Rupertsland Institute and RRU deliver training for Métis learners

Learn more about Professional and Continuing Studies.

Sarah Bendixen was looking for something that would provide a rewarding and stable future for herself and her children .

She found the Professional Project Administrator (PPA) program, delivered by Royal Roads University in partnership with the Rupertsland Institute, an affiliate of the Otipemisiwak Métis Government in Alberta. Learners in the program gain employment-ready skills in the growing field of project administration. Offered through RRU’s Professional and Continuing Studies, the program combines academic rigour with hands-on, practical training that learners can immediately apply in the workplace.

Bendixen, who is Métis, completed the 23-week program and began work soon after as an office administrator, working with electrical project managers at a job where “there’s something new every day.”

Every day, Bendixen puts into practice what she learned in the PPA program, from the broad skillset of collective leadership to more focused technical proficiencies, such as expertise with business applications.

“I was willing to learn as much as I could in the program, and I learned a lot. I learned about myself, I learned about others,” she says. “During this program, it felt like I gained my voice. I was able to express myself or my thoughts, or give ideas.”

The emphasis on teamwork in the PPA program, she says, transferred seamlessly into the workplace, where her bosses emphasize not top-down hierarchy but collaboration.

Meeting the needs of the labour market

It was a collaboration that brought the PPA program to Alberta. 

As an affiliate of the Otipemisiwak Métis Government of the Métis Nation within Alberta, the Rupertsland Institute has three mandates: research, education and training. The training mandate involves providing services and programs focused on post-secondary learning, professional development and the labour market, to Métis people, many of whom have experienced poverty, to fill needs market needs.

“We're focused on citizens who maybe, for one reason or another — whether it's intergenerational trauma or current economic pressures, whatever it is that's held them back — and we're offering pathways to overcome those barriers so that they can achieve what they're capable of achieving and provide prosperity for their families,” says Dylan Turner, who is Rupertsland’s PPA project manager as well as provincial projects and emergency support program lead.

“We develop our training projects to reflect the needs in the labour market,” he says.

Project management and administrative support were one such need the organization identified, so it partnered with RRU, which has previously offered the Professional Project Administrator Program for Indigenous Learners in Alberta. 

“I think what really separated this program with Royal Roads was that they were providing credit courses and they were providing an actual university credential at the end of it for these students,” Turner says. “So that way, if students felt like this was something they were really interested in, then we could assist them if they wanted to get the diploma or even the full-fledged bachelor's degrees for this particular major.”

He also notes the range of ages and life experiences of students, “We had everybody from 18-year-olds who were freshly graduated and a few people who were doing career changes and more into their midlife era”…Royal Roads really went out of their way to try to develop a program that met these students where they were.

“Everything was always very respectful, wanting to ensure that the way the program came across was infused with our culture.”

A customized program that adjusts for students

“The experience of Métis people in this country is different from the experience of other Indigenous people, so we ensure that we're sensitive to, and aware of those differences,” says Tim Brigham, a learning and development advisor with RRU Professional and Continuing Studies.

He notes the university worked with cultural specialists and Knowledge Holders from Rupertsland Institute to co-create the program and says, “I think that makes the program all that much more meaningful for the learners.”

Leadership skills are a key PPA component, Brigham says, pointing out that a collective leadership course leads off the program. Another critical piece is building confidence along with competencies.

“A lot of learners come out and say, ‘I feel capable of doing things that I didn't feel capable of doing before,’” he says, “and that's a real measure of success for them and for us.”

“This partnership reflects what’s possible when we co-create learning that’s both academically rigorous and culturally grounded,” says Zoe MacLeod, RRU’s associate vice-president, Professional and Continuing Studies. “The success of Métis learners in this program shows the power of education to open doors and build confidence for lifelong growth.”

“I want to lead by example”

“I gained some confidence. I gained some leadership skills,” says Bendixen, who attributes some of that to the way the program is run and students are cared for.

“I've never been treated the way I was as a person until I went to this program,” Bendixen says. “Everybody was equal. Everybody was part of the team… They created an environment in school where we're all working, we're all collaborating, we're all giving.”

Noting she lives with ADHD, Bendixen says the support of everyone involved in the program extended beyond the learning and the classroom to include students’ mental health and overall wellbeing.

And the lessons she learned go beyond the skills she uses in her work to the way she can use her experiences to help her children.

“I want to lead by example,” she says. “I truly believe anybody can be anything they want to be. And I put that into their heads: If you want to be a doctor, you can be a doctor. You can't tell people what they can and can't do. It doesn't matter who they are, you know? If they believe they can do it, they will do it.”

About the PPA program

Over the course of approximately 23 weeks, participants completed a mix of credit and non-credit courses in areas such as project management, collective leadership, proposal writing, data management and digital literacy. The program blended online learning with customized supports, including one-on-one program completion sessions and career development sessions. Graduates received a certificate of completion, positioning them for career advancement and further educational opportunities. This partnership reflects Rupertsland Institute and Royal Roads University's shared commitment to innovative, flexible, and culturally responsive programming that empowers Métis learners and builds capacity across communities.

Learn more about Professional and Continuing Studies.

Image by Ohayo from Adobe Stock