prepared a briefing document about permafrost in Canada and engaged with a treaty client to understand the historical and present context around insurance products for Indigenous communities.

“Adam has been very easy to get to know. He’s friendly, approachable and shares his thoughts and questions. He’s a strong team player,” wrote Deol.

Longboat, a father of two, came to Mohawk as a mature student after working as a welder. He was forced to look for another career after suffering a serious injury in an industrial accident. He was selected by his professors to represent students on the program advisory committee due to his academic performance, contributions in the classroom, and the respect he earned from his peers.

The provincial co-op award comes with $500 and the national award comes with $1,500. 

This story originally appeared in Momentum Magazine.

Welcome to the Fall 2023 edition of Momentum in which we highlight some of the game-changing investments, partnerships and innovative thinking at Mohawk College that continue to generate lasting change.

Read all about the creation of the Centre for Integrated and Advanced Medical Imaging (CIAMI). It’s a wonderful example of the power of collaboration and the incredible tradition of partnership between McMaster University and Mohawk College.

It will improve clinical MRI services in our community, train next-generation MRI technologists and contribute to important research in a variety of fields. We are thrilled to work with McMaster, Hamilton Health Sciences and St. Joseph’s Healthcare to bring CIAMI’s unique model to life.

Our college is also honoured to be among the 10 colleges in Ontario to welcome the first recipients of Schulich Builders Scholarships for Skilled Trades. Ten of our students were awarded life-changing, prestigious scholarships from the Schulich Foundation, Canada’s leading educational philanthropic organization. Together, Schulich Builders and Ontario’s colleges are taking on the skilled trades shortage.

Mohawk also continues its pioneering work on the transition to a low-carbon economy through Canadian Colleges for a Resilient Recovery (C2R2). This coalition of 14 Canadian colleges has formed a powerful force for workforce development through Quick Train Canada and its micro-credential training.

We are happy to celebrate the authors in our midst for the first time. Faculty and staff who have published their work – everything from textbooks to children’s books – were honoured on November 1, National Authors Day.

We also present our second instalment of Then and Now in which Mountaineers Hall of Fame volleyball player Peter Sniuolis and current varsity volleyball player Turner Neame share their experiences, insights and advice.

There is plenty more in this issue of Momentum, including a $1-million donation by local homebuilder Steve Stipsits to City School by Mohawk, our leading work on campus sustainability initiatives, and the training modules developed at Mohawk that will help aspiring and emerging researchers from across the country. We are very proud of what happens at Mohawk College and we hope you will see why in this issue of Momentum. 

Regards, 
Ron J. McKerlie

This story originally appeared in Momentum Magazine.

In this first of a series, Momentum invites a Mohawk College alumnus to speak with a current student in the same program to share advice, wisdom, and understanding of how things change and how they stay the same. In this kickoff Q&A, and in celebration of 50 years of nursing at Mohawk College, 1970 Nursing graduate Jan Brimer speaks with Practical Nursing student Jess Mills, who finished her program in December. She has been hired at Joseph Brant Hospital to work in complex and palliative care.

What has been your path to nursing?

Jan Brimer: I graduated in 1970 from the Hamilton and District School of Nursing (HADSON). That was just before the colleges got involved and took over the nursing programs in 1973 and four local nursing schools became part of Mohawk. I was strongly influenced by my grandmother who was a nurse here in 1918, during the Spanish Flu epidemic. I was fascinated by her stories. I don’t remember deciding to go into nursing, I feel I was born to be a nurse. I worked for 20 years full time and part time at Joseph Brant Hospital before cutbacks came along and I shifted to home care. I retired about five years ago but I still carry my licence and I still do consultations and private visits for a local pharmacy.

Jess Mills: I am a mom of five and I live in Grimsby. I did a Pre-Health upgrade program in 2021 before going into Nursing. High school me said, ‘Who needs science?’ Turns out I did. I have wanted to be a nurse since I was 18 (my grandmother was also a nurse) but I started my family young and I wasn’t able to go back to school until now. I’m not sure how I did it, especially since I was studying online while trying to homeschool some of my kids during COVID, but I blinked and here I am. I just want to be a help to people.

Jess to Jan: When you first started out, what did a day in the life look like?

When I was really new, I was responsible for six or seven patients a day on the short-stay surgery ward. So many of those surgeries are day surgeries today. One of the big differences today is that drugs are administered through IV pumps. When I was starting out, nurses didn’t do intravenous, so we were giving analgesics intramuscularly (needles). It was time-consuming to deliver that way but I prided myself on the fact that patients didn’t feel it too much. Also, we worked eight-hour shifts, first seven days in a row, with two days off, and then five days in a row with four days off. We didn’t have 12-hours shifts like today.

Nurses are now thought of as part of the team but when I was starting out, there was a huge gap between doctors and nurses. Now nurses get the respect they deserve.

Jan to Jess: What has been your most challenging experience so far?

The confidence on placements to ask questions of the doctors and the seasoned nurses. They are rocking their jobs and it’s intimidating as a brand-new nursing student to talk to them. In school, it was the workload and the volume of material to cover in such a short time. Many times, I was up to 2 or 3 a.m. reading and trying to grasp the concepts.

Jess to Jan: When you were first going into nursing, what areas did you want to go into and were there any you never wanted to do?

I didn’t really know what I wanted to do coming out of training but I did know that I didn’t want to do psychiatric nursing. I wasn’t comfortable with that. I loved the surgical ward and the fast turnover there. I just always wanted to do hands-on care.

Jan to Jess: Where do you see your career in five to 10 years?

I know I have found my passion in complex and palliative care. There are so many options in nursing and I do also love mental health work. It’s a difficult but rewarding path there. I do know that I don’t want to be stagnant and stop learning. I see some people who are robots and don’t want to learn new ways of doing things.

Jess to Jan: What has been the hardest thing about nursing?

I never dreamed I would be laid off. It was sudden, devastating and very shocking. I had always been a nurse and I didn’t know what else I would do. I had a couple of odd jobs until a former co-worker got hired for home care and convinced me to apply. Home care staff don’t get enough pay or respect but I took every part-time course at Mohawk College about home care and I found I loved it. So, get experience in hospitals but look at other opportunities, too. There are so many things nurses can do.

Jess to Jan: In a career full of burnout, what’s your advice for a long-lasting career?

If you feel stuck or burned out, go somewhere different or go into something else. Look after yourself. Rely on your colleagues to help you through the tough times. Lean on each other. I still keep in touch with a lot of people I went to school with or who I nursed with early in my career. And make sure you take time to enjoy your family and your time off.

What inspires you about working with patients?

Jess: We see people on their worst day and when they feel their worst. But as a nurse, I am there for them and will do whatever I can to make them feel better. I just think of the patients and their perseverance and I know I can do whatever I have to do, too.

Jan: To see their appreciation at the end. They may not have always liked what you were doing at the time, but they know it was for the best. In palliative, I always just wanted to make it the best it could possibly be for the patient and for the families.

What advice would you give to others considering nursing?

Jess: There is no shame in asking for help when you need it. I was doing my placement at Brantford General Hospital and my child was sick. I had to ask for help. I had to ask for help when I needed a study group. We have to swallow our pride and ask for help. And also, when it’s your passion, you just keep going. I would tell myself it doesn’t matter how much I have to read or write, I’m going to get it done because this is what I want to do.

Jan: Don’t ever stop learning. When I moved to home care, I didn’t like it because I had to work on my own. But I took specialization courses in wound care and I really loved to see patients through their journey from pre-op to post-op and back home again. I did a lot of palliative care, too. And I found that very rewarding. But when I first studied wound care, I felt so intimidated. There was so much I didn’t know. Then I took an ostomy course and that was worse. At that time, I was working and dealing with my kids. But I got through somehow.

What sets a nurse apart in the health care system?

Jess: For me, I have a huge passion for advocating for my patients. Nurses have an ability and drive to advocate because they have the knowledge and spend the time with the patients. If we have to repeatedly go to a doctor or a manager, then we will.

Jan: I was also going to say advocating. In a home care setting, we are always trying to get more services and resources for patients and families at home. It’s always about getting your patients the care they need. If you have to step on some toes or tick someone off, so be it. You have to know how to get what the patient needs. Whether it’s 52 years ago when I graduated or this year when you are, the nurse is at the heart of the system.

50 years of Nursing at Mohawk College

The Mohawk College Nursing program began in 1973 when four schools of nursing – Brantford General School of Nursing, Hamilton Civic Hospitals School of Nursing, St. Joseph School of Nursing and the Hamilton and District School of Nursing (HADSON) – came under the College’s oversight.

That move, initiated across the province by the Ontario government, had the support of the College of Nurses. It reflected the growing belief that nurses would have more professional status and career opportunities with a post-secondary college education.

Those predecessor schools had been training nurses for more than 100 years. Three were directly attached to hospitals, while HADSON was an independent school sponsored by the Hamilton Health Association (formerly the Mountain TB Sanatorium) and was located on the Hamilton Mountain brow.

It was an enormous task to bring those four schools, still operating in their existing locations, into one program, says Rosemary Knechtel, who was teaching at the HADSON school at the time of the transition.

She went on to be Mohawk’s Dean of Health Sciences and Human Services and then Vice President Academic before retiring in 2010 after a 39-year career at the College.

“All of the schools had very good reputations. The programs were rigorous and nurses took a lot of pride in where they had gone to school, so there was a sense of loss and a grieving process at first. But bringing the programs together with Mohawk College meant building on all their strengths to create something new and highly successful.”

In 1978, a newly renovated HADSON facility became home to all of Mohawk College’s Hamilton-based nursing students and was named the Chedoke campus. The Brantford site continued until it was eventually closed.

Faculty and staff from all the predecessor nursing schools established careers at Mohawk College, says Knechtel.

She was a graduate of HADSON and took advantage of a “sandwich” program in which students went to Western University for a year, then to HADSON for two years and then back to Western for a final year. They earned a nursing diploma, along with a bachelor’s of science in nursing.

“It was a very innovative program and there were only a few of them in Ontario at the time,” says Knechtel, who went on to earn a master’s degree at McMaster University.

The merger of the four schools into Mohawk College built on their great programs and paved the way for what came later, including a problem-based curriculum, new programs in Practical Nursing and Personal Support Worker, a Practical Nursing partnership with Six Nations Polytechnic, and a great deal of global outreach to improve nursing programs.

It also laid the foundation for a partnership with McMaster University on a Nursing degree program – the first in Ontario – and a new joint facility in the Institute for Applied Health Sciences that is home to Mohawk’s nursing programs, says Knechtel.

“It has been a very deep and productive relationship between McMaster and Mohawk and it’s been a model for others,” she says.

“The Nursing programs at Mohawk College are well recognized and so respected for graduates who provide top-notch care because they were founded on these strong predecessor schools, the enthusiastic support of Mohawk College and later on the partnership with McMaster University in 2001.” 

This story originally appeared in Momentum Magazine.

Digital Health degree combines computer science, health care and business into one integrated discipline.

Oluwafemi Agbeye is among the first cohort of students in Mohawk College’s multidisciplinary Digital Health degree program, the College’s first standalone degree.

That group is now about half-way through the four-year program, while another cohort is finishing its first year. It combines computer science, health care and business and integrates research, applied learning and placements.

All those threads interest Agbeye.

He works as a support worker for people with developmental delays, sometimes working full-time hours. But he also loves to program and code and has his eye on one day managing a health care business that develops software.

Digital health is a broad field, encompassing everything from analyzing the data that helps clinicians make better treatment decisions to electronic health records to virtual patient visits to remote patient monitoring.

Right now, the concept of digital health and what those skills mean isn’t generally known but Agbeye is confident that his skillset will be in high demand.

Originally from Nigeria, Agbeye studied anatomical sciences and then computer science in Caracas for two years before deciding to move to Canada.

He started a personal support worker course in Toronto but then decided he should capitalize on his computer skills. He came to Mohawk College to study Software Development.

“When Digital Health was introduced, it really offered everything I was looking for, so I crossed over. I want a career that combines health care and IT.”

The program is challenging, says Agbeye, “but all of that comes with benefits. Knowledge comes from the challenge.”

Alongside courses in software development, mobile development and user interface design comes anatomy and physiology, patient safety and risk management, statistics, data analytics, telehealth, digital imaging, emerging technologies, entrepreneurship and project management.

“This is a demanding program with a robust workload,” says Varrasso. “It combines a higher-level theoretical understanding with the hands-on applied learning we’re known for at Mohawk College.”

“Student feedback is outstanding. They love the program.” 

This story originally appeared in Momentum Magazine.

Varsity athletes might get a lot of the glory but it takes 150 people to make Mohawk College’s Department of Athletics and Recreation operations run smoothly.

“So much of what we do goes beyond varsity athletics,” says Director Matt Ferreira. “We are one of the largest employers of students on campus. We employ close to 100 students across our department.”

All told, the Athletics department employs 150 people, including coaches and assistant coaches and four full-time administration staff.

The department instituted a high-performance culture and structure for varsity athletics a few years ago but that mindset extends into every aspect, says Ferreira.

The student employees in Mohawk College’s Athletics department work in facilities management, manage intramurals, extramurals, and drop-in sports, broadcast games, write game-day stories, post on social media, set up for game day, and act as commentators, statisticians and table staff.

Students also serve as team managers, handling team uniforms, setting up equipment and assisting the coaching staff for the nine varsity teams.

Mohawk College is home to the state-of-the-art David Braley Athletic and Recreation Centre (DBARC), which houses three gymnasiums, a fitness centre with a weight room, cardio equipment, and walking track, a multi-purpose fitness and spin studio, two outdoor basketball courts, multiple socialization areas, and meeting and office spaces.

Managing those facilities requires a team of 52 students, who are either employed or on co-op placements, says Facilities Supervisor Ashley Mamone, who’s been with the Athletics department since 2018.

The Facilities team interacts with Mohawk students, athletes, faculty, staff and community members who rent gym space. They check in facilities users, clean and maintain equipment, help out with intramural and extramural leagues, provide customer service, and provide game-day set up and tear down.

“We ensure that all programs – varsity, intramural, extramural and community – operate smoothly.”

“This is a busy place and very customer service-focused. The people who typically are interested in working here aspire for a sports-centric career. This shows them what the day-to-day operations are all about.”

“There are incredible opportunities here from a student staffing perspective. This is a big operation and we are really proud of it.”

Recreation Therapy student Alysson Claxton works in facilities within the Athletics department as a Wellness Customer Experience Representative.

“Athletics is a great environment to work in. I’m a very go-go-go person and there is always something going on. I love coming to work every day.”

This story originally appeared in Momentum Magazine.

Analytics for Business Decision Making, a one-year post-graduate certificate, helps mid-career professionals learn the tools and skills of data.

A second cohort of students is finishing a one-year post-graduate certificate focused on Analytics for Business Decision Making.

The certificate offers executive course delivery in afternoons and evenings, with a mix of face-to-face, self-directed, and live online courses.

It requires no prior programming or statistics experience and develops skills that are applicable to any industry.

Students work with real businesses individually and in teams to develop insights from their data.

Anand Nair says the program offers a solid grounding in industrial tools that aid in business decision-making through data modelling and structuring streams of data, along with how to communicate data analytics with colleagues and supervisors and the basics of programming in multiple languages.

He has a bachelor degree in mechanical engineering and an MBA in finance and worked in mergers and acquisitions for three years in his native India.

“I decided that data analytics would be a good extension for me. Only a few colleges in Canada offer analytics for business decision-making programs like this one. I felt the faculty and the industry experience was great at Mohawk.”

His classmates come from diverse backgrounds, have a range of industry experience and come from around the world.

Mergers and acquisitions are all about numbers in balance sheets and profit and loss statements. Using data analytics adds a huge advantage.

“Predictive modelling is most fascinating for me. Using data to predict future trends is mind-boggling to me,” he says.

Nair anticipates he’ll work in finance but is also interested in marketing.

“Data can help us predict the human mindset.”

Anh Nguyen is in the program to build her skillset within her human resources field.

“I realized that data analytics is a necessary skill because HR policies need to be backed up with data so they are of the most benefit.”

Nguyen, who has worked in the banking field in her native Vietnam, says data has to be used to answer questions.

“Without answering questions, the data is useless. The first semester is about the technical tools and the second semester has a focus on answering business questions and how to tell the story of the data.”

Nguyen says she chose Mohawk’s graduate certification program because it’s highly practical, hands-on and project-based.

“It’s an intense workload but there so much demand for this knowledge in so many fields. It’s a perfect blend of technical, business and communication skills.”

This story originally appeared in Momentum Magazine.

Cross-country runner Matias Tessel and basketball guard Stefan Anisko balanced varsity athletics with their studies in Aviation.

Two Aviation Maintenance students made big contributions this past season as Mohawk Mountaineers varsity athletes.

Cross-country athlete Matias Tessel has qualified two years in a row for the national championships and was named both seasons to the all-Ontario second team. In 2021, the team finished with a bronze in the Ontario Colleges Athletic Association (OCAA) and last year, finished fifth in the OCAA.

Tessel only began running cross-country three years ago when he decided in 2020 to transfer to Mohawk College. For the two previous years, he had been a sprinter at Wilfrid Laurier University.

“It is a different type of training to go from sprinting to cross-country. The transition was difficult at first and I got injured from over-training. I’m a very competitive person and I just went too hard.”

Tessel, who is from Guelph, says he had to adjust to committing more time to training each week.

“We run 8 kilometres. We do hills and forests, generally in a 2-kilometre loop. That requires building endurance and strength.”

It’s tough to balance varsity athletics with an intense, hands-on program, but Tessel says he managed through concentrating on time management. That included studying ahead, waking up early to run in the morning or squeezing a run in on his lunch break.

Tessel, who is captain of his team, is a “valuable teammate and a very important part of this department,” says Athletics Director Matt Ferreira.

The team of six men and four women trains year-round under coach David Hopton, who coaches triathletes at McMaster University. There is a new high-performance focus in an effort to become one of the elite cross-country schools in the country.

Stefan Anisko, a first-year Mountaineer basketball player, loves the hands-on work in Aviation Maintenance and the state-of-the-art facility at the Hamilton International Airport.

“It’s a great program and I’m really enjoying it. And we had a great season on the court, so it’s a win-win. My teammates are fantastic and I had a lot of fun.”

Anisko, who is at Mohawk College on a basketball scholarship, also had a great year. Men’s basketball finished the season with a 14-4 record, second-best in the OCAA West Division, and won the OCAA bronze medal. Anisko was awarded the OCAA Sixth Man of the Year award and was named to the OCAA All-Rookie Team after averaging 20 points per game (seventh-best in the OCAA). He also shot 40 per cent from three (eighth-best in the OCAA) and made 46 threes (seventh-best in the OCAA).

“Stefan had an incredible year and made a major impact as a rookie,” says Ferreira.

The team, coached for 16 years by Mohawk graduate and former Mountaineer varsity basketball player Brian Jonker, last won the CCAA national title in 2012.

Anisko’s schedule was intense. Classes run every day from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. and then he had 90-minute practice four days a week and a weekly workout in the weight room. And once, sometimes twice a week, there were away games, which can be hours away.

“As long as I stayed on top of things, I could manage it. My instructors were very helpful. They were always available and so were my coaches.”

Anisko, who lives in Caledonia, says he enjoyed the travel time to away games because it meant more bonding time with his teammates.

“We are more than a team. We are more like a family.”

Tessel graduates in May but has decided to come back in the fall in order to run another cross-country season.

The College supports its athletes in many ways, says Tessel, including buying professional software that tracks training and performance and providing access to a mental performance coach. He says having a smaller roster of sports at Mohawk College is a strength.

“It’s a small community and everyone knows each other. The high-performance focus means everyone is working together to win.” 

This story originally appeared in Momentum Magazine.

The Sports Information team documents athletic performances and aims to fill the bleachers.

As Mohawk College ramps up its varsity athletics performance, the Athletics department is ensuring the achievements of its athletes are well-documented.

Sports Information Coordinator Satbir Singh was hired in September 2021. He runs the Athletics website, manages all the social media platforms, liaises with external media, and oversees all the stories, photography, videos and news releases produced within the department.

That includes the work of two student journalists who write game recaps and managing the relationship with the Broadcast Media program whose students film home games. There are also student positions in photography, social media and graphic design.

Singh also contributes advance stories for high-profile games.

Singh, a Burlington native, worked at the student newspaper at Brock University for five years and served as a broadcaster for basketball and volleyball games. He then worked at a newspaper in Niagara for two years covering community news and politics.

The opportunity to focus on sports again drew him to the opportunity at Mohawk College.

“All my experiences in student positions were so valuable to me. It’s great to give those experiences to students at Mohawk.”

One of his hires is Alex Macdonell, a Health, Wellness and Fitness student, who is filming all home games and producing highly stylized highlight reel videos (also called hype videos) that are being widely shared on the Mohawk Mountaineers Instagram account.

It’s been a busy year. He’s often filming two games a week, which takes about five hours of time. Then sorting through footage and editing it together takes another 10 to 12 hours.

“I love videography so much that I will make sacrifices to do it. That usually means staying up late.”

Macdonell used money he’s earning to buy new cameras and a computer for his videography work. Wherever his career takes him, Macdonell knows videography will be a part of it.

“I’m investing in myself because I want to make videos my full-time job. I’m always thinking about new ideas for videos. I’d say 70 per cent of my energy and thoughts are about videos.”

Macdonell loves that his videos are shared by players, teams and spectators.

“If we can fill up the bleachers and if I am playing a role in that, I’m happy. My job is to show how good our athletes are. There is nothing like being there at the game.”

“We hope to see the excitement and energy of American collegiate athletics infused into the culture of Mohawk College,” says Singh.

“We are celebrating our student-athletes’ achievements and we want to show future students that Mohawk College is the place to come play.”

The Sustainability Office offers a range of roles for students in delivering campus programs.

Sustainability is a key pillar of Mohawk College’s strategic plan and that comes to life in the Sustainability Office, which offers internships, co-ops, employment and volunteer opportunities for students.

The Sustainability Office is able to hire students for its programs through the Sustainability Initiatives Fund (SIF), a partnership between Mohawk College and the Mohawk Students’ Association.

Each year, several hundred students participate in sustainability programs at Mohawk College.

“Many of our programs and services have an engagement, outreach and peer-to-peer component to them, so students are very important to our team,” says Manager Allison Maxted.

They often come from environmental or technology programs, but also come from business, journalism, graphic design and marketing, says Maxted.

“Sometimes students want experience in their field but sometimes they are driven by their personal interests.”

Programs include an e-waste collection program, a bike loan program, free bike repairs and tune-ups, a secure bike cage, a community garden, a local food farm stand on campus, pollinator gardens and a bee apiary that is managed by a beekeeper.

“Most of our programs come from student ideas. We have an idea bank campaign annually and ask students to submit their ideas. The Sustainability Office and a committee that includes three College representatives and three from the MSA decides which programs to choose and how to spend the fund.”

The farm stand sells the food it buys from a local-food wholesaler to Mohawk students and staff at cost. Sales include Bounty Bags, which feature a recipe and all the ingredients for $20.

The Sustainability Office also manages an orientation program, offering reusable water bottles and a filling station, move-in and move-out donation boxes for any items that could go to charities or recycling, and lots of information so that students understand what sustainability means at Mohawk College.

“We try to make a big splash so it’s really visible.”

During the pandemic, the Sustainability Office also managed a mask recycling program that diverted 260,000 masks from the landfill.

The volunteer Green Team, which launched in September, is an opportunity for students to collect hours towards their Co-Curricular Record. Those who contribute five hours get a Green Team designation, along with a sustainability kit that includes reusable mugs, cutlery and dryer balls.

A key function of the Green Team, which has about 30 volunteers registered for this semester, is pop-up teaching at the centralized waste station in the Fennell campus cafeteria to help students understand how to sort properly.

Volunteers also do community cleanups and host workshops, such as a recent one that showed students how to have a wasteless winter break, says Cassi Brennan, Green Team Junior Coordinator.

She is in her final semester of Environmental Technology, working 15 hours a week for the Sustainability Office.

“Sometimes it’s a challenge to balance my studies and work, but because it’s sustainability I love it. I never dread going to work. I’m very happy and grateful to be in this role. I get to work with people who are super passionate about sustainability.”

Eva Dannys managed the community garden last summer after graduating from the Environmental Technician program in April 2022.

Her greatest challenge was getting all the garden plots ready after two years of reduced maintenance during the pandemic.

“The weeds definitely took over and the plants spread. It took a few weeks before we could turn over the gardens to get stuff growing.”

The garden is 51 plots measuring eight feet by four feet. The garden is free to use and simply requires registration in the early spring. Dannys, who now works as a quality control analyst for Collective Arts brewery, also provided advice and guidance about how to plant, grow and harvest vegetables and herbs.

Members have access to gardening tools and to a seed bank of donated seeds.

“You can pick and plant what you want. Everything you could need is on site.”

Last summer, students, faculty, staff and neighbours grew fruits and vegetables in the community garden. A kids’ summer camp at Mohawk College and outpatient rehabilitation patients from St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton across the street also managed plots.

“There is something so satisfying about growing your own food,” says Dannys. “There are a lot of life lessons in gardening and a community garden brings together people with lots of experience and those who have never had a garden. A community garden is so amazing in that way because people can learn from each other.” 

This story originally appeared in Momentum Magazine.

Undefeated in the regular season last year, the women’s soccer team have their sights set higher for this coming season.

The women’s soccer team at Mohawk College went undefeated in the regular season last year – the first time that’s been done since 1998 – before falling to Durham College 1-0 in the Ontario Colleges Athletic Association’s quarterfinals in October.

Ever since, the squad has been focused on reaching the championship this year and on winning regular season games in an even more convincing way.

“We had a lot of close games last year,” says midfielder Paige Epp. “We hope to get some leads in the first half next season.”

Fourteen of the 18 players from last year are returning this year. And the team has ramped up its off-season training regimen, with several cardio and strength-training days in the gym each week, plus games in an indoor league.

“We will be stronger this year. The games that we should win, hopefully they come easier,” said coach Paul Giannini.

A Hamilton native, he has 20 years of experience in club and league soccer, where he has enjoyed much success.

One of his club teams won a national championship and every player – including Epp – went to Division 1 schools in the U.S. on scholarships.

Giannini was convinced to take the job at Mohawk College when he met Athletics Director Matt Ferreira, who asked him to retool the team under the department’s new high-performance culture.

“I listened to his plans for the department and the soccer team and I decided I wanted to try it. The experience has been fantastic. I love working with the older players. They are motivated and can deliver what you’re asking of them.”

Giannini has focused on recruiting players from degree programs and has particularly zeroed in on Mohawk’s Nursing programs.

“It takes a long time to build the unity of a team and the leadership of student athletes, so four years gives us more time,” he says. “And Nursing students have very good time management and they are committed and focused. They make ideal players.”

Giannini points out that the grade point average necessary to get into the collaborative Mohawk-McMaster Nursing degree program is more than 90 per cent.

“These are young women who work really hard off the field and on the field.”

One of his recruits is Lauren Snider, a recent Practical Nursing graduate who is playing both varsity soccer and basketball. It means a challenging pace, especially September to November when both seasons are running. It means five hours of training and practices a day, followed by a 12-hour placement the next day. On top of that are games, midterms and assignments.

“The best part of playing two sports is I also had double the support from both teams, which makes balancing a lot easier,” says Snider, who has applied for the bridging program to the Mohawk-McMaster Nursing degree program.

If accepted, Snider says she’s looking forward to picking up where the team left off.

“We were undefeated in the regular season of 2022-2023 and with all the talent on the team, I can imagine Mohawk women’s soccer will go even further this year.”

The team plays home games at Tim Hortons Field, making it the only college team to play on a professional field.

“It’s awesome to play at Tim Hortons Field. It steps up your game automatically,” says Epp, who is studying Urban Planning.

And the high-performance varsity model at Mohawk College matches the facilities, say the players.

Centreback Abi Woods, who is team captain, a first team all-star and a Practical Nursing student, says the players and coaches have fully committed to success.

“Each game and practice we are always progressing. Our coaches push us and challenge us and it’s up to us to achieve.”

Epp and goalie Samantha DeHaan both earned nods as Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association Athlete of the Week last season.

DeHaan says the demands of her Nursing program sometimes means she has to miss a practice.

“But if I can’t make it, I set aside time to train on my own. Our team never wants to let each other down.”

Epp had decided she wasn’t going to play soccer anymore when she returned from her college in Massachusetts. But Giannini convinced her to put on her cleats for Mohawk.

“It’s a fun but competitive environment here,” she says. “It was the best decision to come back.” 

This story originally appeared in Momentum Magazine.

Mohawk College and McMaster University have a history of offering integrated degrees that will pave the way for partnerships of the future. 

Mohawk College has a longstanding and pioneering collaborative relationship with McMaster University that has created strong diploma-degree programs. 

Mohawk has three degree clusters in technology, nursing and radiation sciences that combine for nine bachelor programs that graduate about 2,500-2,700 students a year. 

All are collaborative degrees with McMaster University. 

“These are important programs for us and they are very innovative from a collaboration perspective,” says Paul Armstrong, Chief Operating Officer at Mohawk College. 

“McMaster is such a great partner and we are so respectful of the strengths we both bring to the table. We are able to layer on applied learning to the theoretical foundations in ways that are efficient and benefit student learning.” 

The Mohawk-McMaster Bachelor of Science in Nursing was the first in the partnership. 

“When the entry to practise requirement for nurses changed to the baccalaureate level, the province realized how important it was for colleges and universities to work together. The model that was developed was successful and paved the way in other programs,” says Armstrong. 

A collaborative degree in Medical Radiation Sciences degrees soon followed. 

“We are a world-class college and McMaster is a world-class university. There is no need for us to compete, we need to work together.”

Full integration

The Mohawk-McMaster model of collaboration is much more seamless than what is found in many examples of college-university diploma-degree partnerships, says Armstrong. 

“Often students study two years in college and then go to university for two years, but they are two separate programs. The Mohawk-McMaster programs are completely integrated throughout all four years. That takes more work and more planning and more discussions but it is a better experience for students.” 

The integration means theory and applied learning happens hand in hand. 

The commitment to the partnership comes right from the president’s offices at each institution, says Armstrong. 

“Mohawk College President Ron McKerlie and McMaster University President David Farrar meet regularly about opportunities and how we can work better together. That is clearly evident in our relationship.” 

Mohawk and McMaster also offer diploma to degree pathways. One example is the Indigenous Studies program that sees students study two years at Mohawk College before heading to either McMaster or Wilfrid Laurier University to finish a degree in another two years. 

Another such program is the Bachelor of Technology (B.Tech) program that allows Mohawk’s Engineering Technology graduates to enter McMaster’s honours degree program in year three. 

Alex Cook took full advantage of that opportunity. 

His postsecondary path began with a free math upgrading course at Mohawk College. His instructors encouraged him to consider the three-year Engineering Technology program. 

He finished that program five years ago and worked for a couple of years before returning to complete the B.Tech program, choosing the software engineering technology stream, one of four offered. 

“The B.Tech is structured such that you can work full time and study part time. It’s self-paced and online,” says Cook, who expects to graduate this summer. He is applying to master’s programs in computer science and software engineering. 

Cook now teaches in computer science at Mohawk College and is considering a career in post-secondary education. 

“I just kept taking the opportunities that were presented to me that the Mohawk College community has built. Everyone I’ve ever met at Mohawk has been nothing but a tremendous help to me,” he says. 

“My pathway to a masters is fairly unconventional but it’s wonderful that these things are available. The strong bond between Mohawk and McMaster has opened doors for me.” 

Another important aspect of the collaboration is that all B.Tech students come to Mohawk’s Fennell campus for lab instruction. 

The B.Tech program is well thought of in industry, says Jeff McIsaac, Interim Dean, Engineering Technology & Aviation. 

“It commands a lot of respect in the marketplace. Our close ties to McMaster and the pathways we offer are unique differentiators for us across the college sector.”

New opportunities

New degree partnerships are continuing, says Armstrong, including a collaboration between Mohawk’s School of Health and Community Services and the Department of Psychology, Neuroscience & Behaviour at McMaster that includes Early Childhood Education and Applied Behavioural Analysis. 

“We are always looking for where the integration of applied learning makes sense to what McMaster is trying to achieve.” 

Collaboration goes beyond degrees, too. 

Mohawk is offering its general credit offerings as options to students in humanities and social sciences at McMaster. They earn a certificate, which can enhance employment opportunities. 

“We have a few areas of focus, including applied behavioural analysis, volunteer management, general business. McMaster is thinking of the overall educational experience of its students and how Mohawk can play a role. That is unique in Ontario and Canada.” 

Mohawk College has now created a standalone degree in Digital Health and a Bachelor of Business Administration – Trades in partnership with George Brown and Algonquin colleges. A new Bachelor of Analytics and Data Management will launch in September. 

Mohawk’s degree development strategy includes both more collaboration with McMaster and more standalone offerings, says Armstrong. 

“There are many areas that require higher credentials but still benefit from an applied skills and competency focus,” says Armstrong. Mohawk’s strengths align in data sciences, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity and sustainability, particularly in the building and built environment. 

“We are exploring the best ways to deliver the credentials that the industry needs, whether that’s with McMaster, other colleges or on our own.” 

The pathways that join microcredentials to advanced degrees and everything in between allow learners to go where their interests and jobs take them. Armstrong points to the example of a graduate of the Personal Support Worker program who bridged to earn Registered Practical Nurse credentials, and then a Bachelor of Science in Nursing. That led to two master’s degrees and now doctorate studies and a job leading a research group at a health care agency. 

“We have to ensure we look at the whole spectrum of needs and pathways that students need to take them wherever they want to go,” he says. 

“We are very proud of how we have built this relationship. The respect and mutual understanding are deep between Mohawk and McMaster. It is built on shared decision-making and strong, well-defined governance structures that allow it to carry forward as new people come to the table.”

Medical Radiation Sciences

Mohawk College Students working with CT-SCANNER 
Medical Radiation Sciences (MRSc) allows students to earn both an advanced diploma and a Bachelor of Science degree in a four-year program. 

It includes a common first year of foundational sciences. Students then choose a specialization – radiography, ultrasonography, or radiation therapy. The program’s first intake was in 2004. 

“We were the first degree program in sonography and only a handful exists today,” says Laura Thomas, who is the program’s coordinator at Mohawk College. 

“Across Canada, our program is seen as a leading program and it has built an incredible reputation. Our students see the value of the hands-on approach of Mohawk but also appreciate graduating with a degree. They also get to learn in a fabulous facility in the Institute for Applied Health Sciences.” 

The Institute for Applied Health Sciences (IAHS), located at McMaster, includes four X-ray units, a new MRI and CT scanner, seven ultrasound machines and three ultrasound simulators. The costs of the facility and its equipment are shared 50/50. 

It also features simulation suites with state-of-the-art manikins for students to practise various medical situations. Students also practise role-play scenarios. 

“It is the best program there is out there,” says Jessie Ma, who graduated from Medical Radiation Sciences – Ultrasonography in 2015. “Radiologists in hospitals really appreciate graduates of the Mohawk-McMaster program. It gives students a very solid foundation and they are ready to do the job.” 

Ma went on to earn a Masters of Radiation Biology at McMaster and now teaches in the Medical Radiation Sciences program. 

The constant combination of theory and practise reinforced the knowledge and skills applied in clinical placements, says Ma. 

“This program definitely set me up for success and to earn my certification and work in the field.” 

Since the Mohawk-McMaster partnership was forged, it’s been about bringing the best of both institutions together and learning from each other, says Thomas. 

“We are always talking about different ways of doing things based on feedback from our industry partners, faculty and students,” she says. 

“We’ve proven the success of the model and now we’re building on that.” 

Earning a diploma and degree at the same time is a distinct advantage. It offers a much broader education than a two- or three-year program and offers an opportunity for research, says Mic Farquharson, the McMaster coordinator of the Medical Radiation Sciences program. 

“Our students have been published and gone to conferences. Some have gone on to graduate work.” 

Beginning in September 2023, the program will have an honours designation, which is a further advantage to students, says Farquharson. 

“Our graduates are really sought after by employers because they know our students really know their stuff. They know what they are doing and they know why they are doing it because they understand the fundamental science.” 

About one-third of the curriculum is delivered by Mohawk College instructors and another third is overseen by McMaster. The final third is three terms of clinical placements, which are organized by Mohawk. 

The program is intensive and highly sought after, says Farquharson. 

“There is a mutual respect between the two institutions about the different things we do. That shines through in our program.” 

Derek Ribeiro graduated from the Radiation Therapy program in 2013 and now is a full-time faculty member after nine years of working in a radiation therapy clinic. 

He served as a dosimetrist, the therapist who develops a radiation plan in conjunction with an oncologist, and now teaches that to Radiation Therapy students, along with radiography and general anatomy. 

“This program really offers the best of both worlds. On the practical side, students use the software and equipment that they will find in clinical settings and practise all the skills they will need. They go into work settings prepared and ready to deal with patients. But having the degree means they can carry on with academics or teach. Doors remain open.” 

Medical Radiation Sciences fits the bill for Zachary Nott because it combines his interest in health care with his love of physics. He is in his third year of the radiography stream and chose the Mohawk-McMaster program because it combines a diploma and a degree. 

“We have small class sizes and what we learn in lectures is applied right away in labs. I love that about this program.” 

Clinical placements, including a full-year placement to conclude the program, teach so much, says Nott. 

“I’m shocked and surprised by how much the program prepares you for the clinical setting. Right from the first year we are learning how to communicate with patients with language barriers or to deal with conflicts or difficulties. I’ve grown so much as a person and future health care professional. It really does blow my mind.”

This story originally appeared in Momentum Magazine.

Makerspace and the Digital Creativity Centre help students harness their creative learning. 

Business student Ryan Tshiyoyo uses Mohawk College’s Makerspace every day to design and create new pieces of clothing for the brand he created in high school. 

“If I’m having a bad day, I go to the Makerspace and make a T-shirt and I feel better about myself.” 

Makerspace – part of the Digital Creativity Centre within the Joyce Centre for Partnership & Innovation – is a place to explore, learn, experiment and create. It provides 21st century learning of digital skills, collaboration, and experiential and applied learning. 

Students, faculty and staff have access to a range of maker equipment and experts who teach how to use it either one-on-one or in group workshops. 

The Makerspace is housed inside the 5,600-square-foot Digital Creativity Centre (DCC), a home to three 3D printers, a laser cutter, a Cricut, a vinyl cutter, a heat transfer machine, a UV printer, a cold roll laminator, a T-shirt press, and equipment to practise coding or build digital devices. It also features a recording studio, editing suite, AV/VR studio and project rooms that feature whiteboards and large monitors. 

“DCC and Makerspace are meant to be a jumping-off point for students to come in and find something that allows them to express themselves in ways they may not have considered before,” says Richard Mader, Manager of Digital Skills. 

“Projects can be fun and recreational but also students are inspired to make things they care about. The sky’s the limit on what can be done in the Makerspace.” 

Students use Makerspace to work on class projects, too. 

“As a college, it’s our mandate to prepare our students for the workforce of tomorrow and the layers of digital and technical skills they will need,” says Marilyn Powers, Director, Academic Technology in the Centre for Teaching and Learning Innovation. 

“Supporting digital literacy and helping students master vital digital skills is at the heart of what we do in the Digital Creativity Centre. Employers want to see the digital creativity of students. DCC and Makerspace is a great place to explore that.” 

Tshiyoyo is working to get his upstart “street fashion” brand off the ground. He takes second-hand T-shirts and jeans and upcycles them with his own designs or he produces items from scratch. 

Ryan working on the clothes stamping machine“It’s not a hobby. This is who I am as a person.” 

The range of the equipment available to him in the Makerspace, and the help provided to use it, has been a huge benefit to Tshiyoyo. In a good week, he creates four or five items that he’s adding to his collection. 

“I tell other students about it because so many people are sleeping on what’s there. You are able to build and create so much and try different things,” he says. 

There is a constant buzz in Makerspace, says Noah Giunta, who is one of seven Digital Skills Technicians in the DCC. 

“It’s not quiet like the library but it’s not the cafeteria, either. It is a busy place where people work hard.” 

The DCC offers one-on-one or group sessions in person or online to help students learn how to use the College’s learning management system and other digital tools.

This story originally appeared in Momentum Magazine.

Mohawk students have plenty of job opportunities to work in college labs and innovation centres. 

Deivy Munoz-AcostaDeivy Munoz-Acosta is among 40 students working on applied research projects at Mohawk College through the Campus Student Employment Program (CSEP), part-time contracts and co-op placements. 

A second-year student in the Computer Systems Technician-Software Support program, Munoz-Acosta works in image processing analysis. He evaluates sensor data across a number of parameters to evaluate a blast furnace’s working performance. 

He worked part-time as an international CSEP student in Sensor Systems and Internet of Things (IoT) Lab before being hired as a full-time research assistant last summer. Now, he’s doing a full-time co-op placement there. 

Munoz-Acosta has been working on a project with a national steel manufacturer that uses vision systems employing specialized image processing to determine whether the steel company’s blast furnace is running optimally. 

Other IoT projects have required him to use 3D modelling and coding skills. The lab, which includes seven research assistants, eight to 10 CSEP students and several full-time staff, takes on a great deal of industry work. 

Munoz-Acosta was a research assistant and a professor in electronics and mechatronics in his native Colombia. 

“I love research because you are changing projects and learning new things all the time.” 

He chose to come to Canada to further his career, and after exploring his options, he felt Mohawk College offered the most complete program for him. 

He learned about employment opportunities in applied research when he saw the on-campus applied research department in Mohawk College’s IDEAWORKS. 

“This is a big project and it’s applied directly to industry. It will be an important part of my resumé. This has been a wonderful opportunity for me.” 
 

Career path confirmed

David Brack, who is in his final year of Computer Engineering and Mechatronic Systems, also works in the IoT lab. During the time he worked on the project with a global leading steel manufacturer, he developed a computer vision algorithm based on thermal images. It automates a manual raking process to remove slag from molten steel in the steel manufacturer’s ladle metallurgy facility. 

The system gives the operators real-time feedback and suggestions, with the hope that will increase quality and consistency, says Brack. 

“This project has been a great challenge for me since a lot of the concepts needed, such as computer vision, are taught later in my program. I was also unfamiliar with thermal imaging, which meant I needed to review a large amount of research papers before starting to get familiar with the concepts.” 

His applied research work has demonstrated to Brack that he wants to pursue a career in computer vision and AI. 

“The project was a great opportunity for me to build on the skills I learned at Mohawk while challenging me to be creative and learn concepts outside my education and comfort zone. It forced me to think about what I want to do after I graduate and enabled me to make a plan to achieve those goals.”  

Research in the sky

Mackenzie Van Vliet spent a week experiencing cold like she had never felt before while working in -50C weather in Churchill, Manitoba in January to conduct cold-weather testing of drones for Hamilton-based company Skygauge. She is a research assistant in the Unmanned & Remote Sensing Innovation Centre (URSIC). 

Van Vliet, who is studying in the Digital Health degree program, had never considered working with drones, but when she happened upon a drone demonstration at a fair, she was immediately intrigued. Now she’s interested in how drones can be applied to health care. 

Since landing a job in URSIC, she’s worked on a series of projects, including using drones to measure the volume of ponds and to support police operations, and has landed advanced drone pilot certificate in advanced operations, issued by Transport Canada. 

“I am really excited to have it. I want to eventually become a flight reviewer after I get more flight time and knowledge.” 

She will continue travelling for projects, including back to Manitoba and to Ottawa and St. John, and says her job has exposed her to advanced software and to being involved in project management. 

“I’m part of weekly check-in meetings with clients. Everyone is so supportive in the lab and works really well together as a team,” she says. 

“We are getting to do things that haven’t been done before. If you want to try something, you try it. If it doesn’t work, that’s OK. You try something else.”

This story originally appeared in Momentum Magazine.

Stephanie Maki ’17 has always had her heart set on helping people, one way or another. As she graduated high school, she began studying to become an early childhood educator. It was a start, but as time passed, the path she was on didn’t fulfill her.

“After studying for two years away from home, I realized that early childhood education wasn’t a perfect fit for me,” says Stephanie. “I then decided to come home and attend Mohawk College.”

Stephanie enrolled in Mohawk’s Health, Wellness and Fitness program to get a different perspective on the career she wanted. The two-year diploma program was foundational to her knowledge of nutrition, well-being and implementing related strategies. There was plenty of opportunity to work with many populations in order to hone in on which age groups and communities of people she collaborated with best. With the passion for helping people front and centre, she expanded her educational competencies and skills. But something was still missing.

“After graduating from Health, Wellness and Fitness in 2017, I still found myself questioning my career path. The Personal Support Worker program appealed to my interest, so I decided to enroll,” says Stephanie.

Mohawk’s one-year, provincially accredited Personal Support Worker (PSW) certificate program allowed Stephanie to learn the skills and qualifications needed to excel in her vocation. She gained a combination of clinical knowledge, relevant theory and technique in a collaborative learning environment where those skills were put to the test in real-life simulations. Because PSWs work closely with people’s family members in various care environments, this certificate also recognizes relevant regulations within legislation such as the Occupational Health and Safety Act, Human Rights Code and Long-Term Care Homes Amendment Act, to name a few.

Students looking to enroll in the Personal Support Worker program can also choose to complete their certificate with a specialization in gerontology, otherwise known as the study of aging. This is completed through a partnership with Schlegel Villages at their Wentworth Heights location.

With a switch in programs of study, Stephanie’s goals and career path became clear. Next, she would need to find a placement to match her ambitions.

“I attended a clinical placement at The Village of Wentworth Heights in Hamilton. It gave me such enjoyment to provide the necessary care that each individual needed,” she says.

Stephanie was doing more than fulfilling her placement requirement for graduation at Schlegel Villages. She was fulfilling her life’s passion and it showed.

“Upon graduating [from] the program in 2018, I felt like this was the right choice,” she says. “I found it to be very rewarding to provide the help needed to the older population. To make a difference in the lives of my residents gives me the opportunity to learn every day.”

Shortly after completing her placement, Stephanie was offered a full-time position as a PSW with The Village of Wentworth Heights. As of 2022, she has worked there for nearly five years. Stephanie is supporting people in living their best lives through the care she provides. Though this is par for the course of any PSW, Schlegel Villages offers a special environment for caregivers to serve their residents.

There is a consistent theme of fostering authentic relationships in relation to excellent resident care within the Schlegel community, and Stephanie seems to have that nailed down. Her work is something she enjoys, and it has become familial to her and those she cares for.

“My job is so rewarding, as each long-term care resident has a story to tell. Being with my residents every day feels like I become part of their family,” she says.

Due to her stellar service at Schlegel Villages, Stephanie has recently been granted the “Earn Trust” award as part of their unique customer service success program. CONNECT the Dots is built upon a philosophical foundation of five key values: Know Me, Be Present, Walk In My Shoes, Earn Trust and Follow Through. These awards are presented to team members who embody these values. Award recipients are then invited to participate in Schlegel’s annual operational planning retreat to offer key insights into enhancement of care.

Earn Trust represents a team member who is clear, genuine and transparent. This is the calibre of care that Stephanie has built upon since her placement began with Schlegel and it is felt within the Wentworth Heights community. Stephanie says she has no idea whether it was a team member, resident, family or leadership member that nominated her, but she was proud regardless.

“It made me very happy that these residents, family members and team members see something in me because I don’t always see it in myself,” she says. “They bring it out in me, so it was very rewarding.”

When asked if there was any advice she could give to prospective students looking to blaze a trail in the profession she now holds, this is what Stephanie had to say.

“I would tell future students considering the Personal Support Worker program that it takes patience, hard work and compassion to care for these individuals. Sometimes it’s going to be challenging, but the smile at the end is the most rewarding part of it all.” 

This story originally appeared in Momentum Magazine.

It was a banner year for Mohawk’s Advertising students, who earned almost two dozen nods in national and global competitions.

The industry awards piled up for Advertising students at Mohawk College in 2022.

“I think the industry has a lot of respect for our students. Awards are a way of validating what we do at Mohawk,” says Professor Jef Petrossi.

Striving for awards changes the standard of student work, he says.

“They are always reaching for a better idea. It adds an extra level of competitive thinking. That’s great preparation for the industry. Awards prove that you think differently.”

In last year’s One Show student competition, Mohawk College had 11 finalists and Gold Pencil winners in third-year advertising students Catherine Looy and Jan Benavente. The school finished tied for 26th globally.

“Powerhouse ad schools from around the world enter,” says Petrossi.

In Canada’s biggest award show, the Ad and Design Club of Canada (ADCC), Mohawk College also came away with Gold Medal winners in Nick Kidd and Amaris Branco, along with four Silver and three Bronze winners.

In the Applied Arts awards, Mohawk amassed three wins and in the National Advertising Challenge, which asked students to develop concepts for the Toronto Zoo, Nichole Fazzari won Gold.

Kidd and Branco converted a win for their Sleep Country campaign at the ADCC awards into internships and a job offer to join a large agency in Toronto as a team.

“We were over the moon to be named as finalists and to get to go to the awards show. It was so cool to get to see amazing industry work,” says Kidd. “When they announced we had won, we thought we had misheard. We were in shock.”

They got to accept their award on stage and Branco shouted, “Take that, imposter syndrome!”

“It was a fate-changing moment for the both of us,” she says. “I still struggle with imposter syndrome but winning that award definitely helped. I’m here for a reason.”

The College is choosy about the awards programs it enters into, says Petrossi.

“We really focus on the awards that will get us eyeballs in the industry.”

What sets advertising apart is that its awards programs bring industry and student awards together. It is a tremendous opportunity for students to make connections with potential employers, says Petrossi.

Petrossi, who has taught at Mohawk for 15 years, says the college encourages its students to build portfolios that show a diversity of ideas, sectors, brands and platforms.

“Advertising is a thing without a right answer. Portfolios are often received differently by different people. But if something has won an award, people will look at that work differently, even if they didn’t like it, because they know a team of judges has liked it.”

Anisa Rouhani has earned five awards in industry competitions, along with a faculty award. Her honours include a win at the 2022 Applied Arts Awards for a Grey Poupon campaign called “Hip Hop’s Favourite Condiment.” She also earned two Silvers in the ADCC awards in 2022.

Now in her last year, Rouhani is serving as junior art director at an agency in downtown Toronto.

While Rouhani appreciates the awards, it is her instructors who stress that they will open doors in the field.

“It’s great to get the recognition that what I’m doing is good.”

Both Kidd and Branco have high praise for Mohawk’s program, which is split into two streams: creative and business/strategy. Students have a common curriculum in first year and choose their stream for years two and three.

“I feel lucky to have enrolled in the best Advertising program in Canada that anyone can find,” says Kidd.

“For an exceptional advertising education and portfolio building experience, I highly recommend Mohawk College,” says Branco. 

This story originally appeared in Momentum Magazine. 

I am so pleased to welcome you to the spring 2023 edition of Momentum magazine in which we celebrate student achievement and experience. 

Mohawk College is a place of innovation in our teaching and in our approach to experiential learning. That is evident in our growing range of unique and collaborative degree programs, which began with our pioneering and forward-thinking relationship with McMaster University. 

It is evident in our student employment and applied research opportunities and our campus facilities such as the Digital Creativity Centre. We are proud of all the ways we foster and support a complete student experience. 

A special feature in this issue is a series of profiles of just a few of the thousands of international students who chose to study at Mohawk College. 

These six students and one graduate from six countries come to us with a tremendous amount of work and personal experience and an incredible sense of optimism about their futures. Two of them are medical doctors seeking new health care careers. Another is a mechanical engineer now studying in our Broadcasting program. 

Exceptional people leave their countries, family and friends to come to a new place to pursue an education. Thea Laidman, Associate Vice President, International, put it beautifully about our international students: “They provide an incredible example of resiliency and human spirit and courage. It reminds us how important education is and what people will do to get it.” 

Another notable feature in this edition is “Then and now.” It’s the first in a series in which Momentum connects a Mohawk College alumnus with a current student in the same program to share their experiences, insights and advice. 

We start with Nursing, which is celebrating 50 years at Mohawk College. Retired nurse Jan Brimer and student Jess Mills met for a lively and interesting chat that shows the heart of nursing has never changed. 

Be sure to check out stories about our Athletics department, including the women’s soccer team that aims to vie for a provincial title this year, and two Aviation students who are high-flying varsity athletes. 

There is so much more to explore in this issue of Momentum and I hope you enjoy what you find. 

Regards, 
Ron J. McKerlie

This story originally appeared in Momentum Magazine. 

A new Bachelor of Business Administration-Trades Management is a three-way collaboration between Mohawk, George Brown and Algonquin colleges.

Mladen Ivankovic learned about Mohawk College’s new Bachelor of Business Administration-Trades Management program through a LinkedIn post. He was immediately intrigued and contacted a dean at Mohawk. He was granted entry into the fourth semester in September 2022 based on his previous diploma.

BBA-Trades is a degree completion program in collaboration with George Brown, Algonquin and Mohawk colleges. Those with apprenticeship/journeyperson training, or trade-related diploma programs are eligible for advanced standing.

“It is exactly what I was looking for. I’m looking at expanding my career development into project management and handling budgets and timelines and I want to know more about the corporate finance and accounting side so that I can get into management.”

The program focuses on the business administration, managerial, accounting, project management, leadership, communication, application of data to make decisions and applied research competencies needed by people working in or with the skilled trades to grow their own businesses, take on greater responsibilities in their current work environments, or pursue management careers.

“It’s a great program. The advantages of having three colleges involved is that there is a broader spectrum of instructors who are involved. These are experts in their fields.”

Ivankovic says the program is demanding but practical.

“We came to Canada as refugees from Serbia. I learned a lot from my parents about perseverance. They had to rebuild their lives in a new country with two young children.”

His father was an assembly line worker at Ford in Oakville and his mother – a nurse in Serbia – studied at Mohawk College to become an RN in Canada.

“She balanced it all, so I know I can. My parents are my mentors and my idols. I have so many opportunities in front of me because of them.”

Ivankovic was working at Ford when he quit to go to Mohawk for Electrical Engineering Technology. He graduated in 2018 before working for an electrical company in Chatham and then as an engineering services technician at Burlington Hydro in 2020.

“With a full-time job, it’s a challenging workload. Time management is critical. You have to stay on top of things. You can’t fall behind. It’s achievable if I set time aside for studying.”

That means waking up at about 4 a.m. and working well past dinner to fit it all in. He also studies hard on weekends.

Ivankovic has his eyes set on doing an accelerated Masters of Business Administration at McMaster.

“This program is giving me the education background that will grow my career.” 

This story originally appeared in Momentum Magazine. 

Four previous Pathfinder participants and two Mohawk College staff members presented at the World Indigenous People Conference on Education (WIPCE) in Adelaide, Australia in September. 

The group shared about the innovative program and their own personal experiences. 

Pathfinder is a three-week land-based program at Mohawk College’s campus that marked its 12th year this summer. It encourages Indigenous students to learn about and become engaged in post-secondary education while at the same time learning about their Indigenous heritage through learning from local elders, knowledge keepers, and facilitators. 

WIPCE draws Indigenous education experts, practitioners, scholars, and students from across the globe to share successes and strategies for culturally grounded education. It’s the largest and most diverse Indigenous education forum in the world. 

“The cool thing is that we have seen there are a lot more organizations and schools doing this kind of program globally than we would have thought,” says Amanda White, Manager of Indigenous Student Services. 

The Mohawk contingent was supposed to travel to the conference in 2020, but COVID delayed that. When they finally got to go two years later, it took two days longer to get to Adelaide than scheduled when three plane rides became six. 

Despite the delays and the exhausting time zone changes, it was all worth it to be there, says the group. 

“It’s incredible to see the different cultures,” said Amanda Aitchison, an Indigenous awareness programmer at Mohawk. “On the first day, there was a parade of nations and they all shared a song or their language. That was empowering to hear these languages because so much of that has been lost.” 

The group also took an excursion that featured boomerang throwing, wood carving and cooking. 

The conference was nothing but positive energy, says Ashley Hogan, who participated in the Pathfinder program beginning in Grade 9. It enabled her to learn about her Indigenous culture and grow in confidence. 

“It definitely helped me to spread my wings in numerous ways,” she says. “It’s a very supportive community. You are able to be yourself without any judgement.” 

A trip to British Columbia with the program introduced her to the concept of neuroscience. Hogan, 20, completed a Pre-Health program at Mohawk College before enrolling in human behaviour at McMaster University. 

Caroline Hill took part in Pathfinder in one of the first cohorts and attended four more times. Now 26, she is a graduate of Mohawk’s Recreation Therapy program and then earned a graduate certificate in Mental Health and Disability Management. Hill now works in a long-term care home and serves as a mentor for younger Pathfinder participants. 

“It’s a rewarding thing to help younger students find their own footing.” 

She says she would have never found her way to post-secondary studies without the Pathfinder program. 

“It made me enjoy learning in all its forms, like classrooms, listening to elders, doing hands-on things. I really can’t believe this program that I didn’t really want to go to has led to all of this.” 

Jason Seth and Chris Smoke all took part in the trip as Pathfinder participants, who each earned a credit in Global Experiences. The travel was supported by a program donor. 
 

This story originally appeared in Momentum Magazine. 

Through innovations in teaching and learning and a priority placed on learner choice, Mohawk College is changing the landscape of its program offerings. 

Learners have individual needs, depending on their educational and employment background and goals. A range of credentials, from micro-credentials, continuing and professional education courses, certificates and programs, to more traditional post-secondary diplomas, advanced diplomas, degrees and post-graduate certificates, provides options to suit any learner. 

Today, the life cycle of learning is broad and continuous. Mohawk’s new Digital Learning Strategy and its growing delivery options will ensure the college meets all types of learners where they are, says Janet Shuh, Dean of Continuing Education and Academic Development. 

“Whether it’s a student coming directly from high school into a diploma or degree program or a mid-career professional seeking upskilling, reskilling or co-skilling through a short-cycle micro-credential, we offer an agile, flexible and comprehensive credential landscape across the life cycle of learning.” 

Optimal flexibility 

Mohawk recognizes that learners have demanding schedules and different learning styles. Some prefer the experience of in-person learning, while others want or require fully online curriculum delivery. Still others prefer a hybrid approach. 

A new HyFlex academic delivery modality provides choice of how a learner wants to learn and where. Mohawk has equipped its first three classrooms to offer all three modalities in a course or program at once: face to face (on campus), synchronous (live real-time) online, and asynchronous (at the learner’s own pace) online. 

A learner can choose one modality throughout the credential’s duration or choose different ones each day or week to suit their work and personal schedules. 

“This requires more equipped classrooms and some training for faculty in moderating delivery in this way. Faculty may also need to re-think how hands-on activities and assessments are administered in a HyFlex environment.” 

HyFlex uses classroom technology, such as Zoom rooms, tracking cameras, high quality speakers, and large monitors to facilitate interaction between faculty, students learning virtually, and those face-to-face in the classroom. 
 

This delivery modality also leverages the college’s robust Learning Management System (LMS) to provide an asynchronous (at their own time) learning experience for students who prefer or need to learn outside of scheduled class times. 

About six Mohawk programs—including Civil Engineering Technology – Transportation and Urban and Regional Planning – Geographic Information Systems (GIS)—are delivered in high-flex mode, says Shuh, but that will grow.

This innovative teaching approach enables out-of-region and out-of-province students to enroll in programs that have traditionally been in-person. That is proving to be popular.

With minimal promotion, Urban and Regional Planning – Geographic Information Systems (GIS) has already attracted 24 registrants in the new online intake for the current fall 2022 semester, in addition to the 27 students in the traditional in-person intake.

Many of these students were from areas far outside of Mohawk College’s geographic catchment. 

Micro-credentials: short-burst learning 

A growing field of learning is micro-credentials that deliver learning in shorter durations than traditional post-secondary programs, often in less than 12 weeks. The college works with industry partners to identify, develop and implement micro-credentials that meet employer needs. 

“They are short-burst, targeted learning programs to meet specific training and skills needs. They are delivered in flexible delivery modes to suit the needs of our learners.” 

They are often delivered online, but may involve experiential on-campus learning components. Many are developed asynchronously (no live classes) so learners can learn when and how they want. 

Some micro-credentials are one-off, while others are designed in “stacks” that combine into a larger credential and digital badges that can be added to a 
LinkedIn profile or curriculum vitae. For the stacked micro-credentials, students are awarded a “milestone” badge to show stacked program completion. 

Mohawk College offers stacked credentials that have been built by industry, including IBM, as well as those that have been designed, developed and delivered directly by the college in human services, technology, manufacturing, business and other areas of specialization. 

“The engagement of industry ensures micro-credentials deliver highly targeted and relevant skills training that meet the emerging and future needs of the workforce,” says Shuh. 

A great example is a new 3D Visualization for the Built Environment micro-credential that develops skills in building information modeling (BIM), 3D rendering tools, GIS and CAD techniques, digital twins and virtual reality/3D printing applications for design, presentation, construction and ongoing operations and maintenance of buildings and spaces. 

“Our industry partner worked closely with us to identify key competencies needed in the building field and to develop the curriculum needed to support those in-demand skills in construction and trades, city planning, facilities management and architecture,” says Shuh. 

“If a picture is worth a thousand words, 3D models and VR/AR is the next step in the architectural, engineering and construction industry,” says Tage Crooks, lead developer of the micro-credential and a zoning examiner with the City of Mississauga. 

“Interest groups, politicians, residents and other stakeholders do not want to read page after page of policy on a particular development - they want to know how that development will impact their lives through the visualization of the project. Mohawk’s new micro-credential in 3D visualization is a game-changer in teaching industry professionals how to create stunning 3D models to convey design intent for their projects in the real world,” says Crooks, who is a part-time professor with the Urban and Regional Planning Technician – GIS program and one of the expert facilitators for the new micro-credential. 

Strategic digital direction 

On the other end of the spectrum, Mohawk College offers two standalone degrees in Digital Health and Business Administration (Trades Management). A Bachelor of Analytics and Data Management (Honours) will launch in fall 2023. 

The college intends to develop more career-ready degrees over the coming years, says Shuh. 

All program development will be guided by a new Digital Learning Strategy that accounts for all the shifts and pivots that came out of the pandemic. 
“We know that the needs and wants of students have changed. While some students still want the traditional on campus learning experience, others have a desire for more flexible learning options,” says Shuh. 

This story originally appeared in Momentum Magazine.

The team behind a technology start-up developing a plant monitor for home gardeners says Mohawk College’s Additive Manufacturing Innovation Centre (AMIC) helped them get to the next stage of their concept. 

EarthOne, launched by a group of Mohawk College and McMaster University graduates, brings together sensors that measure light, humidity, soil moisture, temperature and soil acidity into a dashboard in a wireless monitor, along with software that identifies plants and determines what they need to thrive in each category. 

“Our motto is science-based plant care,” says co-founder and CEO Sid Pereira. The idea is to make living sustainability more achievable. 

“There are many passionate home growers and this is a new generation of tool for them,” says Daniel Hacikyan, EarthOne’s head of operations. Both graduated from the joint B. Tech program of Mohawk and McMaster in 2019. 

The platform, which is set to optimize foliage, flowering and yield, can even forecast the harvest date of produce plants. 

When the team was challenged by mentors and investors to develop a functional prototype, they explored their options. 

After getting a quote for $200,000 for design services, a mentor at Innovation Factory suggested they look at AMIC at Mohawk College. A collaboration launched in January. EarthOne contributed $7,500 and in return got a design that was about 70 per cent complete, says Pereira. 

“It was phenomenal for us. I have nothing but good things to say. We learned how to design a printed circuit board alongside them and we were able to take the design from 70 per cent to 100 per cent ourselves.” 

AMIC also brought its expertise in advanced manufacturing to the design of sensors and a durable monitor case. 

EarthOne is now validating its product and platform with about 60 gardening enthusiasts. 

The project is supported in part by funding from the FedDev Ontario-supported Southern Ontario Network for Advanced Manufacturing Innovation (SONAMI), a consortium of innovative Ontario colleges and universities that includes Mohawk College.   

This story originally appeared in Momentum Magazine.

 Three years ago, steel producer ArcelorMittal Dofasco approached Mohawk College with a desire to automate a manual raking process to remove slag from molten steel in its ladle metallurgy facility. 

“They wanted to get into the area of the new Industrial Internet of Things and to optimize a process through innovation,” says Dr. Esteve Hassan, director of the IOT Lab and Industrial Applied Research Chair in Interoperability Sensor Systems for IIoT Applications. 

That innovation involves machine visioning sensors that collect images and data and advanced image processing that drives a robotics platform. 

“It’s a highly variable environment of high temperatures and debris and smoke that makes the deployment of this technology challenging.” 

The project – believed to be the world’s first digitization at a ladle metallurgy facility – received a $300,000 Applied Research and Development Grant from the National Sciences and Research Council of Canada, as well as support from ArcelorMittal Dofasco and Next Generation Manufacturing Canada (NGEN), the advanced manufacturing supercluster. 

The IOT Lab is a centre of expertise, working with industrial partners to develops, validates and tests hardware and software solutions that enable companies to adopt leading-edge technology to improve efficiency, safety and quality. 

The IOT Lab works with industrial partners in a range of sectors, including transportation and automotive, energy and smart cities, advanced manufacturing, healthcare and wearable devices. 

“The pace of work in the lab is strong, whether it’s product development, process improvement or training. Whatever the project, students take centre stage.” 

After a delay due to the pandemic, the two-year ArcelorMittal Dofasco project, which involved five students and three staff leads, is now close to its finish. 

“It has been an excellent project with great support from the industry supercluster NGEN and from ArcelorMittal Dofasco. Our students and faculty did excellent work,” says Hassan. 

“Students were hired to complete challenging tasks. There has been a lot of very advanced self-learning involved. They met all expectations and beyond.” 

A project with Hamilton’s other steel company Stelco is now underway. 

Rob Glista, who is in his final year of Electrical Engineering Technology, worked on the automation side of the ArcelorMittal Dofasco project and says the experience has been extremely positive. 

“Because it’s been based in an educational institution, we have been able to do more discovery than what we would be able to do in employment. We approached this with many different solutions and explored each of them. I’m motivated by that.” 

Hanna Stewart, who graduated from Computer Engineering Technology in May, worked on machine visioning and imaging on the project. 

“Our job was to develop a method of gathering information using specialized cameras. It’s a difficult environment in which to get accurate measurements. There is smoke and heat and fumes that can be corrosive, so typical instruments get worn out quickly in that type of environment. We had to find a way to mount infra-red cameras to get a good view but far enough away from those hazards.” 

That involved talking to vendors, testing equipment and working with IT at the College and at ArcelorMittal Dofasco. 

Stewart, who now works in Mohawk’s MEDIC digital health lab, says the experience of this project was a “really valuable part of my education at Mohawk College. I got exposure to things you just can’t replicate in a classroom. And I learned that machine visioning is an area of interest for me, especially in health care.”  

This story originally appeared in Momentum Magazine.