A business owner in his mid-50s is too busy to learn the nuances of social media. The problem is that his clients want him in that space, and he absolutely needs to be there.
He feels stuck.
Then there’s the event planner in her mid-40s who knows nothing about sustainable event planning. She has at least 20 years in the field ahead of her, but she also feels overwhelmed trying to keep up with ever-changing industry trends.
Or how about the graduating high school student who doesn’t know what to pursue and certainly doesn’t want four years of commuting to post-secondary from Surrey to downtown Vancouver?
Again, it comes back to that stuck feeling.
As the Program Head at BCIT Business + Media, Tracey Renzullo has heard it all, and these are real-world scenarios. But each of them is solvable with flexibility.
Enter BCIT Flexible Learning, where education comes to you as you please – rather than vice versa. Twelve weeks to finish a course? Sure. Or you could complete that same course in a week.
Want to keep working while going to school? No problem. All of this comes via a term Renzullo refers to as “bite-sized learning,” a key focus across BCIT offerings.
Freedom in flexibility
“This is about delivering content in a small and very focused way,” Renzullo explains. “Learners can choose how much they want to take on, and they don’t have to commit to a big or lengthy program.”
Take, for example, BCIT Tourism and HospitalityAssociate Certificate for those interested in B.C.’s third largest industry. Five courses alone will jumpstart your career with tourism organizations, at a hotel or anywhere in the hospitality sphere. Prospective employers can hire you while you learn at BCIT or bring you onboard once you complete your studies.
Renzullo also cites BCIT’s breadth of digital marketing courses that solve problems for students, business owners and older learners alike. It’s in this context that the business owner who isn’t social media savvy contacted her looking for help.
A BCIT student can take two courses on social media that will equip them with the basics, as well as the expertise behind which apps to use, how to communicate on those apps, and the demographics using each platform.
“Social media can be finicky – you don’t want to yell at people about the things you’re trying to sell,” Renzullo explains. “Companies that do that fail, so you have to understand the content aspect of it and how to build a social media strategy for your company that engages with your customers.”
Traditional learning can feel outdated. Four years to complete your studies is a bridge some may want to avoid crossing. Then there’s the reality that a career needs constant upkeep, not unlike a vehicle.
Simply put, BCIT’s Flexible Learning is the solution to the challenges of both yesteryear and tomorrow.
“This whole notion that you do your four years in school, then you know everything you need to know without any more training, I don’t think that really exists anymore,” Renzullo says. “You need to be constantly learning, constantly updating, and you need flexibility to do so.”
To learn more about BCIT School of Business + Media’s Flexible Learning program, visit bcit.ca/flex.
