Olds College of Agriculture & Technology and Royal Canin have joined forces to develop a specialized small animal nutrition workshop for students. Focusing on feline and canine health, the program is designed to enhance the education of Veterinary Technologist students, giving Olds College graduates a competitive edge in the veterinary industry.
Royal Canin is a global leader in individualized health nutrition of cats and dogs, driven by the belief that every pet has unique nutritional needs. Recognizing that veterinary technologists play a pivotal role in communicating pet health to clients, Royal Canin saw a natural opportunity to partner with an academic institution. Olds College’s high-quality, 16-month accelerated Veterinary Technology diploma program was a seamless fit.
“Recognizing the pivotal role veterinary technologists play in educating pet owners, we are committed to equipping students with the knowledge and practical tools needed to confidently offer nutrition consultations upon graduation,” said Dr. Jordyn Hewer, Strategic Partnership Manager, Royal Canin. “By empowering students in this way, we aim to foster professional autonomy and set them on a path to early career success.”
Providing students with more opportunity to experience hands-on learning is what excites Alisa Brace-Hays, Instructor of Veterinary Technology and Equine Care and Management, Olds College, the most.
“Our partnership with Royal Canin has provided a new avenue for hands-on learning in animal nutrition,” said Brace-Hays. “This course compliments our Animal Nutrition curriculum perfectly by immersing students in real-world scenarios. It challenges them to move beyond textbook memorization and apply their knowledge from both their regular college curriculum and the Royal Canin program, and apply their knowledge to real clinical cases.”
The two-day course, led by Royal Canin associates, enhances veterinary technologists' knowledge on small animal nutrition and empowers students to initiate meaningful client conversations about pet health through nutrition consultations.
“To deliver the best possible content, we brought in our senior scientific communications technician, Robin Saar, Registered Veterinary Technologist (RVT), who holds a Veterinary Technician Specialty (VTS) in nutrition,” said Hewer. “This not only enhanced the learning experience but also showed students the potential for specialization in their careers. We also had support from additional Royal Canin associates — one of whom is an Olds College alumnus — to help deliver the program.”
Dividing the program into two parts, the first section includes four hours of lecture material, ideally, immediately preceding or on a patient intake day at Olds College. The second part of the course features an 11-hour workshop over two consecutive days.
All together, the Royal Canin certification is a 15-hour, two-day course that was officially integrated into the Olds College Veterinary Technology Diploma curriculum starting Fall 2025. The program has now been expanded to include the Winter and Summer 2026 cohorts.
“The inaugural delivery of the certification in December 2025 was a great success with students attending the two-day interactive program,” said Saar. ”Every student was fully engaged and enhanced the learnings of all by offering their experiences and practical questions. Overall, we received positive feedback from the students regarding both the interactive workshops pairing well with the curriculum, and feeling they had expanded their knowledge base after each learning session.”
Similar sentiments were shared internally to Olds College instructors.
“The first iteration of the Royal Canin Workshop exceeded expectations and we received meaningful insight from both students and staff,” shared Brace-Hays. “By incorporating this feedback, both the positive aspects as well as opportunities to improve the workshop as a whole, we will be evolving the course. The focus moving forward is to better equip the students regarding nutrition and professional communication, in order to best serve the clientele they will be serving within the veterinary industry.
Looking toward the future, Royal Canin is discussing ways to continue enhancing the program for students. This may include switching the initial four-hour lecture to a separate portion that can be completed at student’s individual pace via an online portal. The shift would allow for more interactive learning.
“We know that experiences can enhance memory,” Saar explained. “Therefore, increasing the amount of time used for hands-on learning will allow students to focus on being present and fully engaged with the interactive portion of the certification.”
In addition to facilitating the course, Royal Canin committed an annual $40,000 sponsorship to Olds College to enhance the student experience through 2025 and 2026, alongside $10,000 in-kind of Royal Canin feline and canine veterinary food for the first year of the certificate.
Olds College exists to educate and train learners to become the next generation of leaders and professionals. Collaborating with industry partners is an essential part of that and the College is thrilled to be working with Royal Canin to enhance the learning experience of its students and equip them with the tools to enter the workforce confident, capable and ready to make an impact.