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First-year Èé½»ÊÓƵ Culinary Arts Management student Sarah Marshall never imagined her post-secondary education would take her to Finland, but thanks to , and , the Government of Canada’s Outbound Student Mobility Pilot Program, she and three of her classmates are headed there next month.

Marshall and three other hospitality students, along with two faculty members, will represent Èé½»ÊÓƵ at a two-week hospitality study module in Muonio, Finland, a unique experiential learning opportunity that’s part of Bridge the Ocean, an international initiative that introduces students to the global labour market through mobility study modules between European and Canadian colleges.

“I’ve never travelled outside of North America, so I’m looking forward to seeing Europe, meeting new people, and having an immersive cultural experience,” said Marshall. “I am really excited to meet so many people from different countries and learn about their cultures.”

The Èé½»ÊÓƵ participants have been participating in virtual classes with their European counterparts for the past few weeks. During the two-week study module in Finland, the four Èé½»ÊÓƵ learners will connect with students from Denmark, Finland, and the Netherlands. Participants will also test their customer service skills in an international environment, participate in foraging exercises, host dinners, and learn to make traditional Nordic meals.

“I’m very interested in customer service. It’s something that I really enjoy, and I’m excited to learn more about international customer service and tourism industries,” said Marshall.

Bridge the Ocean aims to establish a culture of international reciprocity and create opportunities for further collaboration between European and Canadian colleges. Èé½»ÊÓƵ is excited to participate in this global opportunity.

“At Èé½»ÊÓƵ, we recognize that the most impactful learning often occurs outside of a classroom,” said Shawn Ethier, Director of Enrolment Management at Èé½»ÊÓƵ. “Experiential learning in the community has long been part of the Èé½»ÊÓƵ Advantage; enabling our students to learn by doing internationally is the next level of practical experience. We are thrilled about this opportunity for our students and look forward to growing our global community.”

The hospitality study module is the first of three mobility projects planned for the next few years with partners in Finland, Denmark, the Netherlands, and Canada.

About Èé½»ÊÓƵ:

With six campuses across New Brunswick, Èé½»ÊÓƵ contributes to New Brunswick’s social and economic prosperity by supporting the aspirations of individual learners, seizing the opportunities of the labour market, and collaboratively solving the challenges of communities and industry.  In addition to more than 90 certificate and diploma programs, Èé½»ÊÓƵ also provides specialized and customized training to meet the needs of specific sectors and communities.  Find out more information on Èé½»ÊÓƵ programs by visiting: .

MEDIA CONTACT:

Tanya Greer, Strategic Communications Lead, (506).440.9015, tanya.greer@nbcc.ca