In The News

More students will be able to train for careers in construction and project management with the launch of two new innovative programs at Okanagan College, focusing on an integrated and holistic approach to modern day construction.

Okanagan College and the Community Adult Learning Centre (CALC) within the Lillooet Tribal Council are building on a successful in-community program launch last year, with more Indigenous students set to begin their training to become certified Health Care Assistants in January 2026.

With more than 500 new and returning Okanagan College (OC) trades and apprenticeship students attending the College this fall, a new online mentorship platform is now live, to connect students with mentors who can support them on their journey to a meaningful – and well-paid – career in the skilled trades.

A pair of local legendary chefs will lead two powerhouse teams in a culinary competition at Okanagan College’s Kelowna campus this fall, as a new feature event from the Okanagan College Foundation will bring a battle of flavours and an evening of sensory delight to campus.

Okanagan College and the Justice Institute of British Columbia (JIBC) are excited to announce a new partnership that will bring JIBC’s paramedic and emergency medical responder (EMR) training to OC’s Vernon campus, joining other public safety, education and health care programs at the campus.

Sometimes the best learning happens when things don’t go as planned and you’re forced to pivot, which is exactly what happened in the Therapist Assistant Diploma at OC this semester. Faced with the challenge of securing clinical placements for students in the program, Dr. Brett Wade, a Physiotherapist and OC instructor, didn’t miss a step.

They sanded. They torqued. They welded. From automotive service and collision repair to carpentry, plumbing and aircraft maintenance, over 130 middle and high school students rolled up their sleeves and stepped into the world of skilled trades at Jill of All Trades, hosted at Okanagan College’s Kelowna campus on May 22.

Omar Algiasena still remembers those late nights working at Walmart in Salmon Arm, finishing up overnights before swapping his worker vest for a backpack and heading down to Okanagan College (OC). When the rest of the town slept, Omar worked as the overnight support manager at the store and later shifted his focus from inventory management to geospatial coordinates and mapping technologies.

Okanagan College (OC) and the Government of Canada have partnered to support female apprentices with a new mentorship and education program aimed at increasing opportunities for females to enter the trades and complete their Red Seal certification.

One hundred female high school students from the Okanagan, Similkameen and Shuswap participated in Okanagan College's inaugural Jill of All Trades event at the Kelowna campus.