60 years of Okanagan College celebrated through alumni achievements

From its humble beginnings as a B.C. vocational school to its place as an educational hub for valley residents with a variety of career ambitions, Okanagan College’s 60 years offer many reasons to celebrate.

“What’s really special about (the college) is the way that it interacts with the community,” Helen Jackman, Director of Advancement  at Okanagan College said.

“Our students are the lifeblood of the workforce here and we’re just really proud to see our alumni go out into the community.”

The simple fact that so many of the students who go to the college stay near to it makes the educational environment more personal, Jackman said.

“We have about 17,000 students a year across our various campuses and they tend to stay live, work and play here,” she said.

“They become the future workforce so they really are really integrated into the fabric of our community. The employers (in the Okanagan) really value our students, they’re ready to work.”

And for that, there will be many opportunities.

2:00 High school students experience college for a day

“We know that there are about 120,000 job openings in the next 10 years and Okanagan College has to think about how to innovate and be responsive to the needs of those employers,” Jackman said.

“So we’re creating everything from shorter courses (and) thinking about where and when students want to learn, whether that’s in the classroom or online.  But there are lots of creative and innovative ideas.”

That innovation can be seen in every Okanagan city where the needs of the community take shape in programs and infrastructure that caters to it.

For the time being, however, the focus will be on making sure that those who got their start at the college and have gone on to make their mark on the community are being celebrated.

The college will be celebrating its impact of alumni over the years, kicking off with their convocation ceremony Oct.4.

“We’re celebrating 60 alumni voices through that period and then culminating with an alumni celebration event on Oct. 18,” she said.

Those being celebrated have a varied background, from working in health care settings to skilled tradespeople.