It’s high-fives all around for new inspiration happening at CFB Shilo.  Rob Lavin, executive director of Shilo MFRC, Christine Helgason, MFRC employment and education coordinator, and Michael Cameron, dean of community development, Assiniboine College, celebrate the new MOU signed to formalize a partnership between the two parties for higher education services on the Base, on March 11. (Photo: K-J Millar /Shilo Stag News)

The collaborative partnership will expand post-secondary education, skills training and employment-related learning opportunities for Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) members, their families and the broader CFB Shilo community.

The alliance, the first of its kind between a college and a Canadian Army Base as a satellite location, will support economic development, lifelong learning, and the well-being of military families as CFB Shilo continues to grow.

Rob Lavin, executive director of the MFRC, said he is “thrilled” to formalize the connection with Assiniboine and to see Shilo’s future education opportunities evolve into a first-time satellite location in the near future. While other bases offer college courses or work closely with higher education institutions, to his knowledge Shilo may be one of the first of all army bases in Canada to pursue a dedicated satellite college location.

“It is essential that the Military and Veteran families we serve have access to education and training opportunities that are convenient, supportive and responsive to their realities,” he said. “This MOU helps us do exactly that.”

As part of the agreement, the Shilo MFRC will provide Assiniboine College with space for training purposes. While the Shilo MFRC facility will serve as the primary location for programming, the MOU enables Assiniboine to deliver training at other suitable locations across the Base, as needed. This flexible approach allows for hands-on, specialized training in areas such as business, culinary arts, and automotive technology, among others.

Michael Cameron, dean of community development at Assiniboine College, agreed with Lavin that the collaboration represents exciting possibilities.

“…[There is] a clear need for accessible education and training close to where people live and work,” Cameron said. “This agreement allows us to work closely with the MFRC to support military families with flexible, relevant learning opportunities that align with career goals, community needs and life on the base.”

The MOU outlines a shared commitment to increasing awareness of post-secondary and employment training options, supporting learner success, and strengthening connections among Assiniboine College, the MFRC, and key stakeholders at CFB Shilo.

When asked about the timeframe for learning implementation, Cameron explained that the idea and MOU process began six months ago. Next steps will be a survey, “the sooner the better,” to determine community wants and needs regarding programming that will be meaningful to the local area, he told Shilo Stag News.

“Ideally, we would love to see the uptake of family members and service personnel embrace the opportunity of having programming brought right to them and to see those programs that are offered being filled up, so we can then bring even more to the community,” he said.

– with files from Assiniboine College

Michael Cameron, dean of community development, Assiniboine College, Christine Helgason, MFRC employment and education coordinator, and Rob Lavin, executive director of Shilo MFRC, formalized the new partnership MOU for higher education opportunities to be available on the Base on March 11. (Photo: K-J Millar /Shilo Stag News)​. 

Michael Cameron, dean of community development, Assiniboine College and Rob Lavin, executive director of Shilo MFRC, formalized the new partnership MOU  on March 11 for higher education opportunities to be available on the Base in the near future. (Photo: K-J Millar /Shilo Stag News)​.