theclaw.ca

Calendar

< September, 2010 >

S	M	T	W	T	F	S
29	30	31	01	02	03	04
05	06	07	08	09	10	11
12	13	14	15	16	17	18
19	20	21	22	23	24	25
26	27	28	29	30	01

Columns

Posted by: Brianne_Ward on 03/03/2009 10:29 AM
Updated by: furlong on 03/17/2009 01:31 PM
Expires: 01/01/2014 12:00 AM

Partnership between College and CTV offer new opportunities for aboriginal students

Placement opportunities for media students are the key to a new deal between Canadore Colege and CTV .

By Brianne Ward
theclaw.ca

The Canadore boardroom was emptied of its meeting tables and comfortable chairs in order to be filled with people ready to witness the inking of a new partnership deal between Canadore College and CTV.

In an effort to increase their on-air and behind-the-camera aboriginal presence, CTV has worked alongside the college to create a kind of contract called a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) “promote aboriginal student involvement in the broadcasting industry,” the document states.

“Well, there are two parts to it and they’re both really exciting,” Canadore College President Barbara Taylor said of the memorandum. “First of all, the placement opportunities for our students in the School of Communication Arts with CTV across Northern Ontario, and potentially beyond, is a wonderful, wonderful opportunity for students to get that hands-on experience in the industry.

“It’s also a great way for students to build up their portfolio of experience and to make connections in the industry.

“The other part of it - which is the partnership for our aboriginal students in the School of Communication Arts - is also really exciting. We know that there is a shortage of qualified aboriginal journalists in broadcast media. We’re really excited about working with CTV in order to get more aboriginal people to consider a career in media,” Taylor explained.

The MOU is not only beneficial to Canadore College, but also an important tool for CTV in the company’s efforts to correct its disproportionately low aboriginal on-screen population, according to CTV’s Northern Ontario Vie-President and General Manager Scott Lund. Ten per cent of CTV’s viewing audience is aboriginal, yet CTV in Northern Ontario has no aboriginal representation on-camera, Lund said, adding it as an opportunity to keep Northern Ontario students in the North.

“It’s a chance to get the students who are already in Northern Ontario to stay in Northern Ontario; Northern Ontario kids, placement in Northern Ontario where they actually live, in North Bay specifically, but also in Sudbury, Sault Ste. Marie, and Timmins,” Lund explained.

The MOU is the fruit of more than a year’s worth of collaboration and cooperation between Canadore College and CTV.

“A lot of discussion with CTV and the Dean and the faculty were critical in making it happen,” Taylor said of the negotiations, “(We were) looking for more opportunities for student placement, and also looking for ways to partner with CTV to get more people to come to careers in broadcasting and journalism.”

The signing of the MOU took place following a short ceremony on Feb.11 with speeches made by the parties involved, including Canadore’s Journalism Coordinator Phil Cowcill, Roger Chum, Counsellor in the Aboriginal Learning Unit, Scott Lund, and Barbara Taylor. For Canadore College, Barbara Taylor signed the MOU while Scott Lund signed for CTV.