Private Career College Focused on Mental Health Crosses the One Year Mark and Establishes In-person Training Centre in Brandon, MB
LINKS Institute, a private vocational college which specializes in mental health, is celebrating the one-year anniversary of their registration with the Manitoba ministry of advanced education, skills and immigration. “The one-year milestone is a huge step for our organization, and we are excited for more years to come”, says John Jackson, President & CEO of LINKS Institute. Jackson describes the course of the past 12 months as having the types of ups and downs that might be expected with a start-up business.
“The one-year milestone is a huge step for our organization, and we are excited for more years to come” – John Jackson
“Although the private vocational sector is a challenging one to enter, many of our opportunities have included typical items for any enterprise such as effective marketing and brand awareness. Non-typical challenges included navigating the COVID-19 pandemic”. LINKS Institute started as an online school and has recently announced that they have secured a training facility for in-person classes. “We are excited about adding in-person learning as an option for students”, says Jackson, “because we recognize that some people prefer this option to a virtual classroom”. The organization will continue to capitalize on opportunities to recruit learners who wish to study remotely.
LINKS Institute has spent the first 12 months of business engaging in community development and relationship building activities. As a result of LINKS’ online offerings, students have been able to access the innovative education program from all over the province. “We have been fortunate enough to recruit students from many different areas of Manitoba”, says Jackson. Removing barriers to education such as geographical limits has been an implicit goal of the organization.
The COVID-19 pandemic led to a rapid shift for the educational sector in both Manitoba and the rest of Canada, from in-person learning to virtual or hybrid models. With the changing face of pandemic restrictions, LINKS Institute anticipates a growing demand for in-person learning, which was another motivation for establishing in-person options. Located at 1202 Princess Avenue, the training center includes a large classroom space and a number of small rooms and offices in preparation for future vocational programs. “Part of our strategic plan is to develop and implement programs for international students. We believe that through offering interesting, in-demand training programs for international students, we can continue to attract newcomers to Brandon”, says Jackson.
LINKS Institute offers vocational training options for students who are interested in a career as a community and social service workers.
John Jackson
LINKS Institute