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 LinkBC was recently invited to make a presentation on the network’s model of sector collaboration at the annual BCCIE Summer Seminar, this year held in the beautiful resort community of Whistler.
The LinkBC network is pleased to be working in partnership with the B.C. Council for International Education (BCCIE). Under the leadership of Dr. Randall Martin, BCCIE Executive Director, this collaboration is a key component in LinkBC’s Study Tourism and Hospitality in BC strategy www.studytourisminbc.ca . Working with BCCIE helps LinkBC leverage limited resources for this sector-specific marketing strategy. Joint positioning makes it easier for prospective students to find both provincial and sector-specific information. It also allows tourism and hospitality education programs to build upon the strengthened overall marketing of BC post secondary education opportunities www.bccie.bc.ca.
The theme of this year’s conference, Charting the Path Ahead, captured the industry at an exciting crossroads, here in British Columbia and across Canada. With dialogue around the next stage of Canada’s international education strategy and British Columbia’s time in the spotlight as host of the 2010 Winter and Paralympic Games, the sense of momentum was embraced as delegates planned for the next wave of strategy and sustained practices to make BC’s institutions and the province leaders in the field.
The event brought together almost 300 international educators and administrators from across Canada. The Seminar theme captured the excitement and momentum of an industry which currently generates over $2.2 billion to British Columbia’s economy and in which school districts and institutions play key leadership roles.
In his introductory remarks, Martin commented that “education is the most powerful gift we can give, a tool that increases knowledge and skills, strengthens health and welfare, improves understanding and tolerance and most importantly, builds the vitality of our own economy, communities and workforce."
The LinkBC session , Educate, Innovate, Connect: The LinkBC Model of Sector Collaboration described the network model that provides value-added services on behalf of the many tourism & hospitality management, culinary arts and adventure tourism programs across British Columbia. The presentation provided other disciplines an opportunity to consider how this sector-specific approach may be of interest in the changing and competitive environment of post secondary international education.
 The LinkBC team of Jonathan Rouse, Dean of Hospitality VCC (Host institution), Terry Hood, General Manager LinkBC and Terry Bubb, Provincial Coordinator, provided an overview of the network’s role, and included an interactive discussion with panelists and audience. Participants received a behind-the-scenes look at its four main strategies:
• Promoting B.C. as a Tourism/Hospitality Learning Destination
• Connecting Industry to Students and Graduates
• Strengthening the BC Tourism Learning System
• Acting as a Tourism/Hospitality Information Hub
At Whistler, LinkBC was also pleased to be at the first BCCIE awards night when Donna Hooker from Vancouver Community College received the International Education Leadership Award. Donna helped get LinkBC started with its learning destination journey. She playing a key role in the LinkBC-coordinated BC tourism/hospitality education day at the 2008 BC-Canada Pavilion in Beijing attended by 9 LinkBC education partners.
Terry Bubb summarized the event as a fabulous experience that provided much additional knowledge on international education trends and opportunities. “The discussions held at Whistler have us ‘charting the path ahead’ with even stronger collaboration with BCCIE to promote the province’s educational offerings.”
“This was a great opportunity to continue building good connections as we work collaboratively with BCCIE and other partners to maximize the economic impact of educational travel on BC’s economy” summarized colleague Terry Hood as the 3-day Summer Seminar concluded.
For more information:
www.bccie.bc.ca
www.studytourisminbc.ca * www.studyhospitalityinbc.ca * www.studyadventuretourisminbc.ca * www.studyculinaryartsinbc.ca
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