Building BC's talent pipeline: TRIUMF and BCIT partner to develop unique work-integrated learning program

BURNABY, BC, Oct. 30, 2020 /CNW/ - The British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT) and TRIUMF, Canada's particle accelerator centre, have partnered to develop an enhanced and multi-faceted work-integrated learning (WIL) program to address the evolving needs of British Columbia's economy.

This unique program will enable broad access to career training and create vast opportunities in a variety of STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) disciplines, skilled trades, business and entrepreneurship. The partnership will create a testbed in which TRIUMF's unique research infrastructure and operational environment will leverage BCIT's renowned track record of applied education in diverse industries – ultimately strengthening British Columbia's workforce development and training capacity.

Participants in this TRIUMF-BCIT WIL program will gain access to professional mentorships, training, apprenticeships, co-operative education, field placements, seminars, credentials, and other opportunities that will fortify their skills and experience and streamline their transition into a variety of careers in the province's knowledge economy. Students, early-career professionals, and re-skilling workers will be able to develop job paths, expand their professional networks, and deploy their academic training in real world settings, from science and engineering to business and trades.

This partnership will create a living lab for students and their hosts – combining TRIUMF's multidisciplinary with the depth and breadth of a BCIT education. With benefits extending beyond integrated learning and professional skills development, this partnership will forge, experiment, and implement new ideas by integrating knowledge and expertise from multiple fields into one interdisciplinary approach. 

"The mutual affinity that has developed between TRIUMF and BCIT is a perfect foundation to reach beyond the scope of our respective institutions. As a leading polytechnic Institute, BCIT is committed to providing the ultimate future-proof education to our learners. This unique partnership with TRIUMF will create far-reaching opportunities for our learners to meet the ever faster changing demands of the workforce," said Dr. Tom Roemer, Vice President, Academic, BCIT. "Thank you to TRIUMF and everyone involved in this collaboration."

"TRIUMF sits at the centre of an expansive national and international network of academic and industry partners that is training the next generation of scientists, engineers, technicians, tradespeople, and other industry professionals," said Dr. Jonathan Bagger, TRIUMF Director. "Our partnership with BCIT will allow more early-career professionals to access exciting opportunities and strengthen and enrich British Columbia's future workforce."

TRIUMF has been employing BCIT students for co-op terms since 2003 and more than 5% of its employees are BCIT alumni or current students and apprentices. With several Industry Sponsored Students Projects already underway, the TRIUMF-BCIT WIL program is off to a strong start with future placements expected in the new year.

About British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT)
For more than 50 years, the British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT) has been training the experts, innovators, and professionals who shape our economy – across BC and around the world. With five campuses and over 50,000 students enrolled each year, BCIT is one of BC's largest post-secondary institutes. Through its unique applied education model, students gain the technical skills, real-world experience, and problem-solving ability needed to embrace complexity and lead innovation in a rapidly changing workforce. The BCIT curriculum is developed through close consultation with industry and delivered by instructors who have direct, hands-on experience in their fields.

About TRIUMF
TRIUMF is Canada's particle accelerator centre. From the hunt for the smallest particles in the universe to the development of new technologies, TRIUMF is pushing frontiers in research and training the next generation of leaders to advance science, medicine, and business. For more information, visit www.triumf.ca or @TRIUMFLab on social

SOURCE British Columbia Institute of Technology

Amy Chen, Media & Communications Specialist, BCIT, [email protected], 778.384.7245; Stu Shepherd, Communications Specialist, TRIUMF, [email protected], 604.222.7528