OCNews

Articles tagged "Trades"

The Market
The Market at Okanagan College serving up locally produced food to fuel back-to-school

September 7, 2022

Move over, cafeteria lunch trays: locally produced foods and goods are sliding into the spotlight at Okanagan College this September. The Market at Okanagan College launched Sept. 6 in the former cafeteria space in Kelowna, and will be a source of healthy, local food that supports the holistic health and well-being of the campus community. Offering local, fresh food on campus celebrates the incredible diversity of Okanagan food and agriculture and furthers OC’s commitment to Feed BC. “Sustainability is vital for all aspects of student life...

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Thomas standing in front of the Four Food Chiefs sculpture in the Health Science Centre
Thomas Klein

September 1, 2022

Even as a kid I knew I would go into the trades. An office job wouldn’t work for me because my ADHD makes it hard for me to sit still for too long, and my reading and writing aren’t the best.” “One of my high school teachers got me into sheet metal. The school helped me enroll in Okanagan College’s Sheet Metal Worker Foundation Certificate program. The program allowed me to learn a lot of new techniques, test out ideas, and try new things. When I first found out that I got the G...

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Female carpentry student measures a piece of wood with a tape measure
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 various tools o...

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Collision Repair student working on a car in a shop
Meet Karl Heldt, Collision Repair student

July 27, 2022

Q: How did you hear about Okanagan College’s program?A: I found the program on Okanagan College’s website while browsing training possibilities for a new career. I applied because I felt like trying something new. Q: Why did you want to pursue this career?A: I chose this career because I’ve always been interested in vehicles. Before I enrolled in the program, a friend of mine was in a car accident and wrecked his car. He knew I was interested in cars so he gave it to me to work on....

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RV Service Technicians standing in front of a trailer in a shop
Meet Tony Yang, RV Service Technician Foundation

July 12, 2022

Q: How did you hear about Okanagan College’s program?A: I attended a Career Fair and learned about the entry-level foundation program. Q: Why did you want to pursue this career?A: I own a campground and wanted to learn more about trailers to expand my knowledge and business opportunities. Q: Do you have a favourite learning experience or project while taking the program?A: I really liked the electric, plumbing and appliance lessons. It was a practical knowledge and I enjoyed the 2 ...

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RV Service Technician students working on a RV in a shop
Meet Helen Pleavin, RV Service Technician Foundation

July 12, 2022

Q: How did you hear about Okanagan College’s program?A: I looked up the program online when I heard about the RV Tech career and was thrilled to find a local post-secondary institute offering the training so I could take it close to home! Q: Why did you want to pursue this career?A: I worked in the tourism industry for 20 years and wanted a career that was more practical and hands-on. I felt like being an RV Service Technician would be a good fit to my previous experiences. Q: Do y...

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Three RV Service Technician students installing insulation on an RV in the shop
Meet Josh Lang, RV Service Technician Foundation

July 12, 2022

Q: How did you hear about Okanagan College’s program?A: I heard about the program at the Abbotsford RV show, I applied because of the wide variety of areas we learn about. Q: Why did you want to pursue this career?A: I love the outdoors and repairing things so I thought it would be a great fit for me to learn how to repair RVs. Also, a lot of the skills I am learning transfer to other aspects of my life. Q: Do you have a favourite learning experience or project while taking the pro...

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women using tire change over equipment in automotive shop
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 run from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and are presented in...

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Jessica Madinabeitia-600x400
How sweet it is: Culinary Arts students celebrate Commencement in person

June 6, 2022

This year, Okanagan College Culinary Arts students can savour success together, during the first in-person Summer Commencement ceremony held in two years. OC Trades and Apprenticeship students completing foundation, diploma and apprenticeship level programs will cross the stage Thursday, June 9 at Okanagan College. Trades and Apprenticeship programs were among those especially challenged by the impacts of the pandemic. Food services on campus were greatly reduced, which meant that unlike other years, the Culinary Arts students couldn’t work...

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Joey Bruno
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 car out of his mind. “I was ...

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Day of Mourning
Day of Mourning BC 2022

April 25, 2022

A gathering that honours the memory of workers who have been killed, injured, or suffered illness because of work-related incidents is taking place at the end of the month.  In 2021, there were 161 work-related deaths in B.C. This is the highest it has been in the past six years, with the most dangerous subsector being General Construction. Three work-related death claims have been filed in the Okanagan-Similkameen region.  Day of Mourning BC hopes to renew our commitment to creating safer workplaces.   First recognized in 1984 by The Canad...

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Aspire Plumbing
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 Okanagan C...

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Joey Bruno
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 started looking a...

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OC Student Dinner Series
Student becomes the master at OC Student Chef Dinner Series

March 17, 2022

Okanagan College’s Culinary Arts program served up a tasty opportunity for students to bring their culinary learnings to the table alongside an experienced OC alumnus on Friday. The College’s restaurant, Infusions, hosted guests for a meal that was part of the Student Chef Dinner Series, which gives students an opportunity to showcase their skills and the very best of Okanagan region cuisine while working with experienced chefs. Chef Chris Van Hooydonk of Backyard Farm’s Chef Table in Oliver, B.C., returned to the OC kitchen for the dinner ...

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Trades General Interest
OC Trades General Interest courses come to Penticton

March 2, 2022

What do hammers, bicycles and lawnmowers have in common? They are all topics in the new Trades General Interest programs launching at Okanagan College’s Penticton campus this month. The courses provide community members with the opportunity to learn hands-on skills in state-of-the-art trades shops with qualified instructors. The courses are scheduled in the evening and on weekends. Courses are also available for children in the evening and during summer camps. Participants will gain knowledge in various trades, build projects and learn how ...

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Culinary Arts students Chase Holman, Shiloh Marriot and Claire Lind
The heart of Okanagan College’s Culinary Arts program reopens on Valentine’s Day

February 9, 2022

Okanagan College’s on-campus restaurant, Infusions, is gearing up to reopen for in-person dining after a two-year hiatus due to COVID-19 restrictions. Culinary and Pastry Arts students are excited to welcome back fellow students, staff and the community to enjoy their culinary creations beginning on Feb. 14. “I’m looking forward to having the community experience the food that we have been learning to create over the last four months,” said Culinary Arts student Chase Holman. “There’s nothing like seeing someone’s reaction when they’re enjo...

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