Collaboration & Partnerships
Nearly 30 courses at Okanagan College qualify for B.C. future skills grant toward tuition
July 6, 2023
A new grant offered by the B.C. Government can be used toward nearly 30 short-term skills training courses at Okanagan College this fall, expanding options for people who want to upgrade their skills, advance their careers and pursue in-demand jobs across the region. The $3,500 per person grant was announced earlier this year as part of the Province’s StrongerBC: Future Ready Action Plan, which invests $480 million into skills training and workforce development. "Every action we are taking is designed to build a better future fo...
Read more...Medicine wheel and traditional teachings inspire OC students preparing for the workplace
June 5, 2023
Okanagan College students preparing for careers as education assistants are benefiting from teaching that goes beyond what you learn from textbooks and in classrooms. Earlier this spring, a seminar led by Dodie Jones, a member of the Splatsin te Secwépemc, introduced students in the Certified Education Assistant Program in Salmon Arm to the medicine wheel, its significance and meaning. The workshop, titled Medicine Wheel and Traditional Teaching – Grounded in Culture, incorporated traditional teachings of the Secwépemc people and ...
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OC Associate Dean to join BC Chamber Board
June 2, 2023
Laura Thurnheer, Associate Dean, Okanagan School of Business, was sworn in at the BC Chamber AGM last week in Whistler. Thurnheer, Chamber President in 2007 who has remained an active Former President at the Chamber, was also named the Thompson Okanagan Representative on the BC Chamber Board. Dan Price, current Chair of the Kelowna Chamber Board expressed his pleasure at Thurnheer’s appointment. “I’ve appreciated getting to know Laura and have the greatest respect for her deep business knowledge, and ongoing involvement with all th...
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Recognizing extraordinary contributions: Okanagan College names Honorary Fellows for 2023
June 1, 2023
Okanagan College is bestowing its highest honour upon four esteemed residents this spring: Terry Flannigan, Dr. Silvina Mema, Michael Tindall, and Grant Stevens. These distinguished individuals have been selected as 2023 Honorary Fellows in recognition of their remarkable contributions to the fields of philanthropy, health care, community development, and aerospace. “As I reflect on the accomplishments of our honorees, I am struck by the transformative impact each has had on the community,” said Okanagan College President Dr. Neil ...
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College honours Jim Hamilton with Distinguished Service Award
May 31, 2023
Despite retiring as president from Okanagan College in 2021, a role he held for 17 years, the impact Jim Hamilton had as a leader at OC and throughout the region continues to resonate for students, staff and in the community. In recognition of his service, OC will this year award him a Distinguished Service Award, which is presented to employees who have contributed in exemplary and significant ways to the College, and who are active in the broader OC community. “At the time of his retirement, Jim Hamilton was the longest-serving ...
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Enactus OC’s Unusually Good Food Co. expands to 19 cities
April 14, 2023
Student entrepreneurs from Okanagan College (OC) are taking their fight against food waste and food insecurity to more businesses throughout Western Canada, as their social enterprise the Unusually Good Food Co. is expanding. With the goal of donating one-million servings of apple chips to children, the Unusually Good Food Co. has formed a partnership with Loblaw Companies Limited, expanding to 19 cities in Western Canada with its line of apple juice. “This is so exciting for our social enterprise to be able to partner with such a...
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Post-secondary partners to unite early childhood education faculty, policy groups, and others from across Canada to discuss outdoor pedagogy in college ECE programs
April 5, 2023
How does playing outdoors support children’s development and wellness? Why is outdoor play such a powerful conduit for learning? How can we advance curriculum in college programs to empower current and future early childhood educators (ECEs) to view outdoor play as an important part of the children’s day, in all kinds of weather? How are colleges integrating and advancing outdoor pedagogy in their ECE programs? These and other questions will be explored during a unique virtual conference next month that will bring together early c...
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Same studies, but worlds apart: OC student enriched by study abroad
April 4, 2023
For one Okanagan College student, studying abroad turned into an opportunity to learn new ways of preserving old traditions in one of the most fast-paced countries in the world. Jillian Seronik, a fourth-year Bachelor of Business Administration student from Kelowna, travelled to Nisshin, Japan, last term as part of Okanagan College’s mobility program. She had always wanted to do post-secondary studies abroad but her dream of international studies was put on hold by the COVID-19 pandemic. Still, she signed up for mobility updates ...
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OC signs MOU with the Public Universities of the State of Queretaro in Mexico
March 9, 2023
Okanagan College has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Public Universities of the State of Queretaro in Mexico, an agreement that further develops and diversifies the College’s international education partnerships. Okanagan College President Neil Fassina signed the MOU on behalf of OC while the Deputy Minister of Higher Education for the State of Queretaro as well as representatives from each of seven post-secondary institutions signed for Mexico in a ceremony on Thursday March 2 at Okanagan College. The MOU lays...
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OC’s Apprentice Hiring Project connects Ukrainian worker with welcoming environment
March 2, 2023
When Fedir Solovei and his family arrived in Vernon from Ukraine last year they were looking for a fresh start after escaping the harsh realities of the Russian invasion of his home country. Of the many hurdles Fedir was facing, finding employment was top of the list. Highly accomplished as an engineer in Ukraine, and with some experience in general construction, Fedir enjoys creating projects with wood and noted the difference in the use of wood in B.C construction practices. That interest led Fedir to apply for a position...
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Community donations support College's trades facility
February 21, 2023
Two recent donations to Okanagan College’s trades training facility are a perfect example of how partnerships with the community continue to benefit students. People taking courses in Okanagan College’s RV Training program are benefitting from donations that allow them to work on equipment that is in use in the industry. GLP Canada and Atlas Trailer both donated an assortment of new appliances including hot water heaters, furnaces and range/oven to the RV Training program. “Thank you to our valued partners in the co...
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College students mentoring high school peers for Sustainable Development Challenge
February 17, 2023
It’s students helping students tackle the biggest issues of our time. Okanagan College (OC) students have joined forces with youth leaders in Grades 8 to 12 in the Central Okanagan to provide mentorship on projects that will impact the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The high school teams are preparing for a local Sustainable Development Challenge event, inspired by the UN initiative, and are able to bounce their ideas and projects off OC students prior to the challenge finale later this month. VIDEO: OC ...
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BC BTAC recommends client Nonny Beer for DryFeb Challenge
February 2, 2023
Thinking of joining Dry February this year, but struggle to say goodbye to beer for a month? The BC Beverage Technology Access Centre at Okanagan College is shining the spotlight on one of its clients, Nonny Beer, for its commitment to all the craft beer taste without the alcohol content. Nonny is brewed with traditional ingredients -- all natural with no preservatives -- and lacking the traditional downside of alcoholic beer. "My brother Leigh and I have had a lot of beers together ... because beers are fun. According to all the...
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Women of Steel™: Forging Forward Program comes to Okanagan in partnership with Okanagan College and CWB Welding Foundation
January 16, 2023
Okanagan College is launching a new program designed specifically to encourage women to consider a career in welding this winter/spring. The Women of Steel™: Forging Forward Program, supported by the CWB Welding Foundation, is being offered in just 14 locations across Canada. As one of the host sites, students who choose OC will not only gain skills related to welding, but will also have opportunities that foster education, personal growth, confidence, and experiential learning. “We continue to look for new opportunities t...
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Okanagan College launches sponsored trades training opportunity to help open doors, create job-ready workers in Salmon Arm
January 6, 2023
Students with limited or no previous experience in trades can access training that will lead to employment and future careers in construction, thanks to a program that starts at the end of January at Okanagan College’s Salmon Arm campus. Okanagan College will be offering an intake of the Construction Craft Worker program starting on Jan. 30 at the College’s Salmon Arm Trades Centre. “This new program is supporting students to gain the skills they need now, helping them get good jobs in industries where communities need them,” sai...
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Partnership helping to fill staffing gaps in hospitality and tourism industry
December 1, 2022
Like many industries, the hospitality and tourism sector has been hard hit by staff shortages over the past few years with a declining youth population and an aging workforce combining to create significant challenges. But a new program designed in partnership by Okanagan College (OC) and the Thompson Okanagan Tourism Association (TOTA) will help to reduce those shortages. The first of four new cohorts of students enrolled in the Hospitality Professional Program this fall, a flexible program open to students anywhere in the Thom...
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