Message from Jim Reed - President, BC Colleges
It's a busy time of year at BC Colleges. Our 11 member institutions are in the final push towards the end of the term which means lots of exciting news from all corners of BC.
As I read this month's news articles, I was struck by the diversity of the stories. At Okanagan College and North Island College applied research is firmly on the agenda. Okanagan College's Lee Cartier received $25,000 from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) to conduct a study into Rural Entrepreneurship and Industry Competitiveness in the Okanagan. And, North Island College was successful in its NSERC grant application for research into the utilization of hard seabed substrates in salmon aquaculture. Both of these studies are certain to make an impact on their local communities and respective industries.
Also on the funding front, Camosun College will receive up to $943,000 in Employment Skills Access funding to train eligible clients in six targeted job-readiness programs. "This funding means Camosun can continue working with unemployed individuals to equip them with in-demand work skills and recognized certifications to find meaningful employment," says Shelley Gilmour, ESA Program Coordinator at Camosun. "In many instances, we hear from past clients about how ESA training has changed their lives."
From a facilities point of view, Langara College has just re-opened a beautifully renovated, state-of-the-art simulation lab to enhance the education of students in the College’s nursing program. The new Nursing Simulation Centre is home to 27 electric beds that are equipped with oxygen, air, and suction ports, as well as privacy curtains to mimic real hospital situations. There are two simulation suites, which can be used for either acute care or community health simulations. This is tremendous news for nursing students at Langara.
Finally, I am pleased to share that Northwest Community College (NWCC) received some very exciting news. NWCC received a $300,000 grant from the Margaret A. Cargill Foundation aimed at supporting the Freda Diesing School of Northwest Coast Art. “It is very exciting for the school to be recognized for continuing the legacy of Freda Diesing,” says program coordinator and instructor Stan Bevan. “The school’s goal is to support the vision, develop and set standards in First Nation fine arts across Northern B.C. and the Pacific Northwest." Congratulations NWCC. We applaud your leadership in First Nation fine arts!
For a full list of this month's projects, collaborations and announcements from our 11 member colleges please check out "In the News" at the BC Collegeswebsite. As always, I welcome your feedback, you can reach me by e-mail.
Sincerely,
Jim Reed President, BC Colleges North Island College Receives NSERC Innovation Enhancement Grant
North Island College Media Release, November 13, 2012
The Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) announced today that North Island College was successful in its application for an Entry Level Innovation Enhancement (IE) grant to fund research into the utilization of hard seabed substrates in salmon aquaculture. This grant is awarded under NSERC’s College and Community Innovation Program. IE grants are designed to foster partnerships between colleges and the private sector that will lead to business innovation at the local, regional and national levels. Specifically, this grant will build North Island College’s applied research and technology transfer capacity to support and collaborate with the Vancouver Island salmon aquaculture industry. Read more. VCC hospitality students get real world training by solving real world problems
Vancouver Community College Media Release, November 6, 2012
Vancouver Community College is all about real world training and tackling real world problems. So, when it comes to tough challenges facing the tourism industry, VCC hospitality students are on the case. On Nov. 4, about 60 students from colleges and universities across the province, including VCC, gathered at the Vancouver Convention Centre to participate in the annual LinkBC Student Case Competition. VCC sent teams from the hospitality management degree program and the hospitality management diploma program. Read more. Selkirk College Performs Well at Kast Spirit of Innovation Awards
Selkirk College Media Release, November 1, 2012
Four finalists from Selkirk College went up against some of the region’s most innovative businesses at the recent Kootenay Association of Science and Technology (KAST) Spirit of Innovation Awards and one took home the Innovative Organization award at the end of the evening. Held only every four years, the KAST Spirit of Innovation Awards set out to recognize the best science and technology businesses, organizations and innovators in the West Kootenay-Boundary region. The awards honour local businesses, organizations and individuals who have demonstrated innovation through research and development and/or the application of science and technology through four categories: Top Innovator, Most Promising Emerging Company, Innovative Company and Innovative Organization. Read more. Spots available in CNC’s Childcare Centre
College of New Caledonia Media Release, October 31, 2012
For the first time in quite a few years, CNC’s Childcare Centre has six spots available for children age 3 to 5 years old for full or part-time care between now and the end of April.The campus childcare centre is open to the public Monday to Friday from 7:55 a.m. to 5 p.m. and offers a unique learning environment for children.“The feedback we receive from parents is that their children don’t want to leave because they’re having so much fun,” said CNC Early Childhood Educator Lyndsay Spencer. “We have excellent infrastructure here…we do a lot of outings on campus. We tour the library, play in the gymnasium and CNC’s dental students have come in and talked to us.” Read more. College of the Rockies Graduate Gives Back to Her Community
College of the Rockies Media Release, October 30, 2012
Former College of the Rockies student, Laranna Androsoff, has returned to her hometown of Grand Forks in a new role. Recently hired as the new Aboriginal Family Support Worker for the Boundary Family and Individual Services Society, Androsoff brings an extensive and varied educational and employment history to the position. A graduate of the College of the Rockies Early Childhood Education program in 2001, Androsoff continued her education at The University of the Fraser Valley, earning diplomas in Special Needs Education and Infant-Toddler Education and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Child and Youth Care. Reflecting on her time at COTR, Androsoff says, “Coming from rural BC, College of the Rockies provided me with a great foundation to continue my education. The small class sizes and strong rapport I was able to build with the instructors helped provide me with the support I needed to make a smooth transition from high school to college.” Read more. Freda Diesing School receives $300,000 from Margaret A. Cargill Foundation to support First Nations art education at Northwest Community College
Northwest Community College Media Release, October 26, 2012
Today Northwest Community College announced a $300,000 grant from the Margaret A. Cargill Foundation aimed at supporting the Freda Diesing School of Northwest Coast Art. “It is very exciting for the school to be recognized for continuing the legacy of Freda Diesing,” says program coordinator and instructor Stan Bevan. “The school’s goal is to support the vision, develop and set standards in First Nation fine arts across Northern B.C. and the Pacific Northwest. With this support from the foundation we can connect students with communities, elders, artists and museums where they can learn the rich cultural traditions that allow this art to live and flourish. It will also give opportunities for aspiring artists to have access to a formal education in art and continue the development towards a well-rounded visual arts education.” Read more. Camosun's Employment Skills Access program provides hope and new job prospects: Training funding of over $900,000 means 234 Camosun clients learn in-demand job skills.
Camosun College Media Release, October 25, 2012
Camosun College will receive up to $943,000 in Employment Skills Access funding to train eligible clients in six targeted job-readiness programs. Over $611,000 has been directly awarded to Camosun and additional funding will come through partnerships with Vancouver Island University, North Island College and Capilano University. Employment Skills Access (ESA) is a provincial initiative of the Ministry of Jobs, Tourism and Skills Training intended to help those unemployed to access training in local public post-secondary institutes to strengthen their job-specific skills in challenging economic times. The provincial government recently announced $18.7 million in ESA funding through the Canada-British Columbia Labour Market Agreement. Read more. Revamped Nursing Simulation Centre Opened at Langara
Langara College Media Release, October 23, 2012
A beautifully renovated, state-of-the-art simulation lab has been re-opened at Langara to enhance the education of students in the College’s nursing program. The facility, which features electric beds and high-tech Human Patient Simulators (HPS), was officially opened with a ribbon-cutting ceremony earlier this fall. The new Nursing Simulation Centre is home to 27 electric beds that are equipped with oxygen, air, and suction ports, as well as privacy curtains to mimic real hospital situations. There are two simulation suites, which can be used for either acute care or community health simulations. The community suite is outfitted with furniture to resemble a home environment for students to practice new baby visits, home care nursing, mental health interdisciplinary home visits, or even flu clinics. The acute care suite enables students to simulate procedures for a variety of acute care situations including the need for oxygen therapy, code blue, pulmonary edema, and hemorrhage. The simulation lab and the skills lab can be opened up into one larger room as well to accommodate a larger learning environment if necessary. Read more. Douglas College stages classic First Nations play – sans First Nations actors
Douglas College Media Release, October 22
Douglas College is challenging the idea that you can't cast non-aboriginal actors in aboriginal roles in its upcoming production of one of the most famous and influential First Nations plays in Canada. The Rez Sisters, written by Cree playwright Tomson Highway, is the latest production (Nov. 9-17) by the departments of Theatre and Stagecraft & Event Technology at Douglas College. The play is about seven women, each wrestling with personal demons, on a native reserve in Ontario, who dream of attending (and winning) "The Biggest Bingo in the World." First performed 1986, the Rez Sisters opened to critical acclaim and sold-out houses. But since then it has rarely been staged, notes Deborah Neville, director, because many theatres are afraid to take the risk of casting non-aboriginal actors in aboriginal roles."There was this slippery feeling that you needed to cast First Nations people in order to get the proper First Nations voice," Neville says. So there was this dry period where this beautiful thing went on ice because nobody would touch it." Read more. Okanagan College professor receives national research grant to examine innovation in rural agriculture
Okanagan College Media Release, Thursday, October 18, 2012
The agriculture industry in the Okanagan has a far greater positive impact on the regional economy than anyone realizes, according to a professor with Okanagan College’s School of Business who has just received a national grant to conduct further investigation. “The public only sees the primary products – what they don’t see is the value-added that contributes to the economy,” Lee Cartier said. “What we’re looking at here is the industry cluster of agricultural products: wine, tree fruits, processing, manufacturers, stainless steel fabrication, equipment manufacturing, the service and support industries, the grower supply companies – all of this is the value chain.” Cartier has received $25,000 from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) to conduct his study, titled Rural Entrepreneurship and Industry Competitiveness: Value-Chain Innovation in the Agricultural Products Cluster since 2006. Read more. Karen Simpson new Chair of NLC Board of Governors
Northern Lights College Media Release, October 18, 2012
The Board of Governors of Northern Lights College has a new chair and several new members as it prepares for a busy 2012-13. Karen Simpson, a financial planner with RBC and a former Fort St. John city councillor, is the new chair of the Board of Governors. She believes it is important for residents in the College region to know as much as possible about what NLC has to offer. “I believe it is the Board’s responsibility, and certainly mine as Board chair, to tell the story of Northern Lights College,” Simpson said. “The Board’s mandate is to meet with as many groups and community members as we can. We need to boast about the Centre of Excellence for Oil and Gas in Fort St. John, the Centre of Excellence for Clean Energy in Dawson Creek, as well as the other quality programs that NLC is known for.” Read more.
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