Joana Amoanab has spent the last four months working as a Supply Management Technician — a job she landed after graduating from RRC Polytech’s Transportation, Logistics and Supply Chain Management (TLSCM) program this past spring.
“Everything I learned at RRC I have applied and I keep applying here at my job everyday,” said Joana. “When I started here, I didn’t feel lost, nothing felt unfamiliar. I was prepared.”
Joana works for Canadian Blood Services, where transportation logistics are critical.
“Every product — whether it’s blood or plasma — has a journey; it needs to be stored, transported and delivered under specific conditions,” Joana said. “Every step must be tightly controlled because lives are depending on it.”
Graduates of the TLSCM program have also found work at places like Bison Transport and CPKC — two companies who operate within the port’s 20,000-acre footprint and are Partners of CentrePort. This Partnership Program allows companies and organizations to leverage business development, marketing and networking opportunities. The program acts as a local vehicle to connect and market Partners to over 1,000+ companies located at CentrePort. RRC Polytech is also a valued Partner.
To support the students and future workforce, CentrePort Canada awards a $500 scholarship to a TLSCM student who demonstrates excellent leadership qualities and academic achievement, with a preference to female candidates.
Joana was 2025’s recipient of the Diane Gray CentrePort Canada Scholarship, named in honour of Diane Gray, the founding President and CEO who led CentrePort Canada for 14 years.
“Receiving that award encouraged me and reminded me that I’m on the right path,” said Joana. “And with the award being named after Diane Gray herself — someone who is known for her vision, her collaboration and her perseverance — it made me feel connected to a legacy of strong leadership.”
The TLSCM program was redesigned and launched in 2023, with the goal of producing graduates who meet the demands of the labour market.
According to Paula Havixbeck, the chair of Business & Supply Chain Logistics at RRC Polytech, this redesign required extensive consultation with leaders like the Canadian Institute of Traffic and Transportation (CITT) and Supply Chain Manitoba.
“What I love about RRC and working there is that we are close with our employers and industry,” Paula said. “We can respond very quickly and adapt courses or make changes and really gear students to be ready for the workplace.”
During industry consultations, RRC Polytech identified a growing need for professionals whose skillset goes beyond logistics and supply chain operations. Joana says the curriculum reflects this.
“The program helped me build my project management skills, communication skills, problem solving and collaboration.”
One way RRC Polytech helps the students build these communications skills is through industry networking events.
“It’s hard for students to network — if this is your first time at post-secondary education or if you’re new to Canada, who do you know, right?” said Paula. “So, we try to create opportunities; we try to coach them along.”
Nine Manitoba companies from the transportation and supply chain logistics industry visited RRC Polytech’s downtown campus on November 28, including CPKC.
“My thanks goes to Paula for organizing these networking events, because I’ve learned a lot,” said third term student Kingsley Igbojiuba. “I can see what I need to succeed in the industry: the soft skills, critical thinking, and problem solving — because every day we solve problems.”
The program accepts 32 students every fall, winter and spring. This means smaller class sizes and more time with instructors.
“Our instructors have their boots on the ground — they’re entrenched in their industry,” said Paula. “They know what it takes to get you there to be successful.”
Throughout the 12-month program, students are given hands-on learning opportunities through industry case studies. In their third and final term, students must complete an applied capstone project.
“This project has really exposed me to what the industry is going to look like,” said Kingsley. “We must ask and answer: how do you share the project tasks? How can you communicate better as a team? When there is a problem, how do you relate these problems to your team members? How do you find a solution?”
Completing this project is the last big task of the semester, and the students are looking forward to finding job security after graduation.
“I’m excited to go into industry,” said Alaapjot Kaur, standing with her classmates Ravneet Kaur and Ran Zhai who nodded in agreement. “I want to find something I can depend on for the long term.”
These three women say their class feels balanced between men and women, but they do fear barriers in industry.
“Sometimes we feel like we must stay in our comfort zone, like we don’t want to risk anything,” Alaapjot said. “These industries are male-dominated, and it feels like they may not give you a chance.”
The week before the networking event, Ravneet found a job posting that asked applicants to be able to lift a certain weight, and she was unable to meet this requirement.
Joana says the industry is evolving, and there is lifting technology that helps mitigate these barriers.
“You should know your strengths, and you should know your weaknesses,” said Joana, “But I encourage ladies to be open minded, explore new avenues, and not restrict themselves. At the end of the day, excelling in something is a mindset and it’s a decision.”
The Diane Gray CentrePort Canada Scholarship is meant to support RRC Polytech’s students and help encourage women in the field.
“I knew Diane when she started in the role, I feel that was really groundbreaking back then,” said Paula, referring to Diane’s time leading CentrePort Canada during the early 2010s. “It must have been tough because it was a mostly male-dominated industry, and you don’t see a lot of females owning a lot of the companies either. There is an imbalance, and we have to create opportunities to promote and help women and other minorities.”
The current third-term students will have their convocation in June 2026. For more information about the TLSCM program, visit the RRC Polytech’s Program Explorer website.
