Algonquin College Graduate Wins 2007 Premier’s Award
Ottawa, ON, November 28, 2007 - Abdul Abdulrahman, an Algonquin College graduate and a leading advocate for the integration of foreign-trained professionals into Canada’s health care system, has won a 2007 Premier’s Award for outstanding graduates.
“We’re thrilled for Abdul and are proud to have played a role in his success and achievements,” said Robert Gillett, President of Algonquin College. “He is a wonderful example of the contribution college graduates are making across the country.”
Abdulrahman is a 2003 graduate of Algonquin’s Respiratory Therapy Program. As an immigrant to Canada almost a decade ago, his Somali medical credentials were not recognized. To qualify for employment in health care, Abdulrahman enrolled in the Respiratory Therapy Program at Algonquin College.
“Winning this award is truly an honour,” says Abdulrahman. “There is no doubt in my mind that the experiences I gained through Algonquin College’s Respiratory Therapy Program were the gateway to my current success and my entry into Canadian medical school.”
He is now in his second year as a resident anesthesiologist at the University of Toronto after competing against 1,600 other foreign-trained physicians for a spot. He was a driving force behind the establishment of the ACE IT (Algonquin Connecting Expertise of the Internationally Trained) program at Algonquin, which helps other foreign-trained health care professionals transition to the workforce.
Abdulrahman is one of six Premier’s Awards recipients officially announced today, winning an award in the health sciences category. The awards recognize outstanding college graduates who have excelled in six categories: creative arts, technology, health sciences, business, community services and recent graduate. The recipients will receive their awards at a gala celebration dinner in London, Ontario, on February 11, 2008.
Chosen by a panel of distinguished business and community leaders from among 90 nominees, the other recipients this year are:
• Kay Blair, Humber College Institute of Technology and Advanced Learning (Community Services)
• Elio Pacheco, George Brown College (Business)
• Christopher Rowland, Centennial College (Recent Graduate)
• Peter Rowntree, Canadore College (Technology)
• Bonnie Stern, George Brown College, (Creative Arts)
Each year, about 40,000 graduates from Ontario’s 24 colleges enter the workforce. About one-third of Ontario’s workforce, approximately 2.1 million workers, has a college credential, the largest group in the province’s labour force.
“College graduates play an essential role in the success of our economy and in the strength of our social fabric,” adds Gillett. “As the Premier’s Awards demonstrate, colleges help people to fulfill their potential.”
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