New KPU and HRMA partnership first in Western Canada

Thu, Apr 30, 2015

Metro Vancouver, B.C. – Kwantlen Polytechnic University (KPU) and the Human Resources Management Association (HRMA) are collaborating to provide HR students with the skills, training, industry networks and learning resources needed to build long and successful careers.

Signed this week, the partnership will give KPU HR students access to the association’s networking, learning and employment resources, an HRMA membership, mentorship opportunities and practicum work placements.

The agreement makes KPU’s HR programs the first in Western Canada to offer students the chance to meet through their coursework the professional certification requirements of HRMA’s National Knowledge Exam – the first step in attaining Canada’s national Certified Human Resources Professional (CHRP) designation. KPU’s HR courses will also be reviewed by HRMA, and a professional member will be appointed to the HR program advisory committee as part of the partnership.

“All of the skills, resources and tools available to HR professionals throughout their careers will be made available to KPU students at the start of their academic ones. This partnership is unique in Western Canada, and will have our students well-prepared for strong, successful careers before they even start them,” said Dr. Sal Ferreras, KPU’s provost and vice-president academic.

“We are very pleased to be working with Kwantlen Polytechnic University and creating a first in Western Canada. We recognize the high-calibre content of HR studies provided by KPU, and are excited to be forming a partnership for the benefit of HR students and the HR profession,” said Shannon Railton, CHRP chair of the board of HRMA.

"The partnership meets the spirit of the B.C. government’s Skills for Jobs Blueprint by giving employers and industry a stronger role in shaping and evaluating skills training. I am pleased that HRMA recognizes the quality of KPU School of Business programs. It’s a significant accomplishment for our human resources management programs and makes KPU the first university in Western Canada to collaborate on such an agreement,” said Wayne Tebb, dean of the KPU School of Business.​

The agreement was signed at HRMA’s annual conference by Ferreras, Tebb, Railton and the association’s CEO Anthony Ariganello. It was created in concert with the B.C. government’s Skills for Jobs Blueprint.

HRMA is Western Canada’s largest human resources management professional association, and is responsible for issuing the CHRP designation within British Columbia and Yukon.

For more information on programs offered by the KPU School of Business, visit kpu.ca/business.

Kwantlen Polytechnic University has been serving the Metro Vancouver region since 1981, and has opened doors to success for more than 250,000 people. Four campuses—Richmond, Surrey, Cloverdale and Langley—offer a comprehensive range of sought-after programs, including business, liberal arts, science, design, health, trades and technology, horticulture, and academic and career advancement. Over 19,000 students annually have a choice from over 124 programs, including bachelor’s degrees, associate degrees, diplomas, certificates citations and apprenticeships. Learn more at www.kpu.ca.

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Photo caption: (From bottom left, clockwise) KPU provost and vice-president academic Dr. Sal Ferreras, KPU School of Business dean Wayne Tebb, HRMA CEO Anthony Ariganello and HRMA board chair Shannon Railton.

Media contact:
Hayley Woodin
Media Specialist
t: 604.599.2883
c: 604.364.1288
hayley.woodin@kpu.ca

For more KPU news:
@KPUmedia
kpu.ca/newsroom
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