A ground breaking ceremony was held for Okanagan College's new Health Sciences Centre today, at the Kelowna campus.
"Students will get the skills and training in a modern building for a range of health-care and social-development careers," said Melanie Mark, Minister of Advanced Education, Skills and Training. "Nurses, pharmacy technicians and early childhood educators are in-demand jobs that people rely on every day in communities around the province to keep our families safe and healthy."
The new 30,000 square-foot building will be an integrated learning centre. Programming provided through the new centre will include diploma and certificate programs, to help meet the need for high-priority health-care professionals, such as practical nurses, dental assistants, special-needs workers and health-care assistants.
"The groundbreaking is an exciting milestone in the start of a new era in training health professionals at the college," said Jim Hamilton, president of Okanagan College (OC). "The Health Sciences Centre has been a high priority for us, and will be welcome news for thousands of students who will go on to become an important part of our province's workforce."
The total cost of the project is $18.9 million, including $15.4 million from the Province of B.C., with the remainder from Okanagan College through reserves and fundraising.
Completion is estimated for spring 2020, with student occupancy in fall 2020.
According to the Labour Market Outlook, 917,000 job openings are expected in B.C. by 2027. This includes more than 79,000 job openings in the health-occupation group, and more than 75,000 in the natural and applied sciences and related occupations group.