In December 2019, the ThriveNorth program successfully completed its five-year mandate. Managed by Futurpreneur Canada, the program helped young entrepreneurs in Northern B.C. launch and grow their businesses by connecting them with resources, financing and mentorship.

Northwest Community College (NWCC) is an accredited post-secondary institution that serves the rich and diverse communities and learners of British Columbia’s beautiful northwest region. Established in 1975 in Terrace, BC, NWCC has expanded to nine regional campuses.

A true community college, NWCC provides students with innovative programs that lead to sustainable careers for people in the north. In addition to its nine campuses, NWCC partners with First Nations communities and organizations in providing community-based programming in First Nations villages and has consistently partnered with Wilp Wilxo’oskwhl Nisga’a for program offerings in the Nass Valley.

Rich environments and cultures allow NWCC to offer almost unlimited educational opportunities. Inclusive, accessible and affordable, taught by qualified instructors in small classes with lots of personal attention, NWCC focuses on a rewarding and successful student experience.

NWCC offers quality and affordable education and a wide variety of certificates, diplomas, and associate degrees. Where applicable, NWCC promotes experiential learning scenarios for its students that highlight the region’s unique cultural heritages, which connect them to community and provide interaction with the region’s spectacular and rugged geography.

What can NWCC offer entrepreneurs?

NWCC’s Business Administration program provides the expertise and required credentials to get ahead in today’s competitive workplace. The program consists of a one-year Certificate and a two-year Diploma with concentrations in Accounting, Human Resources or General Management.

NWCC’s Entrepreneurship Certificate Program teaches essential practical skills to successfully develop a business plan. Students become business literate through formal experiential learning such as field trips, networking events, and business case competitions. It is through these practical learning opportunities the odds of business start-up success are greatly increased.

Our program teaches the important steps needed to make a business plan become a reality. We assist students in developing the right communication strategies to bring an idea to market. Students also earn credits that transfer directly into the NWCC Diploma in Business Administration and become well positioned to apply for business loans with Community Futures.

Why do you feel entrepreneurship is so important in Northern BC?

Entrepreneurship is critical to the growth and sustainability of the local economies in Northwest BC. We know that without small businesses, our vibrant communities would become ghost towns.

It is these entrepreneurs who fill the gaps in our local markets for goods and services that otherwise would not be available to residents and/or visitors in the north.

Entrepreneurs also work to provide jobs and employ many in the region who stay in the north. This is where they want to be.

Yoga studios, coffee shops, restaurants and hair salons, you name it. Small business is everywhere and making a huge impact on the quality of life for residents in the north.

Small businesses and entrepreneurs who make the effort to fill a gap in the marketplace need our support. They are committed to seeing our communities thrive.

You can learn more about Northwest Community College here.

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