Raising the roof on skills training in Salmon Arm

Okanagan College media Release

Eleven students in Okanagan College’s Residential Construction program are job ready thanks to the training they received on the program’s recently completed project house in Salmon Arm.

Three community partners, Okanagan College, Shuswap Rotary, and the North Okanagan Shuswap School District (SD 83) came together to make the custom 3,000 square foot, two-and-a-half storey home in Laurel Canyon a reality.

“The experiential learning element is unique to Okanagan College’s Residential Construction program and provides students the opportunity to learn the carpentry trade on the job, not just in the classroom,” says Steve Moores, Okanagan College’s Dean of Trades and Apprenticeship.

On Jan. 21, an afternoon reception and tour was held to mark the completion of the home. Local politicians and partner representatives attended the event, including many of the students who worked on the home, five of whom are secondary school students receiving credit toward their high school diploma.

“The best type of trades training is hands-on training,” says Rob Kjarsgaard, Okanagan College’s residential construction program administrator. 

“The students worked on all facets of the home’s construction from site excavation to framing to installing windows and doors,” says Kjarsgaard. “These projects ensure students are more than prepared to enter the workforce when they graduate.”

Okanagan College’s Residential Construction program is 26-weeks of training that provides students with the necessary theoretical and practical knowledge to seek employment as an Apprentice Carpenter in the residential construction industry.

Through this program, the students have fulfilled the requirement in their Level 1 pre-apprenticeship.