ABOUT US

Our Purpose

The BC Career Colleges Association was set up in 1977 to promote and support those involved in private post-secondary education. Our aim is to ensure that the private training industry is recognized for the high level training and student satisfaction it delivers. With a shortage of skilled workers in B.C. and inadequate seats in the public post-secondary system, private institutions are a vital part of the education picture in this province.

BCCCA member schools adhere to a Code of Ethics and are committed to providing students with individual care and attention throughout their studies and as they graduate and search for employment.

Our member schools believe in offering students an educational experience that is enjoyable, supportive and designed to provide the skills and knowledge students need to find the career they want.

What We Do

We want to see consistency, accountability and excellence in the private post-secondary training industry. To help this happen, we co-ordinate and disseminate information on topics relevant to our members through monthly seminars and dinner meetings as well as our annual conference.

The association is also a liaison between the private training industry and the provincial government, the media and the general public.

We undertake projects such as:

• Representing the interests of our members to government and quasi-government organizations
  
• Keeping our members updated on new government regulations
  
• Representing the private post-secondary sector on Commissions and Committees where, in the past, only public sector representation was invited
  
• Assisting in placing students when institutions close without fulfilling contracts
  
• Providing opportunities for members to post information about job vacancies, space availabilities, school sales and partnership opportunities
  
  

Private post-secondary education - let's talk results:

• Over 85 per cent of graduates from private institutions said the training they received met their expectations
  
• Over 82 per cent of graduates got jobs
  
• Approximately 25 per cent of graduates had jobs before they graduated
  
• On average, 89 per cent of the employed graduates got their jobs within eight weeks of completing school
  
• 72 per cent of Canadian small and medium enterprises that hired graduates of private training institutions were satisfied with the grads' training compared with 62 per cent satisfaction with university grads and 59 per cent with college grads.

 

A Brief History

Our association has grown from a base of 23 member schools to an organisation that represents:

• over 120 businesses in locations throughout B.C. that employ
• over 1,200 individuals that train
• over 16,000 students per year and contribute
• over $50 million dollars in gross revenues to the BC economy.

Managed by an Executive Director, the association takes its direction from an elected board of active industry professionals.

The membership itself is diverse, including institutions offering training in areas such as the vocational and apprenticeable occupations, health care, tourism, business, high technology and the applied arts.

BCCCA is part of the National Association of Career Colleges (NACC). Founded in 1896, the NACC represents career colleges in Canada that train over 100,000 students annually in 1,200 locations. All Career Colleges are licensed annually and regulated under the terms of their provincial/territorial Act.

Our Contribution

Governments know that the public education system alone cannot handle the demand for training. The need for innovative, responsive, effective and cost efficient skills training is increasing. It is critical to recognize that private career colleges are well positioned to build our country's capacity for providing access to quality post-secondary education.