HUMAN Capital - Fall 2016 - 30

HRC WEST: Western Canada's Premier HR Case Competition In 2013, Dr. Ian Gellatly of the University of Alberta approached the Human Resources Institute of Alberta (HRIA) with the idea of creating an HR case competition for post-secondary students in Alberta. HRIA embraced the challenge knowing that there was a significant gap in practical learning opportunities for post-secondary students specializing in HR. With strong assistance from a dedicated committee of post-secondary representatives, the first event was held at the University of Alberta in Edmonton on March 2014 under the name "HRIA Challenge". The competition was designed to feature comprehensive business cases that explore some of the most pressing business challenges faced by HR professionals and all cases are written by experts in the field. It also presents students with the opportunity to be introduced to industry professionals with extensive experience in the field of HR during a networking dinner and throughout the day of the challenge. "Case competitions provide the opportunity for students to practice their knowledge while showcasing their analytical and presentation skills. These events also allow students to make new connections and friendships, both with their school peers and with those from other institutions," said Dr. Melanie Peacock, Associate Professor, Bissett School of Business. The teams are composed of three students and one alternate. Individual schools are responsible for assembling their teams and in order to prevent judges from bias towards teams, each team submits a team name when they register for the competition. The team name does not reveal the school name and the judges only learn the school name when the winners are announced. Five teams from Alberta schools attended the first event, with the team from University of Lethbridge taking home the first prize. College took the honors of winning this round held at Northern Alberta Institute of Technology in Edmonton. "HRIA recognizes that a profession is only as strong as its next generation of leaders and that those future leaders need opportunities to test their abilities and develop practical skills. We are committed to engaging with post-secondary students and institutions to build awareness of HR and invest in Canada's future HR professionals," said, Janice MacPherson, HRIA Interim CEO. More exciting news continues with a partnership for the 2017 HRC West with the Human Resources Management Association (HRMA) of BC. It will be hosted at Kwantlen Polytechnic University in Surrey, British Columbia on March 3 & 4, 2017. Riding on the success, the second competition was held in March 2015 at Mount Royal University in Calgary. The event was renamed "HRC West" and attracted seven teams to participate including one from British Columbia (Okanagan College). This time around the winning team came from University of Alberta. "With more and more teams expressing interest, we expect 2017 to be the biggest one yet! The excitement and enthusiasm of the students, along with the fierce competition between schools will make this case competition one to watch," said MacPherson. For 2016, HRC West continued to grow. With ten teams that competed from across the west (BC to Manitoba). Camosun Registration opens September 8, 2016 for next year's competition and more information can be found at: www.hrma.ca http://www.hrma.ca

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of HUMAN Capital - Fall 2016