North Island College is very pleased to welcome Patricia Rokosh as its new Dean of Trades and Technology.
Rokosh began her position on Sept. 1 and will be working out of the Campbell River campus.
Rokosh most recently served as Dean, Trades and Manufacturing Technologies, at Red Deer College in Red Deer, Alberta, where she managed a growing and diverse portfolio. Prior to joining RDC in 2011, Pat spent 10 years at SAIT Polytechnic in Calgary where she served as Academic Chair for the School of Business and as the Skills and 2009 WorldSkills Coordinator.
“As a strategic manager, Pat motivates and leads teams by successfully combining resources and talent with opportunities and community connections,” states Jan Carrie, NIC’s Vice President Education. “She has a strong track record of securing special project funding, leveraging opportunities and promoting trades programming as a first choice career option. We are very pleased to have Pat join the NIC team.”
“I am passionate about training a skilled workforce and believe that it takes a certain kind of person to translate theory into practice, like we do in our trades and technology programs. There are so many creative and practical aspects to training that benefit students beyond the classroom,” says Rokosh. “Mastering these types of skills sets is like putting tools in your toolbox – you’ll always have the knowledge and will likely be able to apply that understanding to a wide variety of areas through a professional career. Although I’m new to the Island, I see opportunity in so many places and I’m excited about working with our communities and with industry to help people be successful in their chosen careers.”
For people who are interested in taking advantage of the need for skilled workers in B.C., Rokosh suggests contacting NIC and adds, “Our technology and trades foundation programs have started, as well as our Cook Apprentice program, but if individuals are considering a career in the growing construction industry, we still have some spaces in our Plumbing and Carpentry apprentice classes, which start on Monday at NIC’s Comox Valley campus.”
Rokosh holds a Diploma in Engineering Technology from SAIT, a Bachelor of Applied Communications degree in Public Relations from Mount Royal College (University), and is in the process of completing her Masters of Environment and Management degree from Royal Roads University, where her thesis focuses on sustainability in the construction trades.
For further information about North Island College programs, services and events, visit www.nic.bc.ca.