Mature students benefit from confidence and credentials

By College Relations | April 8, 2019
           

Okanagan College Media Release

Maria Otting knew something had to change.

Having relocated to Salmon Arm, she found herself in need of a new work environment – but quickly realized she had plenty of experience working in offices, but not the credentials listed in ads.

“I noticed a lot of the jobs I was interested in wanted the Administrative Assistant Certificate,” she recalls. “I had years of experience, but didn’t have formal training. I just trained on the job.”

Otting investigated the program, and realized that she was familiar with some course material as a result of her experience – but the program also touched on subjects like payroll and accounting that would broaden her skills.

“I realized that this was something I could do without leaving Salmon Arm, it’s only 10 months and then I can get working,” she says. “I’m really glad I made the decision to go back to school, I’m learning so much.”

Turns out, Otting wasn’t the only one considering a change later in life.

“There’s a lot of mature students in our program. There are stay-at-home moms who have come back after being out of the workforce for a number of years, and people just simply upgrading their skills. We fit right in with the students right out of high school, and everybody gets along,” she says. “It’s great being a mature student. You feel a little bit more confident because you have those life skills and you’re just ready to dive in, get to it and learn.”

The Shuswap has proven very attractive to mature students, with demographic reports indicating the average age of students at the Salmon Arm campus is 27 years old – compared with 25 in Vernon and Penticton.

“Adult learners have unique needs, from financial aid, child care, and academic requirements, and the Salmon Arm campus has built a supportive network that helps remove barriers that prevent people from returning to education,” says Joan Ragsdale, Regional Dean Shuswap-Revelstoke.
 

Okanagan College’s Salmon Arm campus is holding a seminar called Returning to Education on Wednesday, April 24 to help mature students investigate their options. Instructors will provide an overview of specific study areas, helping people make decisions about what program is the right fit for them. Staff will outline academic requirements and available options for upgrading, in addition to financial aid supports available. WorkBC will also be on hand to discuss funding eligibility.

Returning to Education will run from 6:30 to 8 p.m. in Room 136 of Okanagan College’s Salmon Arm campus, 2552 10th Ave. NE, beside the Shaw Centre. For information, call 250-832-2126, ext 8259, email kwickner@okanagan.bc.ca or visitwww.okanagan.bc.ca/salmonarm
.

 




TOP STORIES

RELATED STORIES

Sign up for weekly stories




Trending

Communications student standing outside the Centre for Learning building at the Kelowna campus
Meet Ruth Gabriela Melo Flores

April 4, 2023

Q: What's your name? A: Ruth Gabriela Melo Flores Q: What's your hometown? A: Quito – Ecuador – South America Q: How did you end up at Okanagan College? A: Well, I studied for a bachelor's degree in Law in Ecuador. Then, I worked for a while and got my Master's degree in Government and Culture of Organizations at the University of Pamplona.  When I returned to my country, professional opportunities arose for me. I mean, a Master's degree improved my career. Spain helped ...

Read more...
Animation student
Artistic students design future careers in animation

June 7, 2022

Grads of Okanagan College’s Animation Diploma program are finding their skills have never been in higher demand. First- and second-year students showed samples of their artwork and demo reels to industry partners at OC’s annual Animation Industry Night on May 17. “Lots of the work was very professional,” says James Wood, Chair of Okanagan College’s Animation Department. “Our program is short, but intense. The instructors make sure the students have a realistic understanding of what they need do to succeed in a competitive and demanding...

Read more...
JAMK campus
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...

Read more...
Enactus 2022
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 accelerator...

Read more...