Collaboration & Partnerships
Same studies, but worlds apart: OC student enriched by study abroad
April 4, 2023
For one Okanagan College student, studying abroad turned into an opportunity to learn new ways of preserving old traditions in one of the most fast-paced countries in the world. Jillian Seronik, a fourth-year Bachelor of Business Administration student from Kelowna, travelled to Nisshin, Japan, last term as part of Okanagan College’s mobility program. She had always wanted to do post-secondary studies abroad but her dream of international studies was put on hold by the COVID-19 pandemic. Still, she signed up for mobility updates in the o...
Read more...OC signs MOU with the Public Universities of the State of Queretaro in Mexico
March 9, 2023
Okanagan College has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Public Universities of the State of Queretaro in Mexico, an agreement that further develops and diversifies the College’s international education partnerships. Okanagan College President Neil Fassina signed the MOU on behalf of OC while the Deputy Minister of Higher Education for the State of Queretaro as well as representatives from each of seven post-secondary institutions signed for Mexico in a ceremony on Thursday March 2 at Okanagan College. The MOU lays the gro...
Read more...OC’s Apprentice Hiring Project connects Ukrainian worker with welcoming environment
March 2, 2023
When Fedir Solovei and his family arrived in Vernon from Ukraine last year they were looking for a fresh start after escaping the harsh realities of the Russian invasion of his home country. Of the many hurdles Fedir was facing, finding employment was top of the list. Highly accomplished as an engineer in Ukraine, and with some experience in general construction, Fedir enjoys creating projects with wood and noted the difference in the use of wood in B.C construction practices. That interest led Fedir to apply for a position with Ve...
Read more...Community donations support College's trades facility
February 21, 2023
Two recent donations to Okanagan College’s trades training facility are a perfect example of how partnerships with the community continue to benefit students. People taking courses in Okanagan College’s RV Training program are benefitting from donations that allow them to work on equipment that is in use in the industry. GLP Canada and Atlas Trailer both donated an assortment of new appliances including hot water heaters, furnaces and range/oven to the RV Training program. “Thank you to our valued partners in the community ...
Read more...College students mentoring high school peers for Sustainable Development Challenge
February 17, 2023
It’s students helping students tackle the biggest issues of our time. Okanagan College (OC) students have joined forces with youth leaders in Grades 8 to 12 in the Central Okanagan to provide mentorship on projects that will impact the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The high school teams are preparing for a local Sustainable Development Challenge event, inspired by the UN initiative, and are able to bounce their ideas and projects off OC students prior to the challenge finale later this month. VIDEO: OC students...
Read more...BC BTAC recommends client Nonny Beer for DryFeb Challenge
February 2, 2023
Thinking of joining Dry February this year, but struggle to say goodbye to beer for a month? The BC Beverage Technology Access Centre at Okanagan College is shining the spotlight on one of its clients, Nonny Beer, for its commitment to all the craft beer taste without the alcohol content. Nonny is brewed with traditional ingredients -- all natural with no preservatives -- and lacking the traditional downside of alcoholic beer. "My brother Leigh and I have had a lot of beers together ... because beers are fun. According to all the booze a...
Read more...Women of Steel™: Forging Forward Program comes to Okanagan in partnership with Okanagan College and CWB Welding Foundation
January 16, 2023
Okanagan College is launching a new program designed specifically to encourage women to consider a career in welding this winter/spring. The Women of Steel™: Forging Forward Program, supported by the CWB Welding Foundation, is being offered in just 14 locations across Canada. As one of the host sites, students who choose OC will not only gain skills related to welding, but will also have opportunities that foster education, personal growth, confidence, and experiential learning. “We continue to look for new opportunities that will...
Read more...Okanagan College launches sponsored trades training opportunity to help open doors, create job-ready workers in Salmon Arm
January 6, 2023
Students with limited or no previous experience in trades can access training that will lead to employment and future careers in construction, thanks to a program that starts at the end of January at Okanagan College’s Salmon Arm campus. Okanagan College will be offering an intake of the Construction Craft Worker program starting on Jan. 30 at the College’s Salmon Arm Trades Centre. “This new program is supporting students to gain the skills they need now, helping them get good jobs in industries where communities need them,” said Selina...
Read more...Partnership helping to fill staffing gaps in hospitality and tourism industry
December 1, 2022
Like many industries, the hospitality and tourism sector has been hard hit by staff shortages over the past few years with a declining youth population and an aging workforce combining to create significant challenges. But a new program designed in partnership by Okanagan College (OC) and the Thompson Okanagan Tourism Association (TOTA) will help to reduce those shortages. The first of four new cohorts of students enrolled in the Hospitality Professional Program this fall, a flexible program open to students anywhere in the Thompson-Oka...
Read more...Lived experience lands in Therapist Assistant classroom
November 29, 2022
Students in the Therapist Assistant Diploma (TAD) program took a deep dive into the lived experiences of those with spinal cord injury, thanks to a community partnership. Guest speakers from the Praxis Spinal Cord Institute attended the class last week. Praxis is a Canadian-based, non-profit that leads global collaboration in spinal cord injury research, innovation, and care. James Hektner, PLEX Community Liaison and Shannon Rockall, OT Clinical Liaison with Praxis Spinal Cord Institute, presented up-to-date statistics, research and best p...
Read more...Local company partners with OC for Dragons’ Den viewing party
October 24, 2022
Okanagan College and Kelowna company Second Slumber have partnered to host a fundraiser and viewing party when Second Slumber appears on the popular CBC TV show Dragons’ Den on Nov. 3. Earlier this year, Second Slumber pitched its innovative business model to Dragons’ Den, looking for a funding partner to scale up its business, which re-purposes and re-sells lightly used mattresses, providing them at affordable rates and keeping them out of landfills. The company features former Okanagan College professor Rick Maddison and several OC stud...
Read more...Okanagan Enactus team off to Worlds
October 21, 2022
After claiming the National championship, the Enactus Okanagan College team will travel to Enactus World Cup 2022 in Puerto Rico later this month. For Penticton-based student Jon Talastas, the opportunity brings a chance to showcase a locally-grown idea on the world stage. From Oct. 30 – Nov. 2, OC’s Enactus team will compete against national champions from 30 other countries on projects that use entrepreneurship and innovation to solve the world’s biggest challenges. Enactus Okanagan College’s award-winning project – Unusually Goo...
Read more...Social media, global food trends highlight new BC BTAC speaker series
October 13, 2022
A new series of TAC Talks, presented by Okanagan College’s BC Beverage Technology Access Centre (BC BTAC), will highlight the latest trends in the beverage industry, including TikTok videos, policy updates and market influences. The talks, which are open to anyone who works in or has an interest in the beverage industry, begin this month with a session from a TikTok social media expert and will be followed by two more speakers in the coming months, delving into regulations and label changes as well as global food fads. “We’re excited to ...
Read more...Kelowna mayoral candidates invited to public debate hosted by Okanagan College, UBC Okanagan
September 20, 2022
Mayoral candidates in Kelowna will speak specifically to issues that matter to university and college students at an on-campus debate at the end of September. Okanagan College and UBC Okanagan have teamed up to host the event, which will be moderated by CBC Radio host Sarah Penton at OC’s lecture theatre on K.L.O. Road. “We are thrilled to be welcoming the candidates, students and the community onto our campus, to hear from the individuals running to be the next mayor of Kelowna,” says Dr. Neil Fassina, president, Okanagan College. “Pos...
Read more...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 l...
Read more...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...
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