Since 1968, Okanagan College has been providing diverse post-secondary opportunities, transforming lives and communities. Today, its alumni exceed 60,000, from its campuses in Kelowna, Penticton, Vernon, and Salmon Arm.
Experiential learning, hands-on training, and apprenticeship are foundational elements of many of the programs offered at Okanagan College. On campus, the needs of students and industry intersect, resulting in a synergistic partnership.
For more than 60 years, Okanagan College has been offering students a wide range of post-secondary education opportunities, all in the pursuit of its mission to transform lives and communities. Today, the college boasts more than 60,000 alumni from its multiple campuses, including Kelowna, Penticton, Vernon and Salmon Arm.
“Whether it is through hybrid and online course delivery, workplace integrated learning—where the “classroom” is actually the workplace—or experiences in labs and classrooms, people who choose to live here have an incredible amount of opportunities,” says Okanagan College President, Dr. Neil Fassina.
The institution’s impact in the community is undeniable, with Okanagan College students and graduates successfully contributing to a wide array of local industries including tourism and hospitality, health care, construction, business, technology and much more. The college is constantly innovating and expanding its programs, too.
Earlier this year, Okanagan College received $44.8 million in funding from the provincial government for its new Centre for Food, Wine and Tourism, which is set to open in 2026 and will include modern teaching spaces, food labs, research and development facilities, and more. The centre will allow Okanagan College to significantly expand enrollment in its culinary and hospitality and tourism programs.
In 2023, thanks to funding from the Royal Bank of Canada and Accelerate Okanagan, the School of Business plans to launch its new Experiential Entrepreneurship program pending ministry approval, allowing students to not only imagine their business but set it up as well.
The college champions sustainability, too, incorporating green practices through its day-to-day operations, award-winning campus facilities, and wide range of programs. The Kelowna trades complex, for example, was constructed to meet LEED Platinum standards, while the state-of-the-art Health Sciences Centre is one of 16 projects in the Canada Green Building Council’s Zero Carbon Pilot Program. The College’s programs include environmental studies, water engineering technology, and sustainable building technology, all of which contribute positively to local, regional, and national green initiatives.
Okanagan College is also a collaborative partner with the University of British Columbia’s Okanagan Campus (UBCO), joining forces to provide faculty and students of both institutions with innovative research and learning opportunities.
“Together, we help build and sustain local opportunities for learning, training, education, and research,” notes Dr. Fassina. “Our collaboration fuels innovation, entrepreneurship, our very social infrastructure—to be able to learn close to home means graduates will stay close to home.”
The Wilden Living Lab is just one example of the shared success between Okanagan College and UBCO have had—students participated in building an attainable net-zero home alongside trades professionals, contractors, and homeowners. As research continues in Wilden, the results are shared across the country, furthering nationwide progress and growth in this important sector. “The future is bright for both institutions, and as pillars of social and economic development in the Central Okanagan, that translates to a bright future for the region,” adds Dr. Fassina.
