Learning & Â黨´«Ă˝
RV Technician training proves to be a dream choice for Â黨´«Ă˝student
March 9, 2020
Imagine constructing a building using WhatsApp. This was Kartik Choudhury’s reality, as he made the decision to build and sell a property of land in his homeland of India. The funds he earned from the property would propel his future in a way he never could have imagined, ultimately helping him pursue a new dream as a student in the Recreation Vehicle Service Technician Foundation program at Â黨´«Ă˝ Three years ago, Choudhury knew he wanted to get into trades. A businessman living in Calgary at the time, a switch in care...
Read more...
Stronger together: collaboration a theme of 37th Annual Spaghetti Bridge Building Contest at OC
March 6, 2020
What’s true for spaghetti and hot glue is true for people as well – we’re stronger when we stick together. In addition to coming away with new insights into science, technology, engineering and math (STEM), participants of the 37th Annual Spaghetti Bridge Building Contest at Okanagan College also learned another important lesson in the value of collaboration. More than 250 students from elementary through post-secondary flocked from all over the Okanagan to the College’s Kelowna campus on Friday to see whose spaghetti bridge woul...
Read more...
Making mentors: Â黨´«Ă˝Women in Trades and Willowstone Academy students learn and build together
March 6, 2020
Sometimes a finished carpentry project turns out to be far more than the sum of its parts, when the tools, techniques and materials combine to create something unforgettable and transformative. The same goes for educational experiences, as demonstrated by a recent event that brought together students from Willowstone Academy and Okanagan College’s Women in Trades Training (WITT) program, with support from the Industry Training Authority (ITA). On Thursday, March 5 a class of WITT students arrived in the early hours of the morning ...
Read more...
Okanagan College spotlights STEM education and career paths in Feb and March
February 13, 2020
What do soccer-playing robots, spaghetti bridges and soaring aviators have in common? Over the next month, Okanagan College will be opening its doors to elementary, middle and high school students to attend a series of events aimed at encouraging young people to step into Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM). “We want learners of all ages to hear the message that there has never been a better time to get into technology careers. There is a very real need for skilled workers in everything from animation to electronic, ...
Read more...
Councillor gives from the heart
February 12, 2020
Kelowna City Councillor and local community champion Maxine DeHart is giving a gift from the heart this Valentine’s Day. DeHart is donating to the Our Students, Your Health campaign, which is raising funds to build a new Health Sciences Centre at Okanagan College and create scholarships and bursaries for health care students. DeHart is the Campaign Ambassador for the fundraising campaign and is spearheading the media campaign encouraging others to get involved. She says the project’s goals touched her heartstrings and inspired her...
Read more...
Community, industry support propels College’s Tourism Management program
February 11, 2020
For Julia Dorrius, born and raised in Revelstoke, the College’s new Tourism Management (TMD) diploma has done far more than just open her eyes to the booming demand for skilled tourism professionals – it’s also opened doors, giving her a chance to gain work experience with local employers. “I graduated high school last June and I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do,” explains Dorrius. “My dad sent me a link to the program and suggested I take a look at it. I just finished my first semester and, so far, I’ve found it to be a great way t...
Read more...
Mapping a world-wide worry: Â黨´«Ă˝student charts coronavirus spread in real-time
February 4, 2020
Sean Heddle was looking for a career change after an injury left him unable to work as a concrete construction foreman. He could never have imagined that his foray into the study of geographic information systems (GIS) would see him building a real-time map of a global public health emergency. Heddle, who hails from Kelowna, is currently enrolled in the GIS Certificate course at Okanagan College in Salmon Arm. His professor, Shelley Desautels, recently issued an assignment to her class, inviting students to build a digital map of ...
Read more...
College spotlights health care assistant training across the region
February 4, 2020
Amid surging demand for health care assistants (HCAs) across the Southern Interior, Okanagan College and Interior Health are spotlighting training opportunities in February. The College has intakes of its Health Care Assistant program starting in April at the Kelowna, Penticton and Salmon Arm campuses. Those interested in learning more about the training and career opportunities can attend upcoming info sessions: Kelowna campus – Feb. 12, 6:30 – 7:30 p.m., Room E103 (E building), 1000 KLO Rd. Penticton campus – Feb. 18, 6:30 –...
Read more...
Swinging clubs to hammers: How a golf pro’s home renos inspired his program choice at Okanagan College
January 30, 2020
It’s easy to say that Greg Forbes went from looking for a hole in one, to drilling several holes in many. After growing up playing golf in Oakville, Forbes earned a golf scholarship to study at Coastal Carolina University, playing at storied courses at Myrtle Beach in South Carolina. He completed his Bachelor of Business Science degree with a major in marketing, returning to Canada to tee off a career with retail giant Golf Town that ultimately brought him to Kelowna. “I had been opening stores across Ontario, and the opportunity ...
Read more...
Gateway graduation showcases student transformation
January 29, 2020
This is the second time Caleb Wykes has graduated from Gateway to Trades, but it's hard to say which time has been more impactful. The first time Wykes took the 10-week program that introduces high school students to the skilled trades, he graduated with a desire to “straighten up.” In the past Wykes would skip school, but after Gateway he started showing up regularly and working hard. The seventeen year old completed his Grade 11 and 12 and graduated early. The second time through the program Wykes benefited from getting an oppor...
Read more...
Â黨´«Ă˝Communications students level-up video game studies
January 27, 2020
One Okanagan College Communications class brought multi-player action to a whole-new level this week. The Introduction to Video Game Studies (CMNS 290) class travelled to Scandia Golf and Games Tuesday night, as part of an exploration on the history of video games. The course explores video games as a cultural phenomenon. While highly popular, they are the least understood, theorized and explored form of media. Scandia posed an opportunity for the class to explore how the phenomenon began. “Scandia is something of a time capsule,...
Read more...
Cannabis training offers credentials for growing retail market
January 23, 2020
With a growing number of cannabis retail outlets open or in progress across the province, Okanagan College is launching new training opportunities for those looking to gain a competitive edge in the cannabis retail job market. Business manager Christopher Simpson has experienced a flood of interested applicants as he prepares to open Shire Green Cannabis in Prince George. “Legal retail cannabis has been slow to roll out in B.C. but it is gaining momentum,” says Simpson. “Because the industry is privately funded, it’s important t...
Read more...
Â黨´«Ă˝Vernon open house offers a behind-the-scenes look at fine press printing
January 22, 2020
Have you ever wondered how books were printed 100 years ago? This month Okanagan College is kicking off a series of Open Houses at the Vernon Campus for creative individuals interested in writing and publishing careers. The College will open its doors on Jan. 31, Feb 28 and March 20 from 2 – 4 p.m. in Room E102 at 7000 College Way. Parking will be free. Participants can meet experienced faculty members, learn about how the program blends traditional and cutting-edge publishing techniques and tour the Okanagan College Print Shop, a...
Read more...
HR duo from College’s School of Business earn podium finish at Queen’s
January 21, 2020
Madison Friesen and Alivia Leibbrand earned a second-place finish at the 2020 Inter-Collegiate Business Competition (I.C.B.C.). at Queen’s University. “My heart exploded when they called our name for second! It was such an emotional moment. All that hard work was so worth it,” said Friesen. “I couldn’t have done it without Roger and of course Alivia. I was so honoured to represent our amazing College.” The event, which took place Jan. 16-18 in Kingston, ON, is Canada’s largest, oldest, and most esteemed undergraduate case competi...
Read more...Nursing program at Â黨´«Ă˝and UBCO recognized for innovative curriculum
October 1, 2019
The Bachelor of Science in Nursing program at UBC Okanagan and Okanagan College has received long-term accreditation from the British Columbia College of Nursing Professionals (BCCNP), which regulates nurse training in the province. The program has been approved for the next seven years with no terms or conditions. That’s great news for current and future students, and for health care employers and patients, says Prof. Marie Tarrant, Director of the School of Nursing in the Faculty of Health and Social Development at UBC Okanagan. ...
Read more...
Students savour traditional flavours and practices on Indigenous Culinary Arts field trip
June 26, 2019
Salmon fillets roast on stakes over an open fire while roe bubbles up in a steaming pot of vegetable and fish soup nearby. These are signs of a finished and ready-to-eat meal, yet indicate the start of something special cooking here at Â黨´«Ă˝ On a field trip to the Westbank First Nation in May, OC’s Indigenous Culinary Arts class had the opportunity to learn about the traditional Okanagan-Syilx style of cooking in a hands-on experience, hosted by Elders Pamela and Grouse Barnes. The gastronomic outing contained a variety...
Read more...