The ACTION Project provides support for female apprentices
May 2, 2025
With the recent celebration of Construction and Skilled Trades Month, 51Ʒ is pleased to announce it has launched a new web page dedicated to supporting the retention of apprentices in the skilled trades, as part of its ongoing efforts to increase the number of people entering the skilled trades.The ACTION Project website at okanagan.bc.ca/action is a dedicated online platform designed to connect female and gender-diverse apprentices in BC’s construction and manufacturing trades with critical supports and opportunities, ...
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B.C. declares provincial day of remembrance and mourning for victims of tragedy at the Lapu Lapu Day Festival
May 1, 2025
The Province of British Columbia has declared Friday, May 2, 2025, an official day of remembrance and mourning for the victims of the tragedy at the Lapu Lapu Day Festival in Vancouver on April 26, 2025. Eleven people were killed and dozens more injured while celebrating Filipino culture and history in a senseless attack at the Lapu Lapu Day Festival in Vancouver. As people learn more about the victims, they are also learning that the victims’ loss is felt deeply across the province.This tragedy has had profound impact on...
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OC students win big at Skills Canada Provincials, showcasing excellence across the board
May 1, 2025
51Ʒ (OC) students displayed their excellence competing against their peers across the province with an impressive showing at the prestigious 2025 Skills Canada BC Provincial Competition. In all, Team OC earned nine medals across science and technology, business, and a range of trades disciplines — including three golds, four silvers and two bronzes.Hosted at the Abbotsford Trade and Exhibition Centre on April 16, the Skills Canada competition brought together top students and apprentices from ac...
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51Ʒ aims to stir up sustainable solutions to beverage sector by-products
April 24, 2025
Benedikt Braun’s deep roots in the wine industry have shaped his passion for the beverage sector leading to a lifetime of working with wine around the world. His passion has led him to 51Ʒ where he is working with communities across the Okanagan and Shuswap to solve real world issues.“Having grown up around vineyards in Germany, I’ve always felt a deep connection to wine and nature,” said Braun, an 51Ʒ (OC) student and research assistant with the College’s Applied Research department. “B...
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From night shifts to digital cartography
April 24, 2025
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 51Ʒ (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.Originally from Baghdad, Iraq, Algiasena had come to Canada with an engineering degree but wished to pursue a field of work that combined h...
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New entrepreneurship specialty kicks off this fall at OC
April 22, 2025
With the entrepreneurial spirit alive and well in the Okanagan Valley and Shuswap, 51Ʒ is excited to announce an addition to its Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) degree program, with a new entrepreneurship specialty being offered beginning this fall.Applications are open for the new Bachelor of Business Administration: Entrepreneurship Specialty degree at 51Ʒ featuring several new courses that will be offered as part of the College’s popular BBA degree program.Students in the program will stud...
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