Sprott-Shaw Blog

Last night the Nanaimo campus celebrated their Practical Nurses success by recognizing their accomplishments at our Semi Annual PN Pinning Ceremony. The special traditional ceremony had the graduates donning nursing caps, a candlelight processional, pinning of the grads, reading of the Florence Nightingale Pledge and refreshments. It was a special event enjoyed by staff, PN students, family & friends! Congratulations to all PN grads!!

PN students reading the Florence Nightingale Pledge

LPN students walking towards the Front

♥ Doll

Two weeks ago our Marketing rep Yolanda went to a meeting at lunch called Career Practitioners, the discussion being a huge recognition that employers are not posting information as much as word of mouth. So if you are looking for work hit the pavement and knock on doors and/or treat EVERYONE as if they could be your future boss!! This is a tip from our local Career Professionals!!

What a great point, typically it’s not what you know but who you know! It’s all about networking and making contacts!

♥ Doll

Yolanda one of our Marketing Reps currently attended a recruitment session for a company called NEXEN where they are currently looking for people in Long Lake Northern Alberta approx. 40km outside of Fort McMurray. Apparently this is Canada’s newest major oil sands development and the first to integrate in situ Steam Assisted Gravity Drainage technology with on-site upgrading on a large scale. So people interested can go on-line www.longlake.ca ; www.nexeninc.com. Excellent opportunities seem to be happening in Fort Mac once again!

What great information, if you are interested check out their websites!

♥ Doll

Recently one of our Marketing reps Yolanda, received an e-mail regarding Early Childhood Education (ECE) graduates.

Currently Quarterway Child Care is looking for ECE graduates. They need to hire at least 3 new early child care educators this year! Quarterway Child Care is not the only employer looking to hire ECE students, many other employers are looking to hire ECE graduates as well.

Sprott Shaw is an approved College with the Early Childhood Education registry. Sprott Shaw’s Early Childhood Education program is less than 1 year long! The average starting wage for an Early Chidhood Educator is approximately $15.00 a hour with benefits! Which is great in my opinion, especially for a program which does not take you a full year to complete and there is always room to move up in positions.

We currently have the Early Childhood Education program at our Duncan campus!!

If you are a ECE graduate currently looking for employment in the Nanaimo area (or are willing to relocate) and are interested in the ECE position at Quarterway Child Care (250) 740 – 2599 or by e-mail quarterwaychildcare@shaw.ca

If you are interested in taking our ECE or any other of our great programs call 310 HIRE or http://sprottshaw.com/

♥ Doll

One of our advisors just sent me this article found in the Nanaimo Daily News, which is Nanaimo’s main paper.

“Health-care Is still the Best Bet for Future Job Security”
Here are some highlights from the article:

“Some workers are not deferring retirement, and it’s good news for employers trying to stay ahead of the labour shortage. But in some sectors demand is expected to rise so much, even that won’t help. That is already the case with Vancouver Island Health Authority, and demand will only grow in the health care sector. Last year Vancouver Island Health Authority created 2,400 new positions. At the same time 1,500 people left VIHA jobs…”

“… The reason for the growth? ‘Aging people and aging workforce,’ O’Connel said. The median age on Vancouver Island is now 44 years, compared to 40 provincially. That gap is expected to grow, as more retirees move to the Island…”

This is great news for our students and grads! At the Nanaimo campus we offer a host of health-care programs such as Practical Nursing, Resident Care Attendants/Home Support Worker, Community Support Worker-Assisted Living and Medical Office Assistant.

http://www2.canada.com/nanaimodailynews/news/story.html?id=60994acc-ce83-4bd9-b396-d83ae1d504ed&p=2

♥ Doll

I find that some students do not take advantage of our guest speakers and do not understand the importance of networking! A Nanaimo student just got HIRED!! Here is the e-mail she sent our Marketing Rep Yolanda:

“Yesterday I was interviewed for a receptionist position at R.W Wall Let and they offered me the job; which of course I accepted! I start on Monday

As far as I know, the job wasn’t advertised, but Lee Mason passed on my name. I renewed my acquaintance with her when you had her in as a guest speaker, and she suggested I keep in touch. When I completed my studies, I let her know I was looking for work, and this is the outcome. Lesson Learned! Networking works!…” Patricia T

The fact is a lot of the time when applying for a job it’s not what you know but who you know! Congrats to Patricia and to all of our SSCC students when guest speakers come in make the effort to ask questions and a good first impression. Who knows what could happen.

Yolanda (Marketing Rep) and Patricia (Nanaimo Alumni)

♥ Doll

On Saturday June 20, 2009 there will be a street festival on the main street in Vernon called the Sunshine Festival. Staff and student will be present at the event and will be providing the community with face painting and a draw for a scholarship. This is a great opportunity for staff and students to have some fun together in the Vernon community!

Sounds like a fun event, check back next week for pictures of the event that I will be posting.

SSCC at the Sunshine Festival

Sprott Shaw's Booth

♥ Doll

On Wednesday June 12, Yolanda one of our Marketing Reps went to the Chamber of Business before the Business to Nanaimo Youth Services. These people have been around since 1969! This organization helps our local youth in so many ways, a multi service one stop where arts, recreation, counselling support and hot meals. They also have a youth housing complex for high and at risk youth ages 17 to 19. Their BladeRunners program is a youth skills link program that builds community partnerships and connects motivated, job ready youth with valuable employment opportunities in the construction and trades industry. Yolanda was very impressed by this non-profit organization, staff and their successful participants that she is considering sitting on their board; that is if they will take her and I don’t see why they wouldn’t .

♥ Doll

On June 20 and 21 roughly 2,000 riders will be participating in the “Ride to Conquer Cancer”, one of the cyclists is our own Annie R who is an LPN instructor at our Kelowna campus!

The bike ride is for anyone; the only requirement is that you are able to ride the distance! The cyclists will be riding 120 km each day, with an overnight camp between Vancouver and Seattle. Each participant is required to raise a minimum of $2500.00; with a rough estimate of 2000 riders I am sure they will raise more than the required amount. Former pro cyclist and Tour de France participant Axel Merckx will by the captain on the ride!

Many of the cyclists have their own personal reasons for joining the ride. Many may have dealt with cancer themselves or lost family members to cancer. Our LPN instructor Annie has her own reasons and she was kind enough to allow me to write about her story:

Annie has been working as a Licensed Practical Nurse Instructor at Sprott Shaw for just over a year. In 2007, Annie was diagnosed with Non Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. For those of you who are unfamiliar with Non Hodgkin’s disease it is a blood cancer and quite honestly a death sentence. Non Hodgkin’s Lymphoma is a cancer of the lymph nodes. “Lymph nodes are found throughout the body and act as filters or traps for foreign particles. They contain white blood cells. So they are important for the proper functioning of the immune system.”  (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lymph_node) The cause of Non Hodgkin’s Lymphoma is unknown; it can be triggered by an infection or a compromised immune system. Some symptoms include fever, night sweats, swollen glands, fatigue and weight loss. (http://www.webmd.com/cancer/non-hodgekins-lymphoma/default.htm) Annie heard about the Ride to Conquer Cancer event during her chemo therapy session. Right there Annie made a personal goal; she decided that she would make herself healthy so she can be one of the cyclists! Annie has been undergoing a new type of treatment called Imuno Therapy; she has been doing this treatment for 2 years and it is working. It is curing Annie’s Non Hodgkin’s Lymphoma.

She is riding in order to raise more money for research! Sprott Shaw Community College is one of the many supporters for the Ride to Conquer Cancer! In order to conquer cancer we need to help each other. If you are interested in donating to support a great cause check out the website http://www.conquercancer.ca/site/TR?pg=pfind&fr_id=1281 .

Sprott Shaw Community College wishes Annie and all the other cyclists the best during the ride!

♥ Doll

As most of you may know on April 30, 2009 the Kelowna campus took part in a fundraiser called Have a Heart Radiothon. This event is made in order to raise money for Kelowna’s General Hospital’s Neo-Natal Unit. The Neo-Natal Unit is very important to the hearts of the Kelowna community and Sprott Shaw is very honoured to help with such a cause! The Sun FM made a promo video in order to get more volunteers for next years fundraiser.  This year they raised $3600.00 for the Neo Natal Unit!! With more volunteers next year, who knows how much more they will raise. Check out the promo video –>  http://www.vimeo.com/5171763

♥ Doll