OC pathways pilot provides better access, supports students needing prerequisites
September 2, 2022
People considering health care and trades careers have new options thanks to a pilot program at Okanagan College that offers applicants help with course prerequisites. The pathways program supports students interested in going back to school to receive training in high-demand fields, but do not have the requirements needed for their desired program. Whether students need Adult Upgrading or English as a Second Language (ESL) instruction, they’ll be able to receive educational supports. “By investing in new programs such as this on...
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Thomas Klein
September 1, 2022
Even as a kid I knew I would go into the trades. An office job wouldn’t work for me because my ADHD makes it hard for me to sit still for too long, and my reading and writing aren’t the best.” “One of my high school teachers got me into sheet metal. The school helped me enroll in Okanagan College’s Sheet Metal Worker Foundation Certificate program. The program allowed me to learn a lot of new techniques, test out ideas, and try new things. When I first found out that ...
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Sophie Wilson
September 1, 2022
“I’m grateful that I had the opportunity to study at Okanagan College’s Penticton campus. My professors were fantastic, and learning close to home allowed me to spend more time with my daughter. I completed a Business Administration diploma this past fall. I’ve tried to go to school before, but financial insecurity always ended up holding me back. I would end up having to work part-time, and then I would end up working full time and then I would end up having to leave sch...
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Caylee Donovan
September 1, 2022
"I found out I’d received the Marcia J. Aitkens Memorial Bursary in Practical Nursing in the middle of lab. I was so shocked I pretty much dropped to the floor. At the time, I was a full-time student in Okanagan College’s Practical Nursing program, and I was working up to five days a week. The workload was just too much to handle, especially as a mother of a child with special needs. My eleven-year-old had recently been diagnosed with autism and needed more of my tim...
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New ‘Step into Steel Toes’ course invites women to try carpentry
August 29, 2022
Home renovations on your to-do list? Curious about power tools and considering a project? Okanagan College is launching a new trades exploratory program this fall – exclusively for women. “More and more women are expressing an interest in learning skills related to carpentry, electrical, plumbing, automotive and sheet metal projects,” says Teresa Kisilevich, associate dean, Trades and Apprenticeship at Okanagan College. “Step into Steel Toes is designed to make it easier for women of all ages to feel comfortable trying out vario...
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National Day for Truth and Reconciliation
August 5, 2022
Okanagan College will once again honour and acknowledge the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation on Sept. 30, 2022. All OC campuses will be closed on that day. The National Day for Truth and Reconciliation was established in 2021 to honour and remember the lives impacted by residential schools in Canada, including the lost children, residential school survivors, their families and communities. Marking this day and acknowledging the ongoing impacts of residential schools is an important part of reconciliation. The B.C. Gover...
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Okanagan College launches Apprentice Hiring Project
August 3, 2022
Hiring and training first year apprentices in the skilled trades is now easier and more affordable for regional employers. Launching this month, the Okanagan College Apprentice Hiring Project received over $3 million in funding and will be using that money to support small and medium sized enterprises who hire first-year apprentices, helping the businesses offset costs that come with onboarding new skilled workers. The project is funded by the Government of Canada’s Apprenticeship Service. Under the project, employers are eligi...
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Meet Karl Heldt, Collision Repair student
July 27, 2022
Q: How did you hear about Okanagan College’s program? A: I found the program on Okanagan College’s website while browsing training possibilities for a new career. I applied because I felt like trying something new. Q: Why did you want to pursue this career? A: I chose this career because I’ve always been interested in vehicles. Before I enrolled in the program, a friend of mine was in a car accident and wrecked his car. He knew I was interested in cars so he gave it to me ...
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Okanagan College welcomes new Dean, Arts and Foundational Programs
July 27, 2022
Okanagan College is welcoming an award-winning Arts educator and researcher to its academic leadership team. Dr. Judith Anderson will be joining Okanagan College as Dean, Arts and Foundation Programs, which offers a wide array of arts university studies programming, including a new applied Arts degree, along with multiple levels of Adult Upgrading, English Language and Adult Special Education for students at all four campuses. “Judith brings a breadth of experience to Okanagan College. She taught extensively while offering insight...
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OC pilots tuition-free work-integrated learning for Early Childhood Education
July 26, 2022
Okanagan College is offering tuition-free Early Childhood Education (ECE) training with an innovative approach – providing students the opportunity to become certified during work-integrated learning (WIL) experiences as they provide education and care for young children. “Okanagan College is keenly aware of how many trained ECEs are in demand across the sector. This pilot project, with support from the Government of B.C., will increase access to education for people seeking certification, going a long way to meeting that need,” sa...
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