November 27, 2015 – BURNABY, BC - Coast Capital Savings is partnering with the British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT) to help them kick-start their next fifty-year mission of preparing students to be job-ready, as well as instilling them with the critical attributes needed to face tomorrow’s challenges.
Over the next three years, Coast Capital Savings will invest $376,000 with BCIT to establish the Coast Capital Savings Entrepreneurship Skills for Trades and Technology Program.
A departure from other post-secondary entrepreneurship ‘hubs’ or ‘incubators’, this educational program will give trades and technology students a toolbox of entrepreneurial skills that will be integral to all industries over the next fifty years.
“Coast Capital Savings has enabled us to expand our delivery of critical entrepreneurial skills, in a more flexible learning environment,” said BCIT President Kathy Kinloch. “Business today increasingly requires the ability to improvise solutions and to quickly adapt to keep pace with the rapid rate of change – this is the foundation of entrepreneurship education.”
“The Coast Capital Savings Entrepreneurship Skills for Trades and Technology Program brings together two things we’re very passionate about at Coast Capital: building a richer future for youth and helping small business owners achieve financial well-being,” said Don Coulter, president and CEO of Coast Capital Savings. “We’re excited to be a part of this innovative approach to educating trades and technology students so they graduate with the small business know-how that matches their professional expertise.”
From registered apprentices who want to start their own small trades business, to computer science students who want to learn how to fund and market their own app, the Coast Capital Entrepreneurship Skills for Trades and Technology Program will empower students to navigate the business world on their own terms.
Coast Capital Savings and BCIT are proud to be providing flexible, part-time education to the next generation of successful small business owners. Courses include, “Financing a New or Expanding Business” and “Growing a Business”. Registration is now open for the first course offering beginning January 11, 2016 – Starting Your Own Business.
For further information, media can contact:
Jocelyne Leszczynski | Media Relations Coordinator
British Columbia Institute of Technology
T 604.432.8306 | C 604.250.9251 | E jleszczynski2@bcit.ca
Coast Capital Media Line:
Phone number:778.391.6225
Email address: media@coastcapitalsavings.com
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About the British Columbia Institute of Technology
For 50 years, the British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT) has been a leader among post-secondary institutes, offering a unique applied education model that serves both students and industry. BCIT offers degrees, diplomas, and certificates in a variety of polytechnic studies, educating 48,000 full and part-time students annually.
About Coast Capital Savings
Coast Capital Savings is Canada’s largest credit union by membership, owned by its 522,000 members. It has 50 branches in the Metro Vancouver, Fraser Valley, and Vancouver Island regions of British Columbia and has exciting plans to grow. Product innovations include Canada’s first free chequing account from a full-service financial institution. In 2014, we invested $5.7 million into our local communities, focusing on empowering and engaging youth. Coast Capital is one of Canada’s 10 Most Admired Corporate Cultures™, a member of Canada’s Best Managed Companies Platinum Club, and an Imagine Canada Caring Company. To learn more, visit coastcapitalsavings.com.