Twenty years and 700 students later, partnership between colleges takes root
The relationship between Okanagan College and Toyota Technical College may have started two decades ago, but as the 700th student from the Japanese institution prepared to graduate on Friday, the relationship between the two colleges is just starting to blossom.
On Friday, Toyota Technical College President Kazunori Ikeyama helped Okanagan College President Jim Hamilton plant a Japanese Cherry tree at the Kelowna campus in honor of the 20th class of Toyota Technical College students who had attended a summer program at the College.
"This honors our partnership and celebrates our friendship,” Ikeyama explained to the assembled students and staff from the two institutions.
"This partnership has turned into a strong and enduring friendship between our institutions, our employees and our communities,” noted Hamilton. “To honour that relationship, its history and bright future, we are dedicating a tree to commemorate this occasion.
“We have chosen to plant a Japanese Cherry tree, also known as a Sakura. This tree, which is native to Japan, will serve as a year-round reminder of our friends at Toyota Technical College. Its beauty and strength is often associated with the spirit of the Japanese people.”
The partnership provides the Japanese students with experience and training in auto collision repair through Okanagan College’s Trades and Apprenticeship training, at the same time that they have a chance to develop English language skills through the College’s international department. During the four-week visit to Canada, the students are introduced to Canadian culture through activities and sightseeing.
“This started with one of our collision instructors – Chris Burns – who has shepherded and nurtured the relationship with Toyota Technical College,” said Hamilton. “Twenty years later, he takes as much pleasure as he did with the first class in sharing Canada, training these students, and developing friendships that cross borders and oceans.”
Skills Canada National Competitions - Quebec City June 1-3
Okanagan College’s Construction Trades Department was represented by Jadyn Lowe (4th year carpentery) and Russell Silvius (3rd year Automotive Service Technician).
Both Jadyn and Russell won provincial gold medals, qualifying for the national competition. Jadyn earned a bronze medal at Skills Canada for his work – Russell did not make the podium. Jadyn and Russell were coached by Marvin Rode and Jamie Bloomfield.
For more information on the competition, visit Skills Canada online.
Skills Canada Provincial Competition - Abbotsford April 20th
Okanagan College Trades students and apprentices brought home 2 Gold, 1 Silver and 2 Bronze medals from the Skills BC Provincial Competitions in April. We sent competitors from our Automotive, Collision Repair, Carpentry and Welding departments and they were all vying for a chance to get on the podium.
Automotive swept the podium with the Gold medal going to Russell Sylvius a 3rd year apprentice with Penticton Automotive Repair, Silver to Jesse Gervais 4th year apprentice with Salmon Arm Ford Dealership and Bronze to Michael Collin 3rd year apprentice working for Kal Tire in Kelowna their instructor and coach was Jamie Bloomfield.
Carpentry also brought home a Gold medal from Jadyn Lowe a 4th year apprentice working for Distinct Cribbing and Frames and his instructor and coach was Marvin Rode.
Welding captured a Bronze medal with Justin Bye a Welder B level currently up North acquiring work and his instructor/coach was Mike Turigan.
Congratulations to everyone and good luck to the gold medalist Russell and Jadyn who be advancing on to the National Competitions to be held in Quebec City at the beginning of June.
Spirit of Kelowna Award
Chef Perry Bentley, instructor of Okanagan College’s Culinary Arts Program was the recipient of the Spirit of Kelowna Award for his ongoing promotion of culinary events in our community, his involvement with the Okanagan Chefs Association and for his recent judging in the Canadian Culinary Championships.
Culinary Arts Department and students host Canada’s top chefs - Feb. 17-19
Eight of Canada's top chefs came to Kelowna and Okanagan College on Feb. 17-19 to compete in the prestigious Gold Medal Plates national culinary competition. As part of an action packed weekend of cooking, the competitors took up residence for two days in the lab kitchen, bolstered by a small army of sous chefs and Okanagan College apprentices and students. Friday saw the chefs work with the students to create a menu of appetizers that had to complement a mystery wine they had been given on Thursday night. The appetizers were served to more than 300 guests at the Eldorado on Friday evening.
Saturday, they were back in the kitchen for a black box competition, organized in party by Chef Perry Bentley, who also served as a judge for the entire Gold Medal Plates event.
More than 30 students from Okanagan College were able to work alongside the chefs during the three-day event. This year’s competition marked the first time the competition was held outside a major urban centre - and it is going to be hosted in Kelowna for the coming four years. For more information about the competition and for complete results, go online to: www.goldmedalplates.com.
For those who had the opportunity to work alongside him, Kelroy Munroe was an inspiring and energetic young chef with a tremendous amount of skill and potential. Munroe came to Kelowna in 2007 to study business but soon realized his passion for cooking and enrolled in the College’s Culinary Arts program.
As part of his training he worked at the Cactus Club location in Kelowna. Munroe spent three years apprenticing at the Cactus Club and earned a sous chef position with the company.
In the summer of 2010 Munroe lost his life in a boating accident. In the time since his passing, his Cactus Club colleagues have worked with the Okanagan College Foundation to develop a scholarship to honour his life and memory. Staff from the Cactus Club Kelowna restaurant have developed an annual $1,000 scholarship in memory of the Jamaican student who had a lasting impact on the people he worked with.
“Kelroy was an extremely well-liked and respected member of the Kelowna Cactus Club team,” said Christy Murphy, Director of Marketing for Cactus Restaurants. “He was a great friend and mentor to his colleagues and it is our hope that his legacy will be recognized through this new scholarship.”
The Cactus Club Kelroy Munroe Memorial Award is an annual $1,000 scholarship for a domestic or international student who has completed the entry-level 10-month Culinary Arts program at Okanagan College and plans to return to complete Level 2 training within 18 months. Recipients will be selected based on financial need and will be in good academic standing. The award will go toward tuition payment for Level 2 training at the College.
College contributes to success of International Children’s Winter Games
With the closing ceremonies over and the cauldron torch extinguished, the Kelowna 2011 International Children’s Winter Games have come to a close. The success of the Games was evident, as children from around the world competed in a variety of sports in the spirit of participation and friendship. Okanagan College played a significant role in the Games’ success, thanks to the support of many College staff who worked on the volunteer campaign.
In a great example of College staff working together to support the community, a team of trades instructors and chairs worked together to conceptualize, design and build the ICWG torch.
“I was approached by ICWG Chair Heather Schneider who asked if I might be able to come up with a concept for a unique torch for the Games,” explained Jim Gamble, Chair of Okanagan College’s Electrical department. “She told me the torch needed to be portable and appropriate for indoor and outdoor venues. So I got to work sketching and came up with what is now known as ‘the napkin blue print.’
“Then all of the Chairs of the various trades departments got together to brainstorm how we could bring the torch to life.”
Gamble put in a call to the Culinary Arts department and ordered the largest stainless steel bowl available. The team envisioned the bowl as a potential base for the cauldron.
Carpentry Chair Alf Leimert and his colleague Marvin Rode were charged with building a base for the torch. In a little more than six hours, Leimert and Rode constructed a four-and-a-half-foot tall tapered pedestal base out of BC lumber.
For the next stage of the project Automotive Collision Repair instructor Jeff Francis got extremely creative designing a set of flames out of 16-gauge stainless steel.
“With help from Chris Burns, we came up with a drawing for the flames,” said Francis. “We used a plasma cutter to define the flames and then polished them. The next step was bringing them into the painting booth where I coated them with candy apple red and used special effects powder to bring it to life.”
With the flames, cauldron and base coming together, Gamble worked with colleagues in his department to light the flame. Using three LED lights set on timers, the torch imitates a flickering flame but without the negative environmental residue from gas or real flames. The torch is also extremely safe and can be lit up indoors and outdoors and close to people.
“It was great to be a part of this project and to know that we were able to give back a bit to the community,” said Gamble. “When I saw the finished product I was reminded of the incredible amount of talent we have in our trades department.”
The project is an example of Okanagan College staff at their best. The team estimates they put in approximately 30 hours of volunteer time to build the torch.
“Community projects are just the right thing to do,” said Leimert. “This project was a great collaborative effort and it was exciting to see each piece come together to create such a nice looking piece.”
Standing over eight feet tall the new ICWG torch was used throughout the course of the Children’s Games this month. After the closing ceremonies the torch was returned to Okanagan College, where it will remain on display.
2010
Another local company supports Penticton’s Centre of Excellence
With a 35-year history of service to the people of Penticton, Windsor Plywood understands the significance of the development of Okanagan College’s Centre of Excellence. The company recently recognized the building’s importance with a $20,000 gift to support the building.
The donation is a welcome signal of how a locally owned and operated company is supporting the community and the importance it attaches to sustainability in building practices.
“Windsor Plywood has been in Penticton for more than 35 years and we know the role that Okanagan College has played here,” said Doug Sudchak, owner and manager of Windsor Plywood Penticton. “With expanded trades training and the new programs that the Centre of Excellence will bring, we know it is going to be an even more important part of the community.”
“Over the years we’ve provided builders and homeowners with many of the materials that have gone into building this community. You could say that this donation for the Centre of Excellence in Sustainable Building Technologies and Renewable Energy Conservation is doing the same thing.”
Follow this link to read the complete Public Affairs press release . A photo of Windsor Plywood’s $20,000 donation to the Centre of Excellence made the Penticton Herald. See the photo in: Committed to community .
Additional Donations to the Centre for Excellence:
A $50,000 donation to the Centre of Excellence made the pages of the Penticton Herald when the Ramada Inn, Coast Penticton and Kettle Valley Station Pub announced their joint contribution to the new building. The funding will be directed toward creating student study space. Check it out in the Good Deeds section.
Salmon Arm trades students celebrate newly expanded facility
Okanagan College carpentry and plumbing students were joined by MP Colin Mayes and MLA George Abbott as they gathered with College officials, donors and partners to mark the completion of the $1 million expansion and renovation of the Salmon Arm trades training facility.
Announced in August 2009 as part of the joint Federal-Provincial Knowledge Infrastructure Program, which is aimed at stimulating the economy and developing capacity in post-secondary institutions, the expansion added 2,783 square feet of shop and classroom space in addition to a new 6,456 square-foot covered work area.
The new space will accommodate 144 additional students -- 96 additional spaces for carpentry and 48 spaces for entry-level trades programs.
CTV covered the opening celebration, which concluded with carpentry students sawing through a 2 x 4 to mark the official opening. Follow this link to watch the piece from CTV.
Vernon students, partners, cut the ribbon on Home for Learning
Lynn Anderson was like a boastful mom as she showed off her new home to College and School District officials, as well as a host of neighbours, friends and students' parents at the celebration of the completion of the 2010 Vernon Residential Construction program. The project was a joint initiative between Okanagan College, Brian Romaine (Builder), School District 22, and Heath Anderson (Developer). Fifteen students took part, seven of which were dual credit students. The entry-level program saw students build a home from the ground up and bring it to the lock-up stage. The home is now complete and its owner, Lynn Anderson, has settled into her new home.
The next intake for Residential Construction in Vernon will be Feb. 7, 2011. Contact Rob Kjarsgaard for more information.
June 4th - Trades Commencement Ceremonies. Each year Okanagan College celebrates the success of our students by hosting a Trades Commencement Ceremony. It is a time for us to say well done and for the students to be recognized for their accomplishments and to celebrate with their peers, family and friends. This year we had just under 100 students and 300 guests in attendance. Please check out the Ceremony Program. A special thank you to our Industry Guest Speakers: Barry Milmine Marketing Director for GeoTility Geothermal Installations Corp and the Student Speaker Herb Wong 4th Level Electrician.
13th Annual - Regional SkillsBC Competitions March 27th
Tyler Chambers , a Dual Credit Culinary Arts student took the program at Mount Boucherie Senior Secondary and says it helped him enjoy school again. He also thinks Chef James Armstrong , the Okanagan College Culinary Arts Instructor who also teaches at Boucherie, is pretty cool. Read more in: Cooking up a career .
Jacobsen Pontiac Buick Lou Simonelli Achievement Award
The new scholarship has been been started that will benefit mature students taking the Automotive Service Technician apprenticeship program in Kelowna. The new Jacobsen Pontiac Buick Lou Simonelli Achievement Award is named after a College alumnus who is also a former Jacobsen mechanic. Read more in: Donation to college honours retired mechanic.
A dual credit partnership between Okanagan College and School District 23 produced a home in the summer of 2009. Read more about the partnership and the sale of the home built by students in: Sale finalized for home built by students .
Salmon Arm expansion breaks ground
College President Jim Hamilton and Board Chair Lance Kayfish were joined by Okanagan-Shuswap MP Colin Mayes and the Honourable George Abbott, Minister of Aboriginal Relations and Reconciliation and MLA Shuswap, at a ground breaking event at the site of the College’s $1 million expansion of the trades training facility in Salmon Arm this morning.
Okanagan College Foundation president Steve Tuck, Board of Governors member Phillippe Bourbeau and former Regional Dean (and now Foundation Board member) Lynda Wilson were just a few of the familiar faces who joined dignitaries and students at the site of the expansion. Residential Construction student Ginette Therrien addressed the group expressing her thanks to the federal and provincial government for their support. Together, the governments provided nearly $1 million of funding through the Knowledge Infrastructure Program. To find out more about the project read a joint federal-provincial press release. Also read more in: Trades training facility to expand , and Fusing tools, textbooks .
Reg was one of a select few who had the opportunity to carry the Olympic flame as it passed through Kelowna on Tuesday, Jan. 26. Reg entered the online contest through the Coke and RBC websites, submitting over one hundred entries over the course of a few months. In his 500-word application to become a torchbearer, Reg shared his commitment to pursuing an active lifestyle and to minimizing his carbon footprint. Reg’s leg of the relay started on Gordon and finished with a handoff to former Kelowna Fire Chief Gerry Zimmerman. For Reg, the experience was a once-in-a-lifetime occurrence.
“It really was an incredible ride,” said Reg. “Like 80 per cent of the population, I wasn’t always the first to be picked for teams in high school but I’ve embraced an active lifestyle and have used this opportunity to reflect on some of the amazing things that have happened in my life.” In an effort to share his Olympic enthusiasm Reg has been taking his torch into classes at the College and plans on having the torch displayed during the Olympic Games. Anyone interested in having the torch brought to their class can contact Reg .
Okanagan College’s Chair of Motor Vehicle Trades, Al Cohoe ,
Was a guest on Vancouver’s Global Morning News on Thursday, Feb. 4 sharing information about one of his passions – RVing. With the Winter Olympics just around the corner and a considerable lack of accommodation, Al will share tips with viewers about how to make their Olympic RV experience memorable, comfortable and safe. Watch a clip of Al with Global's Steve Darling and Lynn Colliar.
New Kelowna Trades site opens
In response to the growing need for trades training in the Central Okanagan, the College has leased a new facility in Kelowna at #100 - 2350 Acland Road. The site, which is located one block from the Penno Road Centre, underwent two months of renovations to prepare the space for plumbing students.
The new space includes two classrooms, a large multi-use shop and faculty offices. The facility will support plumbing training in coordination with the existing Penno Road location. The regional dean’s office hosted a barbeque lunch for students and staff to welcome them to their new training space. For more information about the space or programs, contact Greg Wirachowsky - gwirachowsky@okanagan.bc.ca .
Mechanic’s legacy lives on at Okanagan College
The legacy of Hermann Koessler’s passion for trades will carry on through students at Okanagan College thanks to a generous donation made in his memory.
Three years after her husband’s death, Ute Koessler made the difficult but emotionally rewarding decision to donate his tools to students at Okanagan College, despite being offered thousands of dollars for the valuable collection.
“The last thing Hermann said to me was ‘I have so much knowledge to give, I wish young people would want to be tradespeople,’” she said. “My husband was so skilled and willing to teach people, he was so proud to be a tradesperson. I know he would be honored to have his tools used by so many learning the trades.”
Koessler’s lifetime worth of tools, valued at more than $87,000, were hand delivered by his friend Mike Goodmurphy and his wife Ute, who took the time to speak to a group of entry-level Automotive Service Technician students at Okanagan College; telling them about Hermann’s life, his work and his passion for their chosen field.
Culinary Arts Apprentice - David Colombe publishes a new cook book.
With a new cook book published recently (with the help of the prize money from his Florida Tomato competition win), David Colombe is helping to inspire us in our own kitchens. Also of note, David is now working at RauDZ Regional Table in Kelowna. Read more of the Courier article, Get Cooking .
2009
Trade Up Conference: Empowering Women in Trades - Oct. 16th & 17th
The event is an opportunity for women in tradesto network, socialize, share best practices and attend a number of interactive and exciting professional development workshops. The conference will be geared toward trades women and their employers and anyone interested in working in the trades.
Okanagan College brings home the hardware at BC Skills Canada
Oliver Teal & James Sawatzky
Seven Okanagan College students won medals at the 15th annual BC Skills Canada competition on Wednesday. In its strongest showing ever, the Automotive Service department swept the top three spots with medals earned by Andrew Goll (gold), Ryan Vlooswyk (silver) and Devon Kritsch (bronze). In Automotive Collision Repair, students finished first and second with medals earned by: James Sawatzky (gold) and Oliver Teal (silver). Devon Hamilton won a bronze medal in the Carpentry division and Christy Hyde took the gold in IT PC Network Support. Okanagan College finished third overall at the provincial competition and will send its top two finishers, Goll and Sawatzky, to the national competition in Charlottetown next month. Follow this link to the full press release .
RV Owners Lifestyles Seminar - June 19-22, 2009 Imagine an entire weekend devoted to the RV Owner with over 44 topics to choose from, evening entertainment and a chance to meet other RVers. The event is proudly brought to you by the Recreation Vehicle Department of the Trades and Apprenticeship office at Okanagan College and the Recreation Vehicle Dealers Association of BC. For more details check out their hompage www.okanagan.bc.ca/rvlife .
Second-year Okanagan College apprentice Chef David Colombe earned international acclaim at the Florida Tomato Committee’s 20th Annual Best of the Best Recipe Contest when his creation - Fire Roasted Tomato Gumbo – was named grand prize winner. Columbe used Florida tomatoes and infused them with a Louisiana twist, serving up a spicy and savoury approach to a classic soup.
Trades Commencement Ceremony - June 5, 2009 Each year Okanagan College celebrates the success of our students by hosting a Trades Commencement Ceremony. It is a time for us to say well done and for the students to be recognized for their accomplishments and to celebrate with their peers, family and friends. This year we had over 100 students and 300 guests in attendance. Please check out the Ceremony Program. A special thank you to our Industry Guest Speakers: Troy Prevost Superintendant with Greyback Construction & Garry Grigg Owner of Springfield Autobody Ltd. Picture Link.
Students complete first Interprovincial Refresher program
Thirty-three students from Jamaica arrived last June to participate in the Interprovincial Red Seal Refresher Program for Culinary Arts and Collision Repair, a joint project with Okanagan College and the Jamaican Ministry of Labour. These students have now finished their program which, when successfully completed, gives them certification from Okanagan College as well Journeyperson status in their chosen trade and certification to work elsewhere in Canada. Everton Williams , one of the successful Culinary Arts students, shared his success with the International Education office last week.
15th Annual 2009 SkillsBC Regional Competition - hosted by Okanagan College - March 7, 2009 for overview see the SkillsBC Central Okanagan Competition Venue & for students attending the Competitions at Okanagan College see Competition Itinerary. Registration deadline is Febraury 21, 2009.
2008
October 2008 - College staff, students praised for corporate social responsibility A number of Okanagan College staff including: Alf Leimert , Dean Nutter , Tim Dorn , Greg Burkett, Allan Coyle and Christine Ulmer , were commended for their efforts in a community initiative in Kelowna that resulted in the achievement of the Okanagan’s only Mass Casualty Incident (MCI) Trailer Unit.
The idea for the unit, which contains 180 spineboards, a generator, emergency lights and can be utilized as an emergency command post, first came to organizers Gerry Harris and Brian Moore during the September 11 attacks and was revisited after the Okanagan Mountain Fires.
Now, seven years later, the Okanagan has an emergency unit that can be called upon during an emergency scenario. Okanagan College played a major role in the project with carpentry students and staff donating their time to cut, sand and spray all 180 spineboards for the project. Students and staff from the welding department stepped up to help, constructing the generator mount and metal racks that house the spineboards. The launch of the event was held at Okanagan College.
In a letter of thanks to the Okanagan College Board of Governors organizer Gerry Harris said: “I wish to stress the importance of what you and these dedicated staff have provided to our communities. Corporate social responsibility is a current “buzzword” in the outside world - Okanagan College lives that philosophy. I and my colleagues are humbled to have this calibre of dedication and energy to the community. In a world of cynicism, it is refreshing to see that the concept of service and quality are being practiced in spades.”
Students registered in our New Residential Construction program starting September 2, 2008 will help build the New Daycare Facility at Okanagan College which when completed will be operated by the Kelowna YM-YWCA and will provide spaces for 63 children in the 3,000 square-foot building. TEAM Construction will oversee the project. - see Article
Shaw TV and College partner to increase awareness of trades
A new strategic partnership between Shaw TV and Okanagan College will profile different trades and educational opportunities that exist in the region. This yearlong series will air on Shaw TV and be promoted on cable channels as well. Those channels include A&E, CNN, CNN Headline News, Speed, Spike, TBS & TLC. The first segment in the series aired on Tuesday, Oct. 21 and featured the Automotive Collision Repair trade with Okanagan College alumni and Prestige Collision owners Todd and Mark Regier . Follow this link to watch the segment. The second segment in the series will air Tuesday, Oct. 28 and will feature the RV Service Technician trade and Okanagan College alumni who are working at Westgate RV .
Welding Students Help Make History - May 2008 B.C. Ministry of Transportation asked if the college would be interested in being a part of history and the Welding Department didn't hesitate to get involved. They get a lot of reuqests to help with commuity projects but being asked to construct a time capsule for the new bridge was a great opportunity for their students to contribute something meaningful to the city. see the Daily Courier Article & our Pictures (pps).
"Women Building Futures Safely" Poster - Professional Development Event April 26, 2008 - Okanagan College and Work Safe BC are collaborating to celebrate and acknowledge women in the trades. This event is for women and will provide an opportunity for women in trades to network, socialize and attend a number of interactive and exciting professional development workshops. We are inviting any women who are working in a trade or who wants to work in the trades. Employers are also welcome to attend. The event is free and lunch is provided. To register contact Okanagan College at 1-800-621-3038 Agenda Gifts Donated By Booth Participants
2007
Okanagan College's Home for Learning Projects have received the highest regional and provincial honours this week when the Summerland project was selected as a finalist for the Georgie Awards in the category of Best Public-Private Partnership. See full article - Georgie & Tommie Award Finalists December 5, 2007
Jamaica connections - A new initiative, launched by Okanagan College and the Central Okanagan Regional District’s Economic Development Commission, will bring skilled Jamaican workers and college students to British Columbia’s interior. News Release June 1, 2007
SkillsBC Provincial Competition - April 18th, 2007 & Skills Canada National Competition - June 6-8, 2007 - Pictures and Results (click presentation image to advance at a quicker rate)
13th Annual 2007 SkillsBC Regional Competition held at Okanagan College - March 3, 2007 - Pictures and Results (click mouse to advance)
Gateway to the Building Trades for Women - Media Release and Poster Okanagan College launched a new 12-week program designed to provide women with insight, skills and knowledge of the building trades industries. The response was wonderful and we look forward to offering a similar program in the future.
CARS Newsletter Excerpt Okanagan College received the Canadian Automotive Repair and Service's Reward of Excellence "CNAB Program Accreditation". We were recognized for our high national industry employability skills standards requirements and our excellent delivery of education and training. Entire CARS Newsletter
/Public+Affairs/Inside+OC/30Aug2011/toyota.jpg)
The relationship between Okanagan College and Toyota Technical College may have started two decades ago, but as the 700th student from the Japanese institution prepared to graduate on Friday, the relationship between the two colleges is just starting to blossom. /Trades+$!26+Apprenticeship/Images/Bronze+Medalist+Nationals+2011+Carpentry.jpg)
/Trades+$!26+Apprenticeship/Images/Provincials+AST+2011.jpg)
/Public+Affairs/Inside+OC/01Mar2011/chefs.jpg)
Eight of Canada's top chefs came to Kelowna and Okanagan College on Feb. 17-19 to compete in the prestigious Gold Medal Plates national culinary competition. As part of an action packed weekend of cooking, the competitors took up residence for two days in the lab kitchen, bolstered by a small army of sous chefs and Okanagan College apprentices and students. Friday saw the chefs work with the students to create a menu of appetizers that had to complement a mystery wine they had been given on Thursday night. The appetizers were served to more than 300 guests at the Eldorado on Friday evening./Public+Affairs/Inside+OC/01Feb2011/torch.jpg)
Carpentry Chair /Public+Affairs/Inside+OC/26Oct2010/windsor.jpg)
With a 35-year history of service to the people of Penticton, Windsor Plywood understands the significance of the development of Okanagan College’s Centre of Excellence. The company recently recognized the building’s importance with a $20,000 gift to support the building. /Public+Affairs/Inside+OC/26Oct2010/salarm.jpg)
Okanagan College carpentry and plumbing students were joined by MP Colin Mayes and MLA George Abbott as they gathered with College officials, donors and partners to mark the completion of the $1 million expansion and renovation of the Salmon Arm trades training facility. /Public+Affairs/Inside+OC/16Feb2010/sa.jpg)
College President Jim Hamilton and Board Chair Lance Kayfish were joined by Okanagan-Shuswap MP Colin Mayes and the Honourable George Abbott, Minister of Aboriginal Relations and Reconciliation and MLA Shuswap, at a ground breaking event at the site of the College’s $1 million expansion of the trades training facility in Salmon Arm this morning. /Public+Affairs/Inside+OC/02Feb2010/torch.jpg)
/Public+Affairs/Inside+OC/19Jan2010/acland.jpg)
In response to the growing need for trades training in the Central Okanagan, the College has leased a new facility in Kelowna at #100 - 2350 Acland Road. The site, which is located one block from the Penno Road Centre, underwent two months of renovations to prepare the space for plumbing students. /Public+Affairs/Inside+OC/19Jan2010/ute.jpg)
The legacy of Hermann Koessler’s passion for trades will carry on through students at Okanagan College thanks to a generous donation made in his memory. /Public+Affairs/Inside+OC/24Apr2009/collision.jpg)
/Public+Affairs/Inside+OC/13Mar2009/everton.jpg)
Thirty-three students from Jamaica arrived last June to participate in the /Public+Affairs/Inside+OC/24Oct2008/spineboard1.jpg)
A number of Okanagan College staff including: /Public+Affairs/Inside+OC/24Oct2008/spineboard2.jpg)
Now, seven years later, the Okanagan has an emergency unit that can be called upon during an emergency scenario. Okanagan College played a major role in the project with carpentry students and staff donating their time to cut, sand and spray all 180 spineboards for the project. Students and staff from the welding department stepped up to help, constructing the generator mount and metal racks that house the spineboards. The launch of the event was held at Okanagan College. /Public+Affairs/Inside+OC/24Oct2008/westgate.jpg)
A new strategic partnership between Shaw TV and Okanagan College will profile different trades and educational opportunities that exist in the region. This yearlong series will air on Shaw TV and be promoted on cable channels as well. Those channels include A&E, CNN, CNN Headline News, Speed, Spike, TBS & TLC. The first segment in the series aired on Tuesday, Oct. 21 and featured the Automotive Collision Repair trade with Okanagan College alumni and /Trades+$!26+Apprenticeship/Welding/Images/Time+Capsule+Photo+Apr.+08.jpg)
/Digital+Assets+-+Public+Use/Icons/Icon+-+Checkmark.jpg){kind=icon}