Learning & Programs
Evening marking 15 years of OC Writing and Publishing program celebrates creative community
September 12, 2022
Writers and fine artists in the North Okanagan have found a lot of reasons to celebrate this fall. Fifteen years’ worth of reasons, to be exact. The community of poets, fiction and creative non-fiction writers are coming together for Celebrating 15 Years of Writing and Publishing, an evening devoted to the collective showcase of students, alumni, instructors and former faculty members. “We have such a dedicated and talented community of writers, with a long history of promoting creativity in the region. This is a significant mile...
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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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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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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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OC summer workshops spotlight advantages of learning skilled trades
July 11, 2022
Interested in learning more about carpentry or auto mechanics this summer? Okanagan College is offering seven half-day workshops that spotlight the personal and professional benefits of learning skilled trades. The workshops, which have a limited capacity, are being offered at no cost to participants, through the Industry Training Authority’s “What’s a Trade?” Workshop Grant. Registration is first-come, first-served. Participants will only be permitted to register for one workshop. Workshops ...
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Scotiabank makes $250,000 investment in youth skill building at Okanagan College
May 31, 2022
The donation will support gateway programs focused on technology and entrepreneurship for students who have faced barriers to education Kelowna Secondary School Grade 12 student Kiana Nazembokaei has known for several years that she’s wanted to study computer programming. Having moved to Canada from Iran, Nazembokaei thought she’d have to wait until university to begin her learning journey. That all changed when she signed up and was accepted into Gateway to Tech, presented by Scotiabank, at Okanagan College. The 17-week program i...
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OC Business students embrace international study again
May 30, 2022
Business students from Okanagan College are once again able to travel to Jyväskylä, Finland to experience an international summer school at the JAMK University of Applied Sciences. Finland’s education system is widely regarded as one of the best in the world. OC Business Professor Blair Baldwin, who has taught Services Design at JAMK for several summers, says working in Finland has helped him innovate and create new teaching methodologies.“JAMK employs experiential learning across its curriculum,” he says. “They stress cri...
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Enactus Okanagan College tops the field, sets sights on national championships
May 27, 2022
Okanagan College students will once again be competing for the Canadian title after qualifying for the Enactus National Exposition with a first-place finish in their league during the semi-final round. Enactus teams at post-secondary institutions across Canada competed virtually earlier this month, and Okanagan College scooped up top position in the TD Entrepreneurship Challenge, and runner-up in the Scotiabank Climate Action Challenge for the Unusually Good Food Co. project. It also included national runner-up in Shaw and RBC acc...
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Car crash couldn’t keep OC apprentice from winning B.C. gold
May 16, 2022
It takes a lot to throw Joey Bruno off his game. The third-year apprentice in the Auto Body and Collision Technician training at Okanagan College was on his way to a Skills Provincials competition on April 22 when the car he was riding in rear-ended another vehicle. “I knew our car was a write-off, but I also knew I could fix it,” said Bruno. By sheer coincidence, he was heading to the Skills Automotive Collision Repair provincial competition, where he set to compete. Bruno arrived late and tried to put the ca...
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OC students amplify e-commerce studies with help of Shopify
May 13, 2022
Now a multi-trillion dollar a year industry, there is a lot more to e-commerce than just clicking a button to “add to cart.” Okanagan College Business students got an inside look on how e-commerce works during BUAD 335 Open Learning Project, which brought practical experience into the classroom. Using an applied learning approach, Business Professor Pam Nelson integrated Shopify into the class curriculum, incorporating their state-of-the-art technology into real-world applications. Shopify gave OC students the opportunity to creat...
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Explore study options at College info sessions
May 9, 2022
Labour markets ebb and flow, but education will always serve you. B.C.’s Labour Market Outlook indicates that, of the one million expected job openings between 2021-2031, approximately 77 per cent will require some level of post-secondary education or training. That’s why Okanagan College is hosting a series of information sessions this month, to encourage those who might be considering post-secondary education to explore their options now. “People of all ages are considering their options for a post-COVID world, and increasing...
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OC student to attend prestigious astroparticle physics summer school
May 5, 2022
The sky is the limit for Okanagan College physics student Divyesh Dagia, who is set to attend the Canadian Astroparticle Physics Summer School (CAPSS) this May. The intensive week-long session is designed for astronomy, physics and engineering undergraduates and will introduce them to the current topics in the field of astroparticle physics at Queen’s University in Kingston, Ont., and virtually at SNOLAB. Only 20 students from across Canada are invited to attend the session each year. Dagia, who will complete an Associate of Scien...
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A tale of three plumbers: a career path for all generations
April 13, 2022
Plumbing and Piping Foundation program coming to OC’s Salmon Arm campus A trio of plumbers at Aspire Plumbing and Heating may have different years under their belts, but their passion for the career holds strong with each generation. Dallas Stewart, Gary Whitlock, and Allen Minderlein are all at various stages of their careers but have all relied on post-secondary training at some point to advance their careers in the plumbing industry. Stewart, the youngest at 23, has just finished the Plumbing and Piping Foundation program at...
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OC student to compete in Skills Provincials competition
April 11, 2022
You can't put a price on mentorship. That's what Joey Bruno is finding, now in his third year of Auto Body and Collision Technician training at Okanagan College, and preparing to face the B.C.’s best apprentices at Skills Provincials this month. He was initially inspired by his father to pursue collision repair after growing up in the automotive world. “My father was in the industry for 30 years, and I have always been around vehicles. The older I got, the more love I had for automotive,” Bruno says. The Mission resident start...
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OC’s Audio Engineering and Music Production students perform first live concert in two years
April 4, 2022
For the first time in two years, Okanagan College’s Audio Engineering and Music Production (AEMP) Certificate students will perform on stage to a live audience. “The students have put in tremendous effort into shaping their skills for all areas in audio. The event will showcase the individual talent each student brings, while they work as a team to create a full production of live sound,” says Chaianne Ellis, Audio Engineering and Music Production teaching assistant. “Throughout the year, getting to watch the students uncove...
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EnactusOC heading to nationals after dominating in multiple categories
March 18, 2022
Enactus Okanagan College students have their sights set on nationals, after making the podium in four competitions at the Enactus Regional Exposition – including three first-place finishes. They performed so well, that EnactusOC was recognized with an Excellence in Innovation Award, provided when students demonstrate their commitment to tackling some of Canada’s biggest challenges. “We have come a long way this year,” explains Danielle Walker, EnactusOC President. “Our team has tripled in size, we have scaled and rebranded project...
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