If you鈥檝e ever done hands-on training for a skill or career, you鈥檒l know how valuable that style of education is to career development and placement.

Working in an environment that helps you learn while gaining workplace experience is one of the best ways to solidify a specific skill set, says Pauline Stevenson, president and founder of .

The Courtenay-based school has for 30 years honed its own skills in matching employers with high-quality potential employees, not only in their diploma programs, but through their industry partnerships, like the Industry Training Authority (ITA), Employer driven training projects, Government labour market initiatives and other innovated approaches to connecting the right people to the right jobs.

鈥淲e鈥檙e part of the business community, and the culture of the college speaks to our fundamental philosophy, which is to connect people to employers,鈥� Stevenson says.

Fostering connections to business community

As a newly named Ambassador for the , Stevenson stays in touch with the business community in a variety of sectors. It鈥檚 one of the ways the college keeps its network vibrant and maintains and grows its connections with employers, she says. Being a member of the Vancouver Island Economic Alliance and industry associations is another, she adds. 鈥淲e鈥檙e very involved in economic development.鈥�

Mobile training a specialty

For those situations where onsite training for specific jobs makes more sense than sending people into a classroom, Excel Career College instructors go where you need them to be. Whether it鈥檚 teaching aquaculture to new fish farm employees on the North Island, or training people in factory-framed building techniques on the Malahat Nation, Excel instructors bring project-specific training to employers and other clients.

鈥淔or us, being innovative and responsive is kind of second nature, it鈥檚 how we鈥檝e always operated,鈥� Stevenson says. Over the next two years, the college has instructors doing specific training for government and industry in 20 different locations around B.C., from Prince Rupert to Powell River to Victoria and points in between.

Pilot project moving forward

The college is working on a new initiative called the Integrated Learning Career Launcher. It鈥檚 designed for young learners to supplement their studies with work experience and will be of interest to people looking to explore a variety of work settings, all while earning an income, Stevenson says.

The college partners with employers by providing staff, often for specific short-term projects, and the cost of training is built into the student鈥檚 experience. 鈥淭he aim is to support employers where crises happen around HR,鈥� she says, while supporting this new talent pool in generating a career on their own terms.

If you鈥檙e looking to or want to find out where to look for , you鈥檒l find plenty of information at , or you can call to speak to a representative at 250-334-2452, or send an email to info@excelcareercollege.com. You can also follow what鈥檚 new on Excel鈥檚 , or pages.