RBC donates to rural entrepreneurial program

By Justin Seward

Commentator/Courier

Representatives from RBC, Medicine Hat College and Prairie Rose School Division (PRSD) were on hand at the college to hear the announcement of a $100,000 donation towards the start-up funding of the Rural Youth Entrepreneurship pilot project on Feb. 7.
The funds have been dedicated to growing initiatives like the Entrepreneur Development Centre’s start-up company program and seminar system.
The announcement really created a partnership between the college, RBC and PRSD.
“We’re very thankful for RBC being engaged in a three-way partnership,” said PRSD superintendent Roger Clarke.
“We’re going to continue to foster that partnership and grow in our entire region. We’ve had a partnership with the Medicine Hat College this entire school year. We’re working together on how you build those kind of character skills in the entrepreneurial environment. How students gain an understanding of business.
“Students,with the aid of Medicine Hat College, in four of our high schools have a class of students involved in an entrepreneurial class.”
MHC instructors come into entrepreneurial classes weekly in the first semester at Eagle Butte High School, Foremost School, Senator Gershaw and Oyen’s South Central High School to teach Grade 10-12 students how to set-up a local business.
“For us, RBC’s commitment expands way beyond a monetary value, they also provide our students mentorship and take an active role in all what we do. They have been there since the beginning and we appreciate how much they bring to our program,” said Tracy Stroud, business development manager at MHC.
RBC’s Alberta South regional vice president Mark Brown was enthused to be involved with helping the college expand their opportunities.
“We’re excited to be working with Medicine Hat College to help bring RBC Future Launch to life, said Brown.
“We have a responsibility to prepare young people for the opportunities and ambiguities of the future. RBC Future Launch is a decade-long commitment to help Canadian youth prepare for the jobs of tomorrow.”