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First-year ³ÉÈËÔ¼ÅÚÍøÕ¾ 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 ³ÉÈËÔ¼ÅÚÍøÕ¾ 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 ³ÉÈËÔ¼ÅÚÍøÕ¾ 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 ³ÉÈËÔ¼ÅÚÍøÕ¾ 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. ³ÉÈËÔ¼ÅÚÍøÕ¾ is excited to participate in this global opportunity.

“At ³ÉÈËÔ¼ÅÚÍøÕ¾, we recognize that the most impactful learning often occurs outside of a classroom,” said Shawn Ethier, Director of Enrolment Management at ³ÉÈËÔ¼ÅÚÍøÕ¾. “Experiential learning in the community has long been part of the ³ÉÈËÔ¼ÅÚÍøÕ¾ 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 ³ÉÈËÔ¼ÅÚÍøÕ¾:

With six campuses across New Brunswick, ³ÉÈËÔ¼ÅÚÍøÕ¾ 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, ³ÉÈËÔ¼ÅÚÍøÕ¾ also provides specialized and customized training to meet the needs of specific sectors and communities.  Find out more information on ³ÉÈËÔ¼ÅÚÍøÕ¾ programs by visiting: .

MEDIA CONTACT:

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