Learning & Programs
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 , a pilot program designed to provide expanded skills and tangible learning to agricultural workers employed by the tree fruit and wine grape industries. “There was a wealth...
Read more...
Cultivates event fosters local food, wine and tourism businesses
November 21, 2023
New event series kick-off hosts panel of local experts, facilitated by CBC’s Sarah Penton.You’ve 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 event series, Cultivates, aims to celebrate and explore Okanagan’s 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...
Read more...
New ECE offerings at responding to workforce demands
November 8, 2023
Working as an Early Childhood Education (ECE) assistant for the past 20 years has provided Penticton’s 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 . The program offers students flexibility to attend classes and upskill, while continuing to work in their field. “Because my classes are offered in a hybrid format, it has been possible for me to continue working du...
Read more...
connects students and employers with new Careers Hub
September 26, 2023
is making it easier for students to connect with employers to gain practical learning experiences as an integral part of their education. 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. OC’s Careers Hub is an easy, one-stop digital platform that connects students, alumni and employers to support students and alumni seeking the next steps in their careers. Employers can advertise employment opportu...
Read more...
New Dean of Science and Technology to join this July
May 17, 2023
is pleased to announce that Dr. Halia Valladares Montemayor will assume the role of Dean, Science and Technology at starting July 1. Halia is an established leader in post-secondary instruction and administration, and we are excited to have her join OC. 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...
Read more...
Bridging the way to success: Emil Anderson Construction gives $75,000 to modernize ’s Civil Engineering Technology Program
April 17, 2023
If you walk past ’s Kelowna campus on a weekday afternoon, you’re 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. “We are proud to support ’s Ci...
Read more...
Enactus OC’s Unusually Good Food Co. expands to 19 cities
April 14, 2023
Student entrepreneurs from (OC) 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. “This is so exciting for our social enterprise to be able to partner with such a...
Read more...
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...
Read more...
Same studies, but worlds apart: student enriched by study abroad
April 4, 2023
For one 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 ’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 ...
Read more...
professor makes connections in France with Derek Cook Memorial Award
March 28, 2023
professor Roberta Sawatzky’s recent trip to France wasn’t 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 (OC) students and faculty to study or work abroad. Roberta is the 2023 recipient of the Derek Cook Memorial Award for International Opportunities, which was established by the College to honor the memory of Derek Cook, an professor who passed away...
Read more...
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 OC? When did you graduate? A: Bachelor of Business Administration and graduated in 2016. Q: What got you interested in your program A: I wasn’t sure what I “wanted to do with my life,” and the business program seemed like it...
Read more...
Watt a gift! ’s 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 ’s 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. “I was fortunate to receive numerous scholarships when I was in school, and I wanted to pay it forward,” says C...
Read more...
Spaghetti Bridge Building Contest serves up fun and learning at OC
March 3, 2023
Friday marked a triumphant return for a popular pasta-themed community event at , 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 OC’s 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 – back for the first time since pre-pandemi...
Read more...
Personal connections highlight Early Childhood dual credit program
March 1, 2023
Emily Patenaude knows what it’s 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 course in Early Childhood Education while still in high school, known as a dual credit program. Emily’s passion for childcare began early as she watched her brother struggle to ...
Read more...
Health care students in the South Okanagan Similkameen are about to breathe a sigh of relief thanks to a new bursary fund
February 23, 2023
Local philanthropists Yasmin and Rick Thorpe have partnered with Summerland’s Penny Lane Legacy Fund to create a $50,000 bursary fund to help bolster the future of health care in the South Okanagan Similkameen. The Caring for Health Care Students Fund will provide $750 - $1,750 awards for eligible students studying at ’s Penticton Campus. “We know if we educate healthcare professionals in Penticton, there’s a good chance they’ll stay and work in the region,” says Yasmin John Thorpe. “We want to help increase ...
Read more...
increases access to early childhood education in the South Okanagan
February 22, 2023
(OC) is opening new spaces for people interested in working in early childhood education, as childcare facilities across the region and British Columbia continue to face staffing challenges. The Early Childhood Education Certificate program starts at OC’s Penticton campus in mid-March and runs through May 2024. The intake will have space for 24 students, adding to the more than 145 Early Childhood Education students studying at in Vernon, Kelowna and Penticton this year. According to the province’...
Read more...