OCNews

Articles tagged "Trades"

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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Gixtaala Nation carpentry grad
OC supports Gitxaala Nation with vital trades training for economic and cultural growth

January 24, 2022

In one northern village, Indigenous cultural needs and massive construction projects combined to create demand for specialized Okanagan College Trades training to support community members. Located on the north coast of British Columbia, the Gitxaala Nation’s main community is in Kitkatla. It identified the need for skilled trades people several years ago, as projects such as the LNG Canada in Kitimat and port expansion in Prince Rupert were announced. But it was a smaller project closer to home that inspired Gitxaala Nation to empower its ...

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Logos of SAIT, Kanaka Bar Indian Band and Okanagan College
Partners launch resilient housing solutions project at Kanaka Bar to assist with rebuild of fire-ravaged Lytton, B.C., region

January 13, 2022

Kanaka Bar Indian Band, SAIT, Okanagan College, Foresight Canada and Seko Construction partner to harness innovation to provide options for the rebuild of the region Kanaka Bar, B.C. (Jan. 13, 2022) — Patrick Michell, Chief of the Kanaka Bar Indian Band, announced today they have entered into an agreement with the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology (SAIT) on a pilot project focused on climate-resilient housing options for evacuees who lost their homes in the June 30, 2021 Lytton, B.C., wildfire. The project is expected to reveal susta...

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A female trades student with medium length blonde hair looks off to the side.
OC graduate soars toward gold in Aero Skills tournament

November 30, 2021

An Okanagan College graduate is flying high after winning gold at the 2021 Aero Skills Tournament in Kelowna. Desarae Craig currently works at KF Aerospace as a structures technician, but before she got there, she was an Aircraft Maintenance Engineer – Structures (AME-S) student at Okanagan College. Since graduating in October 2020, her work at KF has included converting old passenger planes into cargo planes, using everything that was taught during her program.  “All the skills I learned have helped me so far,” Craig says. “Everything we ...

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Joey Bruno
Meet Joey Bruno, Automotive Collision and Refinishing student

November 1, 2021

Q: Why did you choose a career in Collision Repair? A: I’ve grown up around the industry, my father’s been a technician for 30 years but has worked for Craftsman for over 20 years. My uncle also has 20+ years experience as an automotive painter and now works as a Red Seal Automotive Collision Technician for Craftsman as well. Q: How did your training with OC help prepare you for your current role? What is your current position? A: Currently, I am working as a Level 2 Collision Repa...

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Alanah Coss FortisBC Award Recipient
FortisBC powers up support for women and Indigenous students

September 24, 2021

New awards and opportunities for mentorship with FortisBC are making it easier for female and female Indigenous students to be successful with their trades education. FortisBC recently set up three scholarships for women in trades with a focus on supporting female students who are at the mid-point in their education. The scholarship comes with the potential for the student to meet with FortisBC representatives and connect with someone working in a role they may be interested in pursuing in the future. "We wanted to support students in payin...

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Lawren Richards story
Lawren Richards

September 3, 2021

“I am a single mom to 17-year-old twins. We had been living in a 400-square-foot cabin about an hour from town when an opportunity came up that would allow me to purchase some land and build my own home closer to town and my kids’ school. I have always been interested in natural building but I don’t have a carpentry background so I enrolled in the Carpenter Foundation program in Salmon Arm. I was the only woman in the class and much older than my classmates, so I was a bit nervou...

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Culinary Arts
A perfect pairing: Sandhill invites OC Culinary Arts students into the kitchen

August 6, 2021

As a student, you never know when opportunities will pop up – and Okanagan College Culinary Arts students are bubbling over with new experiences thanks to Sandhill Wines. As a result of a unique collaboration with the Kelowna-based winery, Culinary Arts students will cook a three-course plated dinner as part of a pop-up dinner series Aug. 10 to 13. “We are thrilled to welcome the students of Okanagan College into our kitchen. They have concepted a mouth-watering menu which truly represents their creativity and skill. We are very excited for...

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Louise Trenholm
Meet Louise Trenholm, Automotive Collision and Refinishing student

August 5, 2021

Q: Why did you choose a career in Collision Repair? A: I’ve always had an interest in vehicles ever since I was a child. In high school, I hung out at the local Speedway in Penticton, making my love for vehicles grow even more. I wanted a career that worked on vehicles, so I decided to choose the Entry-Level Automotive Collision Repair Foundation program to help start my career as an Automotive Refinisher.  Q: How did your training with OC help prepare you for your current role? Wh...

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Skoglund Family
Skogie’s 50th anniversary adds shine to student experience

July 28, 2021

Skogie’s car washes are celebrating 50 years of business by making the ride for Okanagan College students a little easier. For every year the family-run business has been in operation, Skogie’s is donating $1,000 to Okanagan College — for a total of $50,000 in honour of their half-century anniversary. “We've hired a lot of Okanagan College students over the years,” says David Skoglund, who founded the company in 1971. “We want to support young people and help them get ahead and we also wanted to give back to our community.” The gift will su...

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