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The Cisco offering has a few unique elements that we felt would be worth discussing. The first is that it is close in proximity to an actual industry offering, a certification offered by Cisco Systems directly, of the same name: CCNA. When candidates complete the RAC process, we must be clear: they do not receive this Cisco certification, but rather, they receive official collegial recognition for their skills in the form of an AEC. It is entirely up to candidates whether they seek to acquire Cisco’s own certification in addition to the certificate offered by RAC, but in our experience, having official recognition from a college can only improve one’s chances of being hired by employers.
Technologically, RAC’s Cisco AEC also comes with advancements in two main areas: online resources, and hardware. On the RAC website, Cisco seminars include voice overs, a feature which is not only convenient – it also reflects the content specialist’s passion for his/her material. Furthermore, as a Cisco Networking Academy, Champlain offers downloadable Cisco labs right through the website, in addition to Cisco Packet Tracer, an emulator program that allows candidates to work with networks virtually.
When it comes to hardware, RAC’s Cisco offers some of the newest technology in its labs, but it’s the application of said technology that makes a difference. Beverly Loney, a Cisco graduate, explains: “You can practice with Cisco Packet Tracer, but the best part is working with the actual equipment in a network environment, connecting the cables, putting everything together and configuring the equipment – anything can be changed. When you have the real equipment in front of you, there is a tendency to experiment more, to try different things to see how they work. You cannot beat the hands-on experience.”
Finally, Cisco’s success is likely, in part, due to its weekend schedule, which allows even those with full-time jobs and families to participate. Moreover, Cisco candidates tend to meet many other specialists operating in their field, which can allow them to expand their professional network without really going out of their way to do so.
At the end of the day, the addition of a Cisco AEC allows us to help even more people receive the recognition they deserve, and that’s exactly why Champlain RAC exists. It also meets a need in the market: at the moment, Champlain College Saint-Lambert is the only educational institution to offer a Cisco AEC through RAC in the Monteregie and Montreal. In the future, we’ll continue to expand our services so more skilled individuals can take advantage of RAC, and receive college recognition for their work and life experience. Last night we had the pleasure of hosting our second graduation ceremony for both Continuing Education students and RAC candidates, with a total of 119 graduates present. With friends, family, graduates, and staff combined, the event was attended by more than 450 people across 6 different programs and services. We were thrilled to see so many of our graduates at the event, and would like to congratulate them again for their outstanding achievements. It was truly a pleasure to witness.
For our staff, the evening was extremely significant – it was a moment where the individual successes of our candidates and graduates were grouped together in one large display, truly emphasizing what Champlain staff felt – that they were helping to make a difference in people’s lives. Though graduation ceremonies are commonly quite formal by nature, it could not be denied that the advisors and content specialists had a special connection with their candidates. This was evident in the presentation of the certificates, which featured an abundance of hugging, rather than the handshakes one might expect.
Often, RAC candidates are highly-experienced, busy individuals – and like many, they have families they need to support. The reception that followed the ceremony allowed RAC staff a rare chance to meet their graduates’ families and friends, while also allowing said graduates to share their moment of triumph with their close ones. A booth was also set up to record testimonials, with an emphasis on hearing each graduate’s story, and how RAC helped them given their unique life paths.
The event also marked the first time that First Nations graduates were present. Multiple members of the Naskapi nation travelled from Kawawachikamach (which is near Schefferville) to attend the ceremonies. We’re planning to write a blog post specifically about our Naskapi graduates in the near future.
Multiple speakers took their turn to express how proud they were of the graduates’ achievements, including: Dr. J. Kenneth Robertson, Director General of Champlain Regional College, Don Shewan, Campus Director, Mark Wallace, Director of Continuing Education, and Danielle Lafaille, Director of Studies. Sherry Romanado, Assistant Director of Continuing Education also deserves a mention for being the evening’s emcee, one who both entertained and kept things proceeding smoothly. On May 9th and 10th, our RAC booth will be present at the Salon de l’immigration et de l’intégration au Québec, a fair that’s held yearly at the Palais des congrès de Montréal. We firmly believe in the value of attending fairs as a means of reaching out to potential candidates, which usually come from diverse backgrounds, facing unique challenges. We’re there to hear their stories, and to let them know that RAC can allow them to get college recognition for their life and work experience, all in the form of an Attestation d’études collégiales (AEC), a certificate that is recognized by the Ministry of Education.
The Société de transport de Montréal (STM) recently announced plans to temporarily shut down its weekend metro service on the yellow line, preventing travel across all stations: Berri-UQAM, Jean Drapeau, and Longueuil-Université de Sherbrooke. Since RAC candidates often make use of the metro to get to and from our Saint-Lambert service center, we felt this was important to post about. According to the press release:
Photo by Matt Johnson
“[T]he STM will be performing work over 25 weekends, split into two phases, from March to May, and from September to December. This will require the complete shutdown of métro service on the Yellow line, from closing time Friday night to opening time Monday morning.”
Phase 1 will therefore begin March 8th, and will end May 25th, 2014. To help travellers during these repairs, the STM will be offering shuttle buses at 4-10 minute intervals between the metro stations on the yellow line, with a total of three different routes covered:- Longueuil – Papineau – Berri-UQAM;
- Longueuil – parc Jean-Drapeau;
- Berri-UQAM – Papineau – parc Jean-Drapeau (Casino).
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