Signed agreement outlines potential jobs for students
MacEwan University and the Oilers Entertainment Group (OEG) signed a memorandum of understanding back in November. The Griff has learned that this agreement outlines mutual goals to create work-integrated learning (WIL) opportunities for MacEwan students within the OEG.
“The roots of the partnership go back to when we opened Rogers Place in 2016… we opened up Ice District, [and] we wanted to be active partners in the downtown community,” said Tim Shipton, the OEGSE executive vice-president (external relations and gaming).
Since moving in, OEG has gotten to know the leadership at MacEwan along with the student body, the student’s association, and Griffin’s Athletics — where the men’s and women’s hockey teams use Rogers Place’s downtown community arena for their games and practices.
Now, MacEwan and OEG are looking to create opportunities for students across all programs, which they plan to base on feedback from MacEwan students.
“We’re neighbours, we’re partners, we’re friends. We want MacEwan students to come to Ice District and find a place where they can spend time with friends, where they can potentially study, enjoy some extracurricular activities, hospitality, etc.”
Tim Shipton, executive vice-president (communications & gaming), OEGSE
With MacEwan’s enrolment numbers projected to grow, Shipton sees another opportunity — especially with housing in downtown Edmonton.
“We wanna talk to MacEwan about creative opportunities that may exist within the student housing realm in order to come up with some unique solutions that could work because we need to address the student housing crunch that’s going on,” Shipton added.
MacEwan aims to increase its student body to 30,000 by the year 2030.
There’s an ongoing development in the coming weeks and months for MacEwan students interested in the WIL opportunities OEG has to offer.
“We will be identifying areas of interest and need for MacEwan and the Oilers to see where the synergies may exist,” says Lara McClelland, MacEwan vice-president (university relations). “Once opportunities are identified, the WIL will work with faculties, departments and students to share what opportunities are available.”
Another area OEG is noticing is how to welcome MacEwan students into the Ice District and how MacEwan students can get more involved in activities within the district.
“We’re neighbours, we’re partners, we’re friends,” Shipton said, “we want MacEwan students to come to Ice District and find a place where they can spend time with friends, where they can potentially study, enjoy some extracurricular activities, hospitality, etc.”
Shipton emphasizes that there are many avenues for MacEwan and OEG to collaborate. For example, the OEG has provided ongoing support for the MacEwan centre for sexual and gender diversity, where the pair have collaborated for the Oilers’ Annual Pride Night and their Pride Cup, all of which are conveniently hosted in the Ice District.
“That’s exciting to us because we also need to compete. And the only way you can compete is if you’re really pushing yourself and you have the best people involved in what you do. We know MacEwan’s reputation for producing tremendous students and graduates is very well established.” Shipton said.
Photo by Amanda Erickson
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