MEDIA ADVISORY

BVC graduation on Monday: more than 400 success stories

CALGARY, January 8, 2010 – CALGARY—Nova-Lee DoBush, like so many others in Canada, lost her job in 2009 due to the recession. Mother of two, she turned to Bow Valley College (BVC) in order to upgrade her existing skills and embark on a new career path to support her family.

On Monday, January 11, DoBush and more than 400 other students from Bow Valley College will take part in graduation ceremonies at Jack Singer Concert Hall. They’ll receive their diplomas and certificates knowing they’re well equipped with job-ready skills and training.

DoBush begins a practicum in February as a Hospital Unit Clerk, joining a sector that has seen strong job growth. In its December 2009 labour force statistics, the Government of Alberta reported the health care area has experienced some of the highest employment gains in the province.

“Bow Valley College has a Hospital Unit Clerk program that worked for me,” DoBush says. “It gave me the opportunity to upgrade my skills quickly and join the workforce right away.” Six months after enrolling in her program, she will represent her classmates as valedictorian for the Business and Industry department.

Students from programs in Academic Foundations and Health and Community Care will also graduate on Monday.

Manmeet Bhullar, MLA for Calgary-Montrose and parliamentary assistant to the Minister of Advanced Education, will deliver the keynote address at the ceremony. Sharon Carry, Bow Valley College President and CEO, and Scott Thon, Chair of BVC’s Board of Governors, will also address the graduates.

Event: Bow Valley College Winter 2010 Graduation Ceremony
Date: Monday, January 11, 2010 Time: 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. (doors open at 1:00 p.m.)
Location: EPCOR Centre for the Performing Arts, Jack Singer Concert Hall 205 – 8 Avenue SE

All media are invited to attend Bow Valley College’s Winter Graduation ceremony. Photo opportunities and interviews can be arranged.

Bow Valley College--Calgary and region’s Comprehensive Community College--with more than 11,000 full- and part-time students, is a leader in health and business career training, adult upgrading, and English as a Second Language. BVC’s Test of Workplace Essential Skills (TOWES), workplace training for immigrant professionals, and employment services provide a wide-range of services for business and professionals. Established in 1965, Bow Valley College is in the midst of a multimillion-dollar expansion, creating state-of-the-art facilities and doubling its student capacity by the year 2012.