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VCC receives partner of the year award
Vancouver Community College's (VCC) Partnership Development Office (PDO) and the Vancouver School Board (VSB) District #39 were recently co-presented with the Employer Partnership of the Year Award by the BC Career Development Association.
The award was given in recognition of the close and sustainable partnership between VCC and VSB that has led to positive employment outcomes.
Through this partnership, more than 80 students of VCC's Building Service Worker (BSW) program were placed at VSB District #39 for work integrated learning in the past three years. VSB has hired more than one-quarter of those students.
“As a proud alumnus of the BSW training program at VCC myself, I have a great understanding of the curriculum. VCC is surely one of our preferred choices as graduates have all the soft and technical skills we look for,” says Parm Malli, Operations Supervisor of VSB District #39, who works in collaboration with the VCC team to support learners from underrepresented groups.
Parm sees this partnership as a win-win. “The partnership has proven to be very beneficial for VSB to identify talent, support inclusive hiring, and nurture a new workforce,” he adds.
BSW graduates have a lot of positive experiences to share as well. One recent graduate, Concepcion Cera, started working at VSB in early May 2022. Concepcion is an immigrant from the Philippines.
"This training has opened new doors for me. I can now support myself, my family, and also people’s safety in the community,” she says.
As a public sector employer, the VSB is an attractive place of work for job seekers, but they cherish the partnership with VCC in the BSW program. Their inclusion and diversity policies have provided opportunities for immigrants and visible minorities who have been disproportionately affected by the pandemic.
VCC BSW training Practicum Coordinator Cindy Chan, a newcomer to Canada herself, understands the challenges faced by immigrants.
“We look forward to partnering with more employers – public and private – to follow the path taken by the VSB and contribute more to the social and economic integration of immigrants and underrepresented groups to Canada,” she says.
Our Partnership Development Office (PDO) is VCC’s key entrepreneurial focal point for the development and delivery of innovative, customized education and training projects. Learn more >