College of the North Atlantic (CNA) is about to showcase how its facilities are more than just classrooms and curriculum, they are places where hands-on learning brings innovation, technology, skills and ideas to life.
From May 14-16, CNA campuses in Corner Brook and St. John’s will host events to promote Innovation Week. During these sessions, students will be able to interact with entrepreneurs and industry representatives to encourage innovation, creativity, problem solving, collaboration, and bringing new perspectives to the task at hand.
There have already been two events held at CNA campuses leading up to this week’s activities, including Science Rendezvous 2018 at Labrador West campus in late April, and the Youth in Technology conference at Prince Philip Drive campus in St. John’s in early May.
On Monday, May 14 from 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m., the Newfoundland and Labrador Workforce Innovation Centre (NLWIC) at CNA in Corner Brook, in partnership with the Association for New Canadians (ANC) and Navigate at Grenfell Campus, Memorial University, will deliver
Innovation 2.0: Entrepreneurship, Diversity and Workforce Development. The event will take place at Grenfell Campus and will feature key speakers Billy Newell of Navigate; Emily Brennan of ANC; as well as, a panel discussion with leaders from key industry sectors, followed by cross-sectoral roundtable discussions.
“At the Newfoundland and Labrador Workforce Innovation Centre (NLWIC) we expect all three sessions will spark new ideas and partnerships for research and innovation in workforce development across all sectors in the province. By talking and working together with our key stakeholders, we will positively impact employability, labour market issues, and ultimately the prosperity of this province,” said Sharon McLennon, NLWIC Director.
On Tuesday, May 15, Prince Philip Drive campus will host a day-long session called
CNA Innovation @ Work beginning at 8:30 a.m. After the event launches at 9 a.m., there will be a Student Business Solutions Showcase and Innovation Poster session, which highlights CNA students and recent graduates’ capstone projects which showcases the skills they developed through working on an industry/community problem that required a unique solution. An industry panel will then judge the presentations and offer a Research and Development award to the winning team to pursue their project with the winning partner.
Other sessions during this event include:
- “Seeing the World in a New Light – The Specim IQ Portable Hyperspectral Camera” features devices that permit humans to see billions of colours through instant hyperspectral imaging. Talk/demos of this highly sophisticated equipment will take place every 30 minutes.
- “Industry Applications for Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectrophy (LIBS)” – is an opportunity for CNA to display this piece of equipment which was acquired this past February, allowing visitors to see it in action. It will be used in applications as they relate to the mining industry, metallurgical analysis, food safety and archaeology.
- “Tour CNA’s Manufacturing Technology Centre” – is great for those interested in manufacturing, fabrication, prototyping and 3D printing.
- “Industry Innovation Challenge” – is designed to harness problem-solving abilities by bringing together students from multiple program areas to work together and help a client find real solutions to product, process and organizational challenges.
- To register: https://bit.ly/2rydJ5D
Dr. Michael Long, Associate Vice President, Applied Research and Innovation, says, “The Innovation @ Work event is a testimony to CNA’s broader effort to modernize our curriculum and ensure a quality experience for all our students. The event also aims to bring together the tangible and innovative output of our students, employees while showcasing novel projects and Applied Research Solutions we put forward to overcome some of the challenges we face in our province. CNA has enormously contributed to the province’s innovation ecosystem and this event is our way of highlighting how we are making real contributions.”
Rounding out the CNA Innovation Week events is the first annual Dragon’s Lair Provincial Competition at Prince Philip Drive campus in conjunction with Skills Canada Newfoundland and Labrador slated for Wednesday, May 16 from 8:30 a.m. - 4 p.m. In addition to grouped sessions, 100 regional finalists will pitch their skilled-related business projects in a Dragon’s Den-style simulation with the goal of being named business leaders of the future. Dragon’s Lair presentations are one element of the
ENTER:Preneur, a program dedicated to encouraging youth to consider skilled careers as pathways to successful business ownership.
“Our first annual Dragon’s Lair Provincial Competition highlights the great opportunities for our youth to become successful business owners while inspiring a new generation of skilled workers,” said Carole Ann Ryan, Executive Director of Skills Canada Newfoundland and Labrador. “As skilled youth develop into successful business owners in their fields, they remain connected to their community and actively create positive change for future generations of the skills movement.”
For more information about CNA programs, visit: www.cna.nl.ca
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Media Contact:
Minal Abhange
Public Relations Specialist
College of the North Atlantic
709.643.7870
minal.abhange@cna.nl.ca