A “Windows of Opportunity” Expo Career Fair will be hosted by Hospitality, Tourism and Recreation students at the Barrie Campus of Georgian College on Feb. 7.

Leading employers in the hospitality, tourism, culinary and recreation industries are coming to the college to network with students and the public looking for careers in the field. They will be seeking new employees to work in food and beverage, event planning, office administration, customer service, adventure recreation and leisure and much more.

Businesses from our own backyard and across Canada will be represented. This is the perfect opportunity for those looking for successful and rewarding careers or co-operative seasonal employment.

The fair takes place in the gymnasium from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. All are welcome and admission is free.

For further information, check out the Expo Facebook page – search Georgian College HTR Expo 2012, or call the Expo office at 705-728-1968, ext. 6211.

Keynote speaker Sue Minns

We Are Stronger Together is a one-day conference for early childhood educators, teachers and community partners, planned for April 16 at the Barrie Campus of Georgian College.

Keynote speaker is Sue Minns who regularly gets audiences laughing at the calamities of her life “lived in the disaster zone”. She teaches audiences how to navigate stressful situations successfully by incorporating humour into every area of life. Minns worked in the childcare field for more than 20 years until Multiple Sclerosis forced her to look at a second career.

Workshop sessions cover a wide variety of topics, including

• When to Suspect Autism Spectrum Disorder
• Oral Language, Learning to Play
• Learning Math and Science through Play
• Literacy At Home
• Cultural Beginnings, and more.

For more information or to register, contact Rob Reid at Georgian College’s Orillia Campus. Send an e-mail to rreid@georgianc.on.ca, or call (705) 325-3690. Conference fee is $50. Registrations close April 6.

Sponsors of the event are Georgian College and the County of Simcoe, including the Simcoe County Best Start Network.

Bly, a 5’11″ fourth-year forward, was the backbone of the Grizzlies’ offense and defense. She led her team in scoring, rebounding, blocked shots and steals, and recorded nine double-doubles this season. She averaged 15 points per game and 9.7 rebounds, while leading the league in blocked shots with 55.

Her list of achievements this year are 2010-11 OCAA Player of the Year, 2010-11 OCAA East Defensive Player of the Year, 2010-11 OCAA East 1st Team All Star and OCAA Female Athlete of the Week on Jan. 17. She was also named MVP of the St. Lawrence Invitational Tournament.

Bly is the first Grizzly women’s basketball player to be named an All Canadian since Krissy Kort in 2001.

The Centre for Co-operative Education, Internship and Career Services will host a Career Fair on Thursday, March 10,

Over 80 employers are expected on campus, representing a wide range of sectors. This is a terrific networking opportunity for all Geogian students.

If you are an employer and would like to participate, please visit http://www.georgianc.on.ca/careers/for-employers/post-a-job/ to fill out the registration form.

For further details, please contact Audrey Taylor, Graduate Employment Consultant, B110, extension 5271 or ataylor@georgianc.on.ca.

The Centre is funded by Employment Ontario and helps bridge the gap between employers looking for workers and job seekers looking for long-term employment. Employers can get help in identifying their hiring needs and finding the right person for the job. Job seekers will find information and guidance to help with making a career decision, getting the skills they need, and finding and keeping work. The Centre also has information about government programs such as Second Career and Ontario Self Employment Benefits.

Job seekers and employers can drop into the Centre for help, or make an appointment for a one-on-one meeting or group workshop at no cost to them. The Centre also provides information on workplace safety, including the rights and responsibilities of individuals and employers, as well as local, provincial and national labour market information.

“Anyone who is looking for assistance with resume writing, interview tips, career advising and more can come to the Centre for Career and Employment Services,” says Patricia Whittington, Manager, Government and Employment Programs. “There are also services available for employers, such as free job postings and assistance with interview preparation.”

This Employment Ontario service is funded in part by the Government of Canada.

For more information on The Centre for Career and Employment Services, please contact Patricia Whittington at (705) 722-1505, ext. 1080.

The annual HOT OFF THE PRESS print sale will also be held November 18 through November 20.  The print sale is an opportunity for the public to purchase artwork created by students in the School of Design and Visual Art programs.

For more information on the Campus Gallery and opening events, please contact  Shannon Salvog at (705) 728-1968, ext. 1398 or email ssalvog@georgianc.on.ca.

“Once the walls are all up, staff members looking out the windows are going to get a real feel for that building and realize how big it really is,” said John La Brie, Director of Physical Resources. “This new building will be about one-third as large as the total amount of facilities we have currently, including the residence.”

The building is about 170,000 square feet and the Barrie Campus previously had 600,000 square feet of buildings. As a comparison, the University Partnership Centre (K building) is 105,000 square feet.

Much has transpired in the past month or so, said Heather Steeves, Manager of Architectural Services. On the east side, facing C Building, the glass wall is complete on the second floor and workers are moving on to installing glass on the third floor. Some of the glass will be clear, while some will be fritted glass to let in light but preserve privacy. A large portion of the building is also covered with black sheathing and blue tape, which will form the underside of the exterior cladding system.

On the Georgian Drive side of the building, most of the work currently includes building the retaining wall, roads and getting the parking lots ready for paving.

The interior of the building is a beehive of activity, with a variety of subtrades on site, including electricians, plumbers, heating and cooling specialists, sprinkler installers, glass installers, fire retardant sprayers, drywallers and masons. Civil site service and forming contractors are working on the exterior.

“All the concrete floors are poured, so the subcontractors can move ahead quickly with interior work,” said Heather. “Physical Resources has bi-weekly meetings with the contractor to keep us up to date and everything is on schedule. Everything should be closed in by December.”

A tremendous number of workers, likely hundreds, will be working on the building during the coming months.

Bondar says “When I was eight years old, to be a spaceman was the most exciting thing I could imagine.”

A childhood dream to be an astronaut was realized when Bondar launched from Earth in January 1992 aboard NASA’s space shuttle Discovery as the first neurologist in space and Canada’s first woman astronaut. As a payload specialist she conducted advanced scientific experiments for 14 nations.

Back on Earth, Bondar and her team of researchers examined data obtained from astronauts on 24 space missions to better understand the mechanisms underlying the body’s ability to recover from exposure to space.

Tickets are $20 for the public and $10 for students. For further information, contact Heather Dix at (705) 728-1968, ext. 1148.

“It’s important for Georgian staff to embrace a healthy lifestyle, which includes being healthy at the workplace,” says Anne-Marie McAllister, Manager, Organizational Learning. “We want all staff to live a healthy, balanced lifestyle, at the workplace and outside of the workplace as well.”

 The day starts at 1 p.m. with a keynote speech and workshop entitled “Better Health…Are You Ready?” delivered by Employer’s Edge. Additional workshops that follow include “Healthy Eating on the Go”, “Desk Yoga” and “Stress Management Strategies.” Also available are health fair and information booths with representation from Weight Watchers, Georgian’s Athletic department and Health Partners Professionals.

A similar event will also take place on Oct. 28 at the Orillia Campus.

For more information on Georgian’s Healthy Workplace Day, please contact Anne-Marie McAllister at (705)728-1968, ext. 1649.

The CCI program enables colleges to develop or expand applied research transfer activities in their communities through partnerships with local companies, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises. Georgian’s research activities are carried out through the Centre for Applied Research and Innovation  (CARI) at the Barrie Campus. CARI, officially launched in June 2010, is Georgian’s point of contact linking businesses with faculty and students to conduct applied research in areas in which Georgian has recognized expertise.

The CCI funding announced Oct. 12 will allow Georgian to investigate specific solar energy technologies that will strengthen and improve the capabilities of its corporate partners and regional manufacturers in the alternative energy sector.

“This Solar Energy Technology Research program will co-ordinate applied research and innovation in solar energy technologies, support innovation within Central Ontario, promote collaborations with industry partners, increase faculty expertise and provide exceptional student learning opportunities in applied research and solar energy technologies”, said Bob Emptage, Dean of Engineering Technology and CARI. “The overall goal is to support projects that emphasize the optimization of solar energy capture/conversion/transfer technology and systems installation.”

CARI also conducts applied research for clients in a variety of other industries. A key component of CARI is that Georgian students are involved in conducting the research, as part of their paid, academic credit co-op education semesters.

CCI is a collaborative initiative between the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC), the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research. Georgian and 10 other Canadian colleges were selected for funding following a peer-reviewed competition. Each receives grants lasting between two and five years.

NSERC is a federal agency whose vision is to help make Canada a country of discoverers and innovators for the benefit of all Canadians. The agency supports some 28,000 students and postdoctoral fellows in their advanced studies. The Council promotes discovery by funding more than 11,800 professors every year and fosters innovation by encouraging more than 1,500 Canadian companies to participate and invest in post-secondary research projects.