Rise project lifts student learning and trades program

By College Relations | May 29, 2019
           

Okanagan College Media Release

For Okanagan College carpentry student Brittany Couchman building a new home from the ground up has been “an amazing experience.”

“I've learned so many skills, from reading a tape measure, to reading code and using hand tools, and lots of math,” says Couchman, a Vernon campus student.

She is one of 12 Carpenter Foundation program students taking part in this year's Home for Learning project, unveiled to community members and media today. This year's project marks Okanagan College's 60th Home for Learning, an initiative that involves carpentry students spending 14 weeks on a job site learning all aspects of modern construction.

“Our students have helped build daycares, condos, horse barns, sheds and beautiful homes such as this one on The Rise,” says Teresa Kisilevich, Okanagan College Associate Dean of Trades.

“There is always a certain pride when you build something with your own hands. These students will always be able to look at this house and say ‘I helped build that.’”

Keith Construction is this year's Home for Learning partner, mentoring students as they build a new duplex. Keith Construction owner Ken Dahlen says his company was pleased to get behind the project and help coach future trades students, which are in high demand.

“Our industry is struggling to find skilled workers, and forecasts say that 40,000 people will be retiring in our industry in the next 10 years,” says Dahlen.

“It's important for young people entering trades careers to understand the need for a post-secondary education. Homes today are highly engineered, and not as easy to build without understanding the building code.”

In addition to being this year's Home for Learning partner, Keith Construction was a major sponsor of Okanagan College’s new Trades Training Centre in Vernon. Dahlen says local facilities and programs are important for the community, providing an opportunity for young people to stay at home and get an education. Dahlen announced that Keith Construction and other trades are adding a special fundraiser to the Home for Learning project.

Dahlen says a number of trades are providing preferred pricing on their products and services. Once the home is completed and sold, Keith Construction will donate a portion of its proceeds to future trades training at the College.

“Construction has been very good to our family, and I'm happy to support students,” Dahlen says.

Michael Collins from Quad-Lock was one of the suppliers to offer its product, airfoam (insulated concrete forms) at cost to the project. An engineer on his team also provided a full day of learning on their products with students.

“Anytime you can give back to the community where we live, we are all the better for it,” says Collins.

Vernon's Home Building Centre is supplying a number of products at or below cost, including windows from Gentek Building Products and exterior doors from Masonite. Other companies offering preferred pricing include JP Garage Doors, Livingwood Floors and D & B Home Fires.

“We are training our future clients, and we are happy to be involved,” says Gary Gilchrist, Home Building Centre Owner.

For students, meeting experienced trades gives them a glimpse into the near future.

“I am so glad I chose carpentry. It is so interesting, and it gives me the opportunity to have a career that will support my kids,” Couchman says. “I am really proud of this project.”

 




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...