Selkirk College launches new employer brand

The West Kootenay-Boundary provides so much to those looking to join the Selkirk College team.

A partnership of seven rural BC colleges has launched a new website to let future employees know about the benefits of fulfilling employment in a small town setting.

Selkirk College has joined six other post-secondary schools across the province in an initiative that aims to recruit the best and brightest employees.

The Regional Colleges of BC has launched a new website to let future employees know that if you’re interested in working in a rewarding career alongside great people in a close-knit community—it’s good out here.

“We know from our employees who have moved here from elsewhere that we offer great places to live and rewarding workplaces, but not enough people consider one of the Regional Colleges of BC as an employer of choice, especially outside of teaching faculty and staff,” says Gary Leier, Director of Human Resources and Community Relations for Selkirk College. “The reality is that compared to the big city, it really is good out here.”

Partnership Shows Benefits of Rural Life

Where exactly is “here?” The group of seven British Columbia colleges—Selkirk College, College of New Caledonia, College of the Rockies, North Island College, Northern Lights College, Northwest Community College and Okanagan College—offer work in communities that include small towns with only a few thousand people, up to large cities with populations of over 80,000. A few communities have fewer than 1,000 permanent residents and are set in some of the most breathtaking locations in BC.

“It’s not unusual for people to move to one of the colleges’ communities for a job opportunity and quickly realize they never want to leave,” says Sheila McDonald, Human Resources Executive Director for College of the Rockies. “Between the camaraderie offered in the working environment, the affordable real estate and the instant access to outdoor recreation, people truly connect with others and settle in.”

Job opportunities at the Regional Colleges of BC include careers in administration, finance, health services, information technology, maintenance and senior leadership. And then there are the obvious faculty and teaching roles, which are appealing because the small college settings enable employees to make strong connections with their students and really make a difference in their lives.

Location and Opportunity the Lure

The Regional Colleges of BC expect that once the word gets out, it won’t be difficult to entice qualified candidates to their workplaces.

“Most people know that the outdoor recreation is spectacular everywhere you go in BC,” says Ken Crewe, Director of Human Resources for North Island College. “But add in affordable housing, vibrant communities and the chance to do work that has direct application in the community you’re living in and you’ve got a situation that has a lot of appeal for someone ready to leave the big city behind.”

The Regional Colleges of BC is a group of public post-secondary institutions spanning the regions outside of the Greater Vancouver area. The colleges cover 43 communities across British Columbia, from Vancouver Island and Haida Gwaii out west, bordering Yukon to the north, the Rocky Mountains to the east and everything in between. The employee recruitment brand and website is the first large project this group has collaborated on.

Learn more about the new initiative and join us on Facebook.