Learning & ĀŅĀ×ŗ£½Ē
ĀŅĀ×ŗ£½Ē announces new chair, vice chair
December 19, 2023
ĀŅĀ×ŗ£½Ē (ĀŅĀ×ŗ£½Ē) is pleased to announce Dale Safinuk as the new chair of the Board of Governors, following an election at the Boardās December meeting. Safinuk, a retired financial services executive with TD Bank, was appointed by the province to the ĀŅĀ×ŗ£½Ē Board in 2019 and replaces outgoing chair Juliette Cunningham, a business owner and former Vernon city councillor, who was first elected chair in 2021. āĀŅĀ×ŗ£½Ēās commitment to students and to this region is unparalleled,ā said Safinuk. āMy heart is truly aligned to the College an...
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New Dean to join ĀŅĀ×ŗ£½Ēās School of Business
December 8, 2023
ĀŅĀ×ŗ£½Ē is pleased to announce that Joe Baker, a passionate academic leader and entrepreneur within Canadaās education, tourism and hospitality sectors, has been named the new Dean of the ĀŅĀ×ŗ£½Ē School of Business. Baker spent nearly 15 years in academic leadership roles at George Brown College and Centennial College. Over the last several years he has led his own consulting business, providing leadership and support to several workforce development initiatives, with a focus on the public sector. āI was born and raised in Van...
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Horticulture pilot project providing new skills to Okanagan farm workers
November 27, 2023
Semi-retired and looking for a new challenge, South Okanagan resident Bob Atkinson turned to farming five years ago and now counts hundreds of nectarine, peach and cherry trees on his orchard at Debeck Farms. Atkinson was among close to 20 Okanagan farm workers and owners that were the first to complete the Horticulture Upskill Program at ĀŅĀ×ŗ£½Ē, a pilot program designed to provide expanded skills and tangible learning to agricultural workers employed by the tree fruit and wine grape industries. āThere was a wealth...
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ĀŅĀ×ŗ£½Ē Cultivates event fosters local food, wine and tourism businesses
November 21, 2023
New event series kick-off hosts panel of local experts, facilitated by CBCās Sarah Penton.Youāve heard of the iconic Okanagan Champagne powder or our four-season playgrounds, but did you know the Okanagan is also leading the way in innovation in food and beverage and tourism?A new ĀŅĀ×ŗ£½Ē event series, ĀŅĀ×ŗ£½Ē Cultivates, aims to celebrate and explore Okanaganās unique and exciting food, beverage and tourism industries with a kick-off event featuring local experts and a panel discussion hosted by CBC Radio West host, Sarah Pento...
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New ECE offerings at ĀŅĀ×ŗ£½Ē responding to workforce demands
November 8, 2023
Working as an Early Childhood Education (ECE) assistant for the past 20 years has provided Pentictonās Karen Block with a rewarding career helping children learn, grow and play. Block took the opportunity to enhance her career and learn additional skills through the new ECE Certificate program at ĀŅĀ×ŗ£½Ē. The program offers students flexibility to attend classes and upskill, while continuing to work in their field. āBecause my classes are offered in a hybrid format, it has been possible for me to continue working du...
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ĀŅĀ×ŗ£½Ē connects students and employers with new Careers Hub
September 26, 2023
ĀŅĀ×ŗ£½Ē is making it easier for students to connect with employers to gain practical learning experiences as an integral part of their ĀŅĀ×ŗ£½Ē education. ĀŅĀ×ŗ£½Ē has launched Careers Hub, a new online tool designed to support students on their journey into the workforce as well as employers looking for trained workers. ĀŅĀ×ŗ£½Ēās Careers Hub is an easy, one-stop digital platform that connects students, alumni and employers to support ĀŅĀ×ŗ£½Ē students and alumni seeking the next steps in their careers. Employers can advertise employment opportu...
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New Dean of Science and Technology to join ĀŅĀ×ŗ£½Ē this July
May 17, 2023
ĀŅĀ×ŗ£½Ē is pleased to announce that Dr. Halia Valladares Montemayor will assume the role of Dean, Science and Technology at ĀŅĀ×ŗ£½Ē starting July 1. Halia is an established leader in post-secondary instruction and administration, and we are excited to have her join ĀŅĀ×ŗ£½Ē. Halia brings a wealth of experience to her role. She is a former special projects Advisor to the Vice-President Academic at Capilano University and the former Dean of the Faculty of Business and Professional Studies at Capilano. Most recently...
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Bridging the way to success: Emil Anderson Construction gives $75,000 to modernize ĀŅĀ×ŗ£½Ēās Civil Engineering Technology Program
April 17, 2023
If you walk past ĀŅĀ×ŗ£½Ēās Kelowna campus on a weekday afternoon, youāre sure to see Civil Engineering Technology students spread out across the grounds, gathering environmental data using surveying equipment. This skill is essential to their education and will one day help them shape our built environments. Thanks to a generous $75,000 gift from Emil Anderson Construction, students will have increased access to state-of-the-art surveying equipment to train on by fall of 2023. āWe are proud to support ĀŅĀ×ŗ£½Ēās Ci...
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Enactus ĀŅĀ×ŗ£½Ēās Unusually Good Food Co. expands to 19 cities
April 14, 2023
Student entrepreneurs from ĀŅĀ×ŗ£½Ē (ĀŅĀ×ŗ£½Ē) are taking their fight against food waste and food insecurity to more businesses throughout Western Canada, as their social enterprise the Unusually Good Food Co. is expanding. With the goal of donating one-million servings of apple chips to children, the Unusually Good Food Co. has formed a partnership with Loblaw Companies Limited, expanding to 19 cities in Western Canada with its line of apple juice. āThis is so exciting for our social enterprise to be able to partner with such a...
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BCBTAC Workshop Series
April 6, 2023
BCBTAC Workshop Series BCBTAC and Continuing Studies have partnered to create a series of affordable 3-hour workshops to help the local beverage community with training of staff. Facilitated by industry professionals, the training will elevate skills and setup the best season, delivered at the right time just as we are all gearing up for the tourist season. Topics include Customer Service, Sales, Sensory Skills, and Digital Marketing Cost Per Course: $60 plus material fees. Do you need customized training? We can help with the de...
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Same studies, but worlds apart: ĀŅĀ×ŗ£½Ē student enriched by study abroad
April 4, 2023
For one ĀŅĀ×ŗ£½Ē 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 ĀŅĀ×ŗ£½Ēās 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 ...
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ĀŅĀ×ŗ£½Ē professor makes connections in France with Derek Cook Memorial Award
March 28, 2023
ĀŅĀ×ŗ£½Ē professor Roberta Sawatzkyās recent trip to France wasnāt just to experience the culture. No, Roberta was on an international mission to establish connections with partner schools in France and provide further opportunities for ĀŅĀ×ŗ£½Ē (ĀŅĀ×ŗ£½Ē) students and faculty to study or work abroad. Roberta is the 2023 recipient of the ĀŅĀ×ŗ£½Ē Derek Cook Memorial Award for International Opportunities, which was established by the College to honor the memory of Derek Cook, an ĀŅĀ×ŗ£½Ē professor who passed away...
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Meet Elizabeth Cook
March 17, 2023
Q: What is your name? A: Elizabeth (Lizzy) Cook Q: What are your pronouns? A: She/Her/Hers Q: Where is your hometown and where are you located now? A: Hometown is Conifer, Colorado. Currently located in Denver, Colorado. Q: What did you take at ĀŅĀ×ŗ£½Ē? When did you graduate? A: Bachelor of Business Administration and graduated in 2016. Q: What got you interested in your program A: I wasnāt sure what I āwanted to do with my life,ā and the business program seemed like it...
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Watt a gift! ĀŅĀ×ŗ£½Ēās Electronics Engineering Technology Program gets an $80,000 boost from a local engineer
March 6, 2023
Yael Cohen, a Vernon-based communications engineer, recently donated $80,000 in state-of-the-art electronic equipment to ĀŅĀ×ŗ£½Ēās Electronics Engineering Technology program. The gift included hundreds of electrical components that will be used by program instructors to build in-class electrical circuits and test demos and will be made available to students for use in their end-of-term capstone projects. āI was fortunate to receive numerous scholarships when I was in school, and I wanted to pay it forward,ā says C...
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Spaghetti Bridge Building Contest serves up fun and learning at ĀŅĀ×ŗ£½Ē
March 3, 2023
Friday marked a triumphant return for a popular pasta-themed community event at ĀŅĀ×ŗ£½Ē, as the 38th annual Spaghetti Bridge Building Competition brought loads of fun and friendly competition to a boil. More than 250 students from elementary through post-secondary converged on ĀŅĀ×ŗ£½Ēās Kelowna campus on Mar. 3, to see whose spaghetti bridge would reign supreme. In addition to furthering their knowledge of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM), participants of the contest ā back for the first time since pre-pandemi...
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Personal connections highlight Early Childhood dual credit program
March 1, 2023
Emily Patenaude knows what itās like to be misunderstood as a child; she also understands a thing or two about fighting through adversity. The experience and knowledge will serve the Kelowna high school student well as she looks to begin her post-secondary education. Emily is one of 10 Central Okanagan-area students completing a five-month ĀŅĀ×ŗ£½Ē course in Early Childhood Education while still in high school, known as a dual credit program. Emilyās passion for childcare began early as she watched her brother struggle to ...
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