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February 28, 2024 - 12:00 PM
Okanagan College has been gifted $1 million to fund scholarships for students going into trades and apprenticeship programs.
Kelowna-based real estate and development company Highstreet has donated $1 million for 13 bursaries of $6,500 each to cover tuition costs along with textbooks and tool expenses if money is left, according to an Okanagan College media release issued today, Feb. 18. The goal is to incentivize students to explore trades and apprenticeships that are in high demand on the job market.
“This is about giving back to an industry we love and encouraging high school students and young people to see a trades education as just as valuable as a university program,” Highstreet CEO Scott Butler said in the release.
Highstreet donates $1 million to Okanagan College to encourage students in trade and apprenticeship programs.
Image Credit: SUBMITTED/Okanagan College
Highstreet is also working to change the perception of what it means to work in trades. They have ensured that shifts on their worksites are from Monday to Friday with overtime being an exception.
“The trades can be an amazing career path,” Highstreet president Christina Wilson said in the release. “There are so many different avenues you can take — it could be in a leadership role, project management, or even owning your own business. There are so many opportunities.”
Wilson particularly encourages women who are considering a trade and ensures them that it's a great option to consider and there are no barriers.
Highstreet is a gold sponsor of Okanagan College's Jill of All Trades event which is a day-long workshop for girls in grades nine to 12 to get a hands-on learning experience in construction, automotive, and manufacturing trade sectors.
The donation will also benefit the annual trades camps that take place in the summer. These week-long camps get students in grades four to six and seven to nine immersed in areas like carpentry, metalworks, electronics, culinary arts and more.
Highstreet vice-president Tony Kudryk said the company's gift is an investment into the community's future as qualified skilled trades workers are in high demand and that demand is expected to continue in the coming years.
Students who are interested in learning more about trade and apprenticeship programs at Okanagan College are encouraged to visit the school's website here.
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