Information technology students learn on state-of-the-art equipment

VIU received $100,000 from the Ministry of Post-Secondary Education and Future Skills to install new labs.

­Students in Information Technology and Applied Systems programs at Vancouver Island University (VIU) now have access to the most current and up-to-date technology.

BC’s Ministry of Post-Secondary Education and Future Skills gave VIU $100,000 to purchase 39 new computer systems for its Information Technology and Applied Systems (ITAS) programs. ITAS consists of two diploma programs in the fastest-growing sectors in Canada – Systems Administration and Networking, and Web and Mobile Development.

The new equipment is integral to enhancing curriculum delivery and addressing the evolving needs of the industry, said Brandon Britt, Chair of the ITAS – System Administration and Networking program.

“This new equipment keeps us cutting edge, keeps everything we’re teaching relevant and the students just absolutely love it. They can get more of their schoolwork done in less time,” he said.

“This is the kind of investment that the Province likes to make supporting a higher quality of education for students in BC,” said Lisa Beare, Minister of Post-Secondary Education and Future Skills. “It is inspiring to see students benefit from the up-to-date technology. By providing them with state-of-the-art equipment, we’re not only preparing them for the future but also actively shaping it.”

To ensure no opportunity for experiential learning was wasted, second-year students were tasked with setting up and installing software on the new computers at the beginning of this semester.

“It gave them that hands-on experience that we talk about in applied programs,” said Britt. “It gave them a bit of that feeling of ownership over their own workstation.”

For second-year student Tyler Wetzel, the new technology equips him with essential skills for “immediate entry into the workforce.” It also helps students who are interested in specializing in specific areas of the industry pursue their passions upon graduation.

“Students are job-ready and well-prepared,” he added.

Britt said the investment from the province will help grow the program and assist current and future students, both while they’re at school, and after they graduate.

“Students leave the program career ready and I would say roughly 80 per cent of our graduates have employment withing the first six months of leaving the program,” said Britt. “It’s a credit to the faculty and it’s a credit to what we teach. Most of our faculty come from the industry and every project that our students do is an industry project that has been done in the real world.”

Glynis Steen, Dean of VIU’s Trades and Applied Technology Faculty, said the new technology will help VIU continue to produce successful graduates for the in-demand information technology and information systems industries.

“We are grateful to the province for their continued support of our learners,” she said. “This investment is a game changer for our students that sets them on the path to successful IT careers.”