Sprott Shaw College

Quote:

"We're tried, tested and proven and we stand by our graduates. We want our students to believe in us as much as we believe in them and their chosen path or career."

-Patrick Dang, Sprott Shaw President

Sprott Shaw College is a textbook example of a local school with a global reach.

What originally began as a business institute in Victoria 110 years ago has now evolved into a college boasting 13 campuses across B.C. that offer degrees and diplomas for domestic and international students alike, in over 120 programs.

With flexible start dates and scheduling options, employment support services and lifetime upgrades and refresher courses, Sprott Shaw has always attracted its fair share of local students for training in the trades and healthcare disciplines. However,  the college has also seen a groundswell of international students coming through its doors in recent years to enroll in business and technology as well as tourism and hospitality programs.

Word of Sprott Shaw's success in building a bustling hub for international students is spreading far beyond Canada's borders, thanks to the college establishing its own career-preparation programs in licenced partner institutions located in countries in the Middle East, China, Japan and Southeast Asia.

To act as a welcoming committee for those new arrivals, the college is actively involved in assisting international students with securing accommodations and medical insurance, dealing with immigration and banking issues as well as organizing group outings and student activities.

The school is further developing its international appeal through its involvement in a series of "Global Education Cities" currently under development in Richmond and the South Cambie district of Vancouver. When completed, the sites will host a number of public and private colleges and universities and provide amenities such as student housing, retail outlets and restaurants as well as travel agencies and immigration lawyers and consultants.

Sprott Shaw's commitment to its students doesn't simply end at graduation. The college employs a team of career-placement specialists at each campus to assist students with resumés, preparing for interviews and sourcing out job opportunities for them. In keeping with that support system, Sprott Shaw has also established its own call centre where specialists connect graduates with full- and part-time jobs in their chosen field.

"We go the extra mile to prepare our students for interviews, to make sure we talk to employers to source out job leads, and to ensure that students are lined up with opportunities so there's an even better chance for them to secure good jobs quickly," says Sprott Shaw president Patrick Dang.

Nurturing and supporting a student body that can exceed 2,500 each year can be a tall order, and Dang is quick to credit the school's roster of dedicated faculty and staff for helping to spur the continued growth.

"Our faculty form the foundation here," says Dang. "Without great instructors, you cannot have great students. I'm very pleased and proud to say our instructors go out of their way and our smaller class sizes allow them to really get to know the wants and needs and learning patterns of each student, which helps us produce solid graduates."

Dang is firmly convinced that R.J. Sprott and W.H. Shaw "” the two men who founded the venerable institution in 1903 "” would be proud of both how the school has thrived and the direction in which it continues to head.

"As our new mandate states, we provide relevant skills for meaningful jobs. We've been here for 110 years, we're tried, tested and proven and we stand by our graduates," says Dang. "We want our students to believe in us as much as we believe in them and their chosen path or career."