Students encouraged to take the leap as business program launches at College’s Revelstoke centre

Okanagan College Media Release

Carolyn Gibson and her family moved west for the mountains, but it was the business landscape that connected her closely to the Revelstoke community.

The long-time Okanagan College instructor says there are plenty of prospects for budding entrepreneurs and business people looking for four-season opportunities in Revelstoke – and now couldn’t be a better time to take the leap.

The next generation of managers and entrepreneurs will learn the skills needed to succeed in business this fall, when the Tourism Management Diploma kicks off at the Revelstoke centre.

“Management studies are so valuable, because it creates an understanding of what a manager role involves, but also the importance of those small tasks and actions, the little things, that can impact the overall operation,” she says. “The tourism management piece is understanding that your actions impact somebody’s experience.”

Gibson’s family owns and operates Revy Outdoors and The Pines B&B. Those are her visible enterprises in addition to business consulting in the region as well as mentorship/coaching work for Startup Revelstoke.

“We’re not a resort town, we’re a mountain community,” she says. “My family is focused on tourism, but we have all these different industries here that make it a diverse community.”

“What’s amazing is that we have such support from a networking perspective, but also a philosophy where a lot of people in town want to support other local entrepreneurs. It’s a great place,” she says. “Through Startup Revelstoke, I am running into people with a range of ideas in different industries.”

Gibson has been a long-time Continuing Studies instructor, offering Leadership Essentials classes in the Shuswap for many years, in addition to offering advising services to Queen’s University on its Master of Business Administration program. This fall, she will be teaching a Computer Basics course, building critical skills for business students to navigate a tech-savvy world.

“Being able to take your idea and get it down on paper in a logical way that people can read and understand it is vital. Are you familiar with online templates to help you save time? Do you know how to use a PowerPoint to quickly tell potential investors what your business idea is about? You’re going to need to be able to track financials using Excel,” she says.

And while technology can provide solutions, she explains, it is still critical for students to understand the concept behind its use. “Google Forms are emerging and can be very useful. The templates are there, but how do you use them? Getting the most out of those forms and technology is so important.”

Students in TMD will cover a broad array of business topics like accounting, financial management, marketing and digital applications. The program also serves as a two-year diploma in business, which students can use to ladder into additional studies at Okanagan College for the Bachelor of Business Administration Degree.

There are a few spaces available in the program. For information, visit www.okanagan.bc.ca/tmd or call 250-832-2126, ext. 8259.