Okanagan College’s $112-million operating budget for 2018-19 passed Tuesday. It will add 13 new instructional positions in a variety of programs, including arts, science, technology, business administration and trades. There will also be a new counsellor, and additional staff for co-op education, for the learning centres in Kelowna and Penticton, and in education advising. Further support will go toward establishing a mental health first aid network and funding for health care services.
The budget provides for additional intakes in the sustainable construction management technology and animation programs, and allows for the creation of a new two-year collision repair diploma. Allan Coyle, Public Affairs for the College says the repair industry has been calling for expansion of the program. “They want, not just people with the technical trade skills, but also some of the office and early management skills so they can help in smaller shops.”
The largest portion – $78 million – of the College’s $111,847,000 balanced budget goes toward salaries and personnel costs. Coyle says, “That’s money that stays wholly within the region. The last time we did an economic impact study was 2011. Within the region we had a half billion dollar annual economic impact…our budget’s grown substantially since then.”
“We’ve seen significant growth in recent years,” explains Okanagan College Board of Governors Chair Chris Derickson. “This budget maps out our plans to address some of the pressures that have come with that growth, to invest in student services, and to move forward on continued growth in programs and with some of our strategic initiatives.”
Initial estimates of the College’s enrolment for the current fiscal year suggest the equivalent of 8,660 full-time students (7,702 of those domestic, up from 8,430 in 2016-17.
Over the course of a year, about 20,000 people will take advantage of the College’s courses and programs at its four campuses (Salmon Arm, Vernon, Kelowna and Penticton) and its nine other learning locations, which stretch from Revelstoke to Oliver.