Another Donation for Okanagan College's New Trades Building

The latest local organization to donate to the new trades training complex at Okanagan College is the Rotary Club of Kelowna.

The Club has pledged $75,000 to the Bright Horizons, Building for Skills fundraising campaign, which will support the $33-million renovation and expansion project currently underway.

(Left to right) Steve Moore, Dean of Trades and Apprenticeship at OC, Ross Gillery, Rotary Club of Kelowna, Kathy Butler, Executive Director at OC (Photo Credit: Okanagan College)

“Our club has a long history of supporting education,” said Club President Dennis Campbell. “It’s an important part of the culture of what we do. Be it through creating bursaries at the College, or supporting major projects like this, we’re very passionate about helping the next generation of students achieve their educational goals. Trades are a key thrust in our economy, and so it seemed only natural for us to support the training of these young apprentices. When you think about it, you can’t step out your front door and go very far without coming into contact with something that a tradesperson has helped to build, wire, plumb, weld, and so on.”

The doors to the new three storey tower will open in spring of 2016 and will be a significant update for Okanagan College’s trades facilities. The complex will be able to accommodate over 2,400 students per year in trades programs. Okanagan College is currently the second largest trades training institution in B.C.

Construction of the new complex (Photo Credit: KelownaNow.com)

“The new trades training complex will help us be proactive in addressing the skills gap projected for trades and technical training in B.C. over the next decade,” says Jim Hamilton, President of Okanagan College. “It is truly gratifying for the College to see people and organizations from all over our region stepping up to support the project. We appreciate the Rotary Club of Kelowna’s generous investment in our campus and our students’ futures.”

The provincial government has committed $28 million for the project, with the additional funding the responsibility of the College. The $7 million Bright Horizons campaign to top up this funding includes $5 million for capital construction and $2 million for program and student support, which will allow the College to explore new trades programs in high demand, as well as create awards and bursaries for students.

The Okanagan College Foundation announced in February that the campaign has officially reached the halfway mark of its overall goal, with over $3.5 million raised. To learn more about the campaign, opportunities to give, and to get involved with the project, please visit http://www.okanagan.bc.ca/campaign.