Okanagan College
I was a student
Administrative Assistant Program (Former Employee) – Salmon Arm, BC – 7 November 2018
I loved my time as a student. It was very enriching. I loved my teacher and my fellow classmates. I feel that I learned allot through this course and it will be a great addition to my background.
Pros
Lots of out of school activities.
Cons
Not enough courses have to go out of town which is not an option for some.
Encouraging Enviornment
Peer Mentor (Former Employee) – Penticton, BC – 7 March 2018
Working at Okanagan college gave me the tools to recognize such things as stress that may hinder a students success. Intervention is very important in order to help students achieve their success.
College succeds despite the best efforts of the executive team.
Manager (Former Employee) – Kelowna, BC – 6 March 2018
Executive are simply terrible and unskilled at what they do. They do not understand their function and add no value.
The college leaders - deans and directors, supported by skilled administrative staff make this an okay place to work.
Salaries are low and benefits are okay.
Most employees are hired on contracts for 3-5 years before competing for permanent positions.
The college leaders - deans and directors, supported by skilled administrative staff make this an okay place to work.
Salaries are low and benefits are okay.
Most employees are hired on contracts for 3-5 years before competing for permanent positions.
Good students, terrible management.
Sessional Instructor (Former Employee) – Kelowna, BC – 15 November 2017
The whole goal of OC seems to be to have 100% of instructors as sessional employees who have to apply for their own job every 4-8 months, with no benefits, or hope for the future. Offices are ridiculous, parking is a goat-show, and admin is no help whatsoever. Students are awesome though, and it is fun to instruct there.
Student life was hard but the college helped me
Health Care Aide (Former Employee) – Kelowna, BC – 9 November 2017
The College really pushed me to be a better person and to work on self care, the health care assistant program was amazing, it taught me all the skills required to be a professional health care worker in only six months.
Simple and Enjoyable
Lab Monitor (Former Employee) – Kelowna, BC – 26 September 2017
It is usually a quiet place to work, where you can do other work as you work for them. It is a flexible place for scheduling, even though the first month is usually hectic due to new bodies coming in.
Positive working environment.
Sub Instructor, Lab Instructor (Current Position) (Former Employee) – Kelowna, BC – 11 July 2017
Great place to work, Living a dream teaching young passionate culinary students. I really enjoyed sharing my experiences and giving back as an alumni.
Pros
Lots of engagement with students
Cons
Long drive into town
Great place to work
Business Analyst - Accounts Payable (Current Employee) – Kelowna, BC – 12 June 2017
It is a great place to work. It's a union environment and the management is great. The salary is above average and work life balance is good. I would recommend it to anyone that has a chance to get in.
Fast Pace working environment
Research Assistant (Former Employee) – Kelowna, BC – 15 May 2017
Working here will help you to develop and own your skills because its such a fast pace environment. We have to be good at our craft to deliver on-time and good quality projects.
Learning and Development Specialist
Professor of Business Administration (Former Employee) – Vernon, BC – 9 May 2017
Okanagan College employs too many term professors. This creates a lack in continuity of their programs. The pay for term professors is brutal. There is virtually no onboarding although certain professors are willing to share their material.
Working as a research assistant was an overall positive experience
Research Assistant (Former Employee) – Kelowna, BC – 21 March 2017
This was my first experience working in the Canadian environment and I must admit it was a culture shock of all sorts. Nonetheless, working as an RA I recruited the participants for the project, conducted and transcribed the interviews. It was certainly great working with the supervisors of the project.
Working as an RA was overall a good opportunity, and a positive experience
Resident Advisor (Current Employee) – Kelowna, BC – 8 March 2017
Full time consisted of 7 shifts per month. I was also expected to throw and promote one event per month during the active school year. Duties also included attending one meeting per week.
Loved the Challenge and Reward of being a professor
College Professor (Former Employee) – Kelowna, BC – 28 February 2017
Loved it. My supervisor was very helpful and understanding of how new I was to teaching at a college level. The students were great. I felt that I really fit in as a professor.
Pros
Great atmosphere and supportive professors
Cons
none
Tough to get past being a contractor.
Math teacher & teacher on call (Current Employee) – Kelowna, BC – 12 January 2017
Management is very good at keeping instructors from accumulating too much seniority, and union is useless at advocating for instructors grievances. Some equipment or facilities are antiquated.
There are better teaching opportunities with other colleges.
Instructor (Former Employee) – Penticton – 3 December 2016
I did not have a good experience working at OC (Penticton). My dept was not at all collegial and the dept head unwelcoming and unhelpful. The coordinator was detached. For the most part, I felt very excluded. There was an unfortunate problem with unprofessional behaviour, as well - some dept members negatively discussed each other, also sometimes with students. In general, there was a poor working atmosphere within my dept. Support staff were great - very helpful and friendly.
Salary and benefits are weak - comparable institutions pay better and are more professional.
Salary and benefits are weak - comparable institutions pay better and are more professional.
Pros
Great support staff, buildings are very functional & well maintained, I enjoyed working with adult students.
Cons
Salary is below industry average; lacks in collegiality, cooperation & support.
student job
Teachers Assistant (Former Employee) – kelowna – 25 October 2016
it was job while i went to school . it helped pass the time, gave me study time and a way to give back. i would recommend it to anyone. the college is a great place to work
Pros
interesting
Cons
tough
Great place to work with ping pong table in lunch area
Camp OC Volunteer Instructor (Former Employee) – Kelowna, BC – 20 September 2016
A typical day would start with organizing games and activities for the campers. then they would work on the skill of the camp, this one was acting, then lunch and more games after that. Management was great and really nice
Unionized environment - good & bad
Clerk (Former Employee) – Kelowna, BC – 9 March 2016
Depending on the dept. makes all the difference in the world. I have had bad experiences in some, but other dept. are wonderful too. People are generally nice, but clicky. As a temp, be prepared to do your time before anything permanent comes your way.
Pros
Toonie pot buffet - beautiful feast for employees
Cons
Big workload